Pickles, in India, are eaten like any other vegetables. You can find pickles of almost every fruit and vegetable you can name.
Some people consider pickles to be unhealthy, actually, some of them are because of too many preservatives. But homemade pickles are good and considered healthy for consumption. There is off course additional salt and sugar that goes inside them to increase their shelf life but still, they don't do a lot of harm if consumed to limit.
Pickles serve as a great condiment, especially with flatbread. Sometimes when I don't feel like cooking or am short of time, I just prepare flatbreads and eat them with pickles.
My mom prepares some wonderful pickles and I have learnt a few from her (the ones I like).
I prepared this pickle using Natal Plums, Ginger and Green Chillis. Natal Plums are seasonal berries, not very common but are extremely tasty.
Let's see how we prepare this pickle.
Kitchen Standing Time
20 minutes
Ingredients
| S.No. | Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Natal Plum | 100 gms |
| 2. | Ginger | 100 gms |
| 3. | Green Chilli | 3 Unit |
| 4. | Lemon Juice | 8 TBSP |
| 5. | Salt | To Taste |
| 6. | Red Chilli Powder | 1 TBSP |
Method
Step 1: Wash the natal plums, ginger and chillies well. Cut each of the natal plums into 2 equal halves, ginger into long and lean slices and give a slit to the chillies. Let them dry in a fan for about 2 hours.
Step 2: Take a glass bowl. Add the natal plums, ginger and chillies. Add salt and red chilli powder and mix well.
Step 3: Add the lemon juice and again give a good mix.
Step 4: Keep the pickle under the sun for a day, covered with a strained utensil to allow partial sunlight.
Step 5: Store in an airtight container and consume within a week/10 days.
Make sure to refrigerate the pickle and consume within 10 days else it might develop fungus because there are no preservatives used. Eat fresh and Enjoy your meal!