Homemade Pickles are the best. I always prefer them because they are fresh with less sodium and other preservatives. Mango pickle is one of the easiest pickle to make at home. If you have 6 to 7 mangos in your pantry you can pickle them and store it in the refrigerator or gift it to your friends

Ingredients:

·         Raw mangoes: 500 gms.

·         Fenugreek seeds: 3 tbsp.

·         Fennel seeds: 4 tbsp.

·         Red chili powder: 2 tbsp.

·         Turmeric powder: 2 tsp.

·         Mustard seeds: 3 tbsp.

·         Mustard oil: 350 mls.

·         Salt As per taste

Directions:

1. Cut raw mangoes into half, remove seed and then cut ¾th inch sized

pieces.

2. Apply turmeric powder and salt, rub nicely and then keep it for half an

hour. Drain out excess moisture.

3. Grind fenugreek seeds, fennel seeds and mustard seeds to a coarse

powder.

4. Heat mustard oil until smoking point, remove and let it cool.

5. Mix fenugreek seeds, fennel and mustard powder with red chili powder.

Add half of the mustard oil to this mixture and rub this spice and oil mixture

to the mango pieces. Mix thoroughly.

6. Put this into an earthenware jar and pour the remaining mustard oil.

Cover the jar with a muslin cloth and keep it in the sun for 5-6 days.

7. Make sure you stir the contents of the jar for the first two weeks at least

once a day. This is to ensure that the mango pieces are always in contact

with the oil.

Note: In most of the Indian pickles, salt and oil are used as preservatives.

Homemade Pickles are the best. I always prefer them because they are fresh with less sodium and other preservatives. Lemon pickle is one of the easiest pickle to make at home. If you have a bag of lemons lying around in your pantry you can pickle them and store it in the refrigerator or gift it to your friends
Ingredients:
• Lemons: 6
• Salt: 5 tsp.
• Chili powder: 5 tsp.
• Turmeric pinch
• Hing: 1 tsp.
• Fenugreek seed (Methi): 1 tsp.
• Sesame Oil: 5 tbsp.
Directions:
1. Cut lemons into small pieces and remove the seeds. Add salt and keep for about 12 hours.
2. Add chili powder, turmeric, and methi
3. In a pan heat the oil and throw in the mustard seeds and asafetida.
4. Spread this mixture over the lemons.
5. Mix thoroughly and transfer this to the glass bottle
6. Keep this in sunlight for 3 –4 weeks ( inside the home where you get bright sunlight)
7. Every day with the help of a dry spoon mix the pickle nicely and close it.
8. No need to keep in the refrigerator.
9. After 4 weeks the skin of the lemon  will be soft and the lemon must have absorbed the spices.
10. Now keep it in the fridge and enjoy with rice.

നാരങ്ങ അച്ചാര്‍,ലെമണ്‍ പിക്കിള്‍ 

Fish Pickle is an easy recipe,by which we include a Non-Veg item daily in our menu.We can make fish pickle by using Sardine, Butter fish,Seer fish,Prawns,Tuna etc (Better to use fleshy fish) .

Ingredients:

• Fish – 2.5 kg (I used tuna/choora)
• Garlic – Around 60 – 70 small pods
• Ginger – 6-7 inch piece thinly sliced
• Fresh ginger-garlic paste – 5-6 tsp
• Curry leaves – 10 – 15 sprigs
• Chilly powder- 6 – 7 tbsp (Adjust it according to your spice preference.  Use Kashmiri chilly powder if you prefer a less spicy pickle)
• Turmeric powder- 1 tsp
• Green chillies – 7-8 slit (optional)
• Pepper powder or chilli powder – 4 – 5 tsp ( I used pepper powder for the fish marinade)
• Fenugreek powder – 1 tsp
• Vinegar – 1/2 – 3/4  cup
• Mustard seeds – 3 tsp
• Salt -  to taste
• Sesame oil – For deep frying
• Salt – To taste

Directions:

1. Clean and cut the fish into small cubes(remove the excess water with a tissue). Marinate them with salt, turmeric powder and 4 – 5 tsp pepper/chilli powder for at least 30 mts. Fry them in oil. Keep aside.

2. In another pan pour some oil (you can use the oil which was used for frying the fish) and shallow fry the  ginger, garlic and curry leaves(You can also add ginger, garlic and curry leaves after spluttering the mustard seeds but I always shallow fry them separately first).

3. Now splutter the mustard seeds in the remaining oil(after shallow frying ginger and garlic). Add the ginger-garlic paste, green chillies ( if you are adding them) and cook until their raw taste is gone. Now remove from heat, add chilli powder and fenugreek powder. Mix well, add the fried ginger, garlic, curry leaves,fried fish and again mix well. Check for salt, add vinegar and mix well. Bring to a boil and switch off. If you would like to have more gravy you can add around 1/2 cup hot water and heat it. Store in an airtight container when it cools down completely. Use it after at least 2 weeks for the flavors to set in. Refrigerate if you want to keep it for long.

മീന്‍ അച്ചാര്‍,ചൂര അച്ചാര്‍,ഫിഷ്‌ പിക്കില്‍