You knew pickles were the perfect pairing for paranthas and a meal of dal-chawal, but did you know that they are also potential immunity boosters? Deepali Chauhan of Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Rae Bareli, told Gaon Connection that pickles are rich in antioxidants and keep the body safe from free radicals.
Consumed in a limited quantity, pickles can boost immunity. Pregnant women who consume mango or lemon pickle claim it eases morning sickness, while amla pickle is said to be highly beneficial for diabetic patients.
Pickles are also an excellent source of Vitamin A, C and K, and minerals such as iron, calcium and potassium.
The consumption of vinegar-free pickles is said to increase beneficial probiotic bacteria that aid digestion.
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Pickling is said to have been invented around 5,000 years ago to preserve seasonal fruits and vegetables. Traditionally, pickles come in both sour and sweet flavours and complement Indian cuisine. The tangy mix of condiments includes spices, mustard oil or sesame oil and salt.
Lemon, garlic, gooseberry, fenugreek, drumstick and mango boost immunity, and all of them get used in pickles.
Here are some easy-to-make recipes that will help you use up an excess of fresh produce. Months later, you can still feast on their goodness.
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Lemon pickle
Ingredients
Lemon: 800 grams
Salt: 150 grams
Turmeric powder: ¾ teaspoon
Red chilli powder: 2.5 teaspoons
Cumin: one tablespoon
Fenugreek seeds: 1.5 tablespoons
Mustard: one tablespoon
Grated ginger: one tablespoon
Asafoetida powder: half a tablespoon
Method
Wash and cut lemons into small pieces and dry them in the sun.
Fry cumin, asafoetida and mustard seeds in a pan on low flame till they turn golden. Let the spices cool and grind them in a mixer. Mix salt, turmeric, asafoetida, and ground spices in a vessel, add lemon to it and mix well.
Place in a glass jar and set aside in the sun for a week. Shake the jar once a day so that the salt mixes well.
After a month, when the lemon rind becomes soft, add grated ginger to it. Then tie the mouth of the jar with a cloth and keep it in the sun for a few hours. Repeat this process for a few weeks or until the pickle thickens.
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Garlic pickle
Ingredients
Peeled garlic cloves: 1.5 kg
Mustard seeds: 25 grams
Fenugreek seeds: 25 grams
Turmeric powder: 15 grams
Salt: 25 grams
Red Chilli powder: 25 grams
Carom seeds: one teaspoon
Mustard oil: one cup
Method
Wash the garlic and dry it in the sun for an hour and then place it in a jar.
Heat oil in a pan and add mustard, fenugreek, and carom seeds. When the oil is lukewarm, add the rest of the spices and pour it into the jar with garlic.
Shake the jar to ensure that the spices mix well.
Cover the pickle jar with a cotton cloth and keep it in the sun for a week, shaking often. You can begin using the pickle after a week.
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Amla (Indian Gooseberry) pickle
Ingredients
Amla: 500 grams
Mustard oil: 200 grams
Fenugreek seeds: two teaspoons
Carom seeds: A teaspoon
Salt: 50 grams
Turmeric powder: two teaspoons
Red chilli powder: a teaspoon
Yellow mustard (powdered): four teaspoons
Method
Wash good-quality amla and place in a vessel. Fill the vessel with one-and-a-half cups of water and place it on the flame. Reduce the heat once it comes to a boil and cook till the amla pieces can be easily separated.
Drain the water, and set the amla aside.
Once ool, remove the seeds and separate the amla wedges.
Heat oil in a pan and turn off when hot. Add asafoetida, fenugreek and carom seeds. Mix in the turmeric powder, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, yellow mustard, and salt. Toss in the amla and mix well, before serving.
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Methi (fenugreek) pickle
Ingredients
Fenugreek: 40 grams
Mustard oil: two to three teaspoons
Lemon: Juice of 6-7 lemons
Asafoetida: 1/4 teaspoon
Black pepper (coarsely ground): half a teaspoon Fennel (coarsely ground): one teaspoon
Turmeric powder: half teaspoon
Red chilli powder: half teaspoon
Method
Clean the fenugreek seeds and wipe them with a cloth. Heat oil in the pan till it smokes and add fenugreek seeds to it. Fry on low flame till it changes colour and remove from flame. Add the spice powders and salt and mix well.
Drop this into a bowl and add lemon juice. Allow it to rest for three days so that the seeds soak up all the juice and spices.
Sahjan (drumstick) pickle
Ingredients
Drumstick: 250 grams
Salt: one teaspoon
Mustard oil: 1/3 cup
Salt: one teaspoon
Asafoetida: 2-3 pinches
Turmeric powder and fennel powder: one teaspoon each
Red chilli and black pepper powders: 1/4 teaspoon each
Coarsely ground yellow mustard: 2 teaspoons Vinegar: 1 teaspoon
Method
Wash and dry the drumstick and cut into pieces.
Add a spoon of salt and allow it to rest for three days, moving the pieces once a day with a spoon.
Heat oil in a pan and switch off the flame once it reaches the smoking point. Allow it to cool briefly and add the drumstick pieces and the spice powders. Mix well and add vinegar.
Store in a glass or plastic vessel once it cools, and eat after three days.
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Mango pickle
Ingredients
Raw mango: one kg
Salt: 100 grams
Fennel: two teaspoons
Fenugreek seeds: one teaspoon
Vinegar: half a cup
Turmeric powder: two teaspoons
Red chilli powder: two teaspoons
Asafoetida: 1/2 teaspoon
Method
Wash and dry the mangoes thoroughly and cut into small pieces without removing the skin.
Roast fenugreek seeds and fennel to remove any moisture and grind once cool. Add the ground spices, salt and spice powders and vinegar to the chopped mango pieces and mix well.
Rest for a week, stirring once a day, to mix in flavours. The pickle is then ready to serve.
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