Name: Spicy Mixed Vegetable Pickle
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 150g (1 ½ cups) cauliflower – cut into small pieces; 1 cup aubergine; 60g carrot – cut into small pieces; 1 red bell pepper – roughly chopped; 3 green chillies – thinly sliced; 1 mango; 6 cloves garlic; 3 limes – thoroughly washed; 1 teaspoon ground turmeric; 3 tbsp chilli powder; 1 tablespoon ground black mustard seeds; ½ tsp fenugreek powder; 3 tbsp flaky sea salt; FOR THE TARKA; 125ml (1/2 cup) rapeseed oil; 2 tsp black mustard seeds; 1 tsp cumin seeds; 2 dried Kashmiri chillies – broken into three pieces each; 10 curry leaves – finely chopped

This spicy mixed vegetable pickle is so good. Easy too!

Over the years I have become somewhat obsessed with making my own pickled vegetables and chutneys.

Personally, I think there are few things better than presenting your own pickled vegetables at the table when you have a curry feast.

Pickled vegetables have never tasted so good!

I always have a batch of this spicy mixed vegetable pickle in the fridge.

For that matter, the best Indian restaurants make their own pickles too rather than relying on those big brand shop bought pickles and chutneys with those oh too familiar flavours.

Why make your own vegetable pickle?

Make this spicy mixed vegetable pickle and your friends will most definitely appreciate that you’ve gone to some work.

You don’t need to tell them that is was easy work.

You won’t find a shop bought vegetable pickle that comes close to this recipe!

Isn’t there a lot of salt?

Indian pickled vegetables are meant to be salty. They are after all a condiment for many different things, from papadums to dosas.

Although I could quite happily snack on this one all day on its own, it should really be eaten with something else. Rice is nice stirred into it.

No need to add salt to the rice when you try this popular mixed pickle!

So don’t be turned off by the amount of salt used.

Yes, there is a lot but this is meant to be served with things that don’t have a lot of salt in them. It is used instead of adding salt.

The salt and oil also help preserve the pickle.

Steam your limes to soften them.

Place all the prepared vegetables and fruit in a large bowl.

Add the dry spices.

Make the tarka.

Personally, I think this tarka makes it. You won’t believe how much flavour it adds.

Just a few spices and herbs and voila! You ave a masterpiece.

Pour the tarka over the vegetable mixture and stir well.

Ensure the vegetables are well coated with oil and place, covered with cling film in the sun or in a sunny window.

Amazon.co.uk Widgets

If you like the look of this authentic mixed vegetable pickle, you might like to try a few more. Here are a few links:

Indian Lime Pickle
Chickpea, Garlic and Carrot Pickle
Easy Lemon Pickle

Yield: 8

Spicy Mixed Vegetable Pickle

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

150g (1 ½ cups) cauliflower – cut into small pieces
1 cup aubergine
60g carrot – cut into small pieces
1 red bell pepper – roughly chopped
3 green chillies – thinly sliced
1 mango
6 cloves garlic
3 limes – thoroughly washed
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
3 tbsp chilli powder
1 tablespoon ground black mustard seeds
½ tsp fenugreek powder
3 tbsp flaky sea salt
FOR THE TARKA
125ml (1/2 cup) rapeseed oil
2 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 dried Kashmiri chillies – broken into three pieces each
10 curry leaves – finely chopped

Instructions

Mix all the chopped vegetables, mango and garlic in a glass or clay mixing bowl. Quarter the limes and squeeze as much of the juice out of them as you can over the other ingredients. Heat some water in a pan with a steamer and steam the limes quarters for about 15 minutes to soften them. You can add the steamed lime quarters as they are to the bowl or cut them into even smaller pieces before adding.
Using a pestle and mortar, one tablespoon of black mustard seed into a course powder. Pour this powder along with the chilli powder, turmeric, fenugreek and salt over the vegetables and fruit in the bowl. Stir well to combine.
Now in a small frying pan, bring about 3 tablespoons of the oil to a bubble over high heat. Add the mustard seeds. When they begin to pop, reduce the temperature to medium high and stir in the cumin seeds, Kashmiri chillies and curry leaves. When these become fragrant, pour in the remaining oil, stir well and pour it all over the chopped vegetables.
Mix really well. The vegetables should be submerged in the oil. If not, add a little more and then cover with cling film. In the summer months, you can place this outside in the sun. In colder months, place it all in a sunny window.
Leave to ferment for three days, stirring every eight hours or so. Then scoop it all into a sterilized jar (see page xx) with a tight fitting lid. You can taste it now but wait for at least a week if you can. It gets better!
This pickle will keep in the fridge for at least three months. Make sure that the vegetables are always covered in oil to avoid it going off.