GARLIC PICKLE

      Pickles are "HISTORY IN A JAR". The word 'Pickle' comes from the Dutch 'pekel' or from northern German 'pókel', which means “Salt” or “Brine,”- the two important components in the process of pickling. Pickling has been used to preserve food for almost 5000 years. As pickling is the best way to preserve food for a long period of time, it became a necessity in every household.  Though pickling is an 'ART', which needs perfection, it is the earliest and easiest mobile foods, which filled the stomachs of hungry sailors and travellers around the world.  It also became a source of food during the cold winter months, droughts and famines.
     Pickles aren’t just limited being hot and spicy, they can even be sweet, sour, salty or all tastes mixed together. Pickles can be made with a seemingly endless variety of vegetables and fruits. The long list of pickles has included even Non-vegetarian items like Fish, Prawns, Meat etc., Each area/part/region of the world has its own variety of pickle, made with local delicacies enhanced with their own taste, preference and spice blend.
     Pickles are an integral part of an everyday meal - at least for me. It adds so much flavour and taste to a simple meal.  Adding the required preservatives and storing it appropriately can increase the shelf life of pickles.  But these days it's easier than it should have been, just store them in your refrigerators and they can last really long enough. This recipe is an Instant Garlic Pickle - ready to serve. I love this pickle, but what I hate is the time-consuming process of peeling.


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Cuisine - Indian
Recipe Type - Pickle
Spice Level - High
Difficulty - Easy
Yields - 2- 21/2 Cups
Author - SM

Preparation Time - 15 - 30 Minutes
Cooking Time - 8-10 Minutes
Maturing Time -  Immediate

HOW TO MAKE GARLIC PICKLE

 

INGREDIENTS :

Garlic - 1/2 Kg
Salt - 2-3 Tbspn
Mustard Seeds - 11/2 Tspn
Bengal Gram Dhal - 1 Tspn (Optional)
Asafoetida - 1 Tspn
Curry leaves - 2 Sprigs
Red Chilli Powder - 2 Tbspn
Turmeric powder - 1 Tspn
Fenugreek Powder - 1 Tspn
Lemon Juice/Tamarind extract - 8 Tbspns
Jaggery (Cane Sugar) - 1 Tbspn
Sesame Oil - 3-4 Tbspn
Vinegar - 3 Tbspns

METHOD :

• Peel the Garlic and keep it aside.
• Dry roast the Fenugreek Seeds, cool and powder it.
• Heat Sesame Oil in a pan.
• Splutter the Mustard Seeds, add Bengal Gram Dhal and fry for a while.
• Lower the flame, then add Asafoetida Powder and Curry Leaves.
• Immediately add the peeled Garlic Cloves and saute it on a low flame for few minutes until it becomes soft.
• Add Salt, Turmeric Powder, Red Chilli Powder and roasted Fenugreek Powder, to the sauteed Garlic Cloves and mix well.
• Pour Lemon Juice or Tamarind extract and Jaggery to the above.
• Cook this is on a low flame until oil separates from the pickle.
• Switch off the flame and allow it to cool.
• Finally, add Vinegar to the pickle and mix well.

NOTES :

• Adjust the amount of Salt and Chilli powder as per your taste preference.
• Pour some extra Oil if you feel the pickle is dry.
• More oil, more storage period. 
• Dry roasting the fenugreek seeds helps to preserve the pickle as well as gives a nice flavour.
• Jaggery gives a slight sweetness to the pickle. (adding it is truly optional).
• Allow it to cool completely before storing it in sterilized glass bottles. 
• Refrigerate the pickle.  It can stay good even with less oil and preservatives.
• If you feel that extra oil should be added, once the pickle is made, Heat the Sesame Oil, cool it and then pour it over the pickle.