exponentially hot

this is a recipe for north indian style carrot pickles from julie sahni's book, classic indian vegetarian and grain cooking.

while pretty much on the mild side when first made, over the span of two to four weeks, these will intensify to the point where a little will go a long way. in other words, they become hot, hot, hot. the combination of red hot chillies and cracked mustard seeds really heat things up but not so much as to make it unpalatable, in any sense. if you like hot, then this is for you. they are also tart and crunchy due to the addition of lemon juice and very short cooking time.

as with many north indian pickled vegetables, they are preserved in mustard oil. there are several brands available however many are now mixed with other oils and are considered as "blends". often, on the bottles, you will notice that it says 'for external use only'. at one point, there was a problem with the production of this oil where it is said that some corrupt manufacturers mixed it with other oils which were not fit for human consumption. it has become controversial and many countries put 'for external use only' on the bottles to avoid problems. the brand i use is "ktc" (from the UK) and works well for the following pickle.

mustard oil also has to be heated to smoking point very briefly before being used. if all this is "too much" for you, stick with vegetable oil :) just don't do the 'bring to smoking point' part of it. the other necessary ingredients like asafetida and brown mustard seeds are items you'll need to get from a store which sells indian food products.

hot north indian-style carrot pickles

ingredients:

1 lb carrots (~4 large carrots)
1 tbsp (kosher) coarse salt
1 tbsp crushed brown mustard seeds
1/2 tsp ground asafetida
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
whole red chillies, enough to make 1 1/2 tbsp crushed

1/3 c lemon juice
1/2 - 2/3 c mustard oil (i use ktc)

method:

carefully wash and dry a glass jar that will be appropriate to store your pickles in. it must be perfectly clean and dry to prevent contamination or spoilage.

peel and cut carrots into 2 1/2 inch lengths and then into a little less than 1/2 inch wedges or sticks. set aside. do not cut them too thinly as they will cook through and be soft — you want a crisp pickle, not a cooked soft one.

grind the brown mustard seeds until they are coarsely powdered. place in a small bowl.

take the chilies and break them and remove the seeds. crush them with your hands or in a mortar. they should be coarsely crushed and not powdered.

measure out the asafetida and juice the lemon.

make sure to have everything ready as the recipe goes very quickly and you may chance cooking the carrots too much if you have to stop and measure.

place the salt, turmeric, chillies, mustard seed and carrots in a medium sized bowl and mix them all together well.

on medium high heat, place the mustard oil in your wok or khadhai or cooking 'vessel'. you must heat the mustard oil to the point where it is only just starting to smoke. this is absolutely necessary so do not avoid this step. it is only ever used for mustard oil.

add the asafetida and stir quickly. add the carrots and all the spices in the bowl.

stir fry this for only 1 minute.

add the lemon juice and stir fry for another 2 minutes only. do not exceed this time or you may risk cooking your carrots.

remove the carrots from the heat and pack them in the clean jar and cover with all the liquid from the pan.

let cool completely in the jar and cover.

the pickles need to sit for about 4 to 5 days. shake twice a day until ready to eat.

as they age, they get hotter and hotter.

store in the fridge and only use a dry clean fork to remove them. they will mould if they come into contact with water.

enjoy!

kitchen essentials — how to prepare cured citrons confits

in an earlier posting, i showed how to prepare north african preserved lemons or les citrons confits. after their month long preservation, they are ready to use — unless you use the quicker 7 day method which, i guess, is good in a pinch. they are at their best after resting at least a month however, and improve with time.

in order to use these little flavour-packed lemons, they must be washed off well with warm or hot water.

once well rinsed, place them on a cutting board and remove the pulp. some people keep it, removing the seeds, however i much prefer just the softened cured rind.

after discarding the pulp, cut the lemon rind into long strips the size you need them.

cut each of the strips into a dice whose dimensions are called for in your recipe.

voilà, they are now ready to use.

enjoy!

summer in a jar

as the summer comes near to its end, a variety of vegetables are still available — many of them still at their best. it is at this time i usually make up a few bottles of pickled vegetables for the next few months.

the following mixed preserved vegetables are different however, as they do not involve sterilizing jars and the whole canning process. they can be made in the matter of a half hour, if you're well organized. they are also ready to munch on within a mere 36 to 48 hours. the recipe itself is also very forgiving as you can add the spices and herbs that you like. i do suggest keeping the turmeric as it acts as an antibacterial, a flavouring, and a colouring agent. it has also been proven to be very healthy for one's system.

as for ratios, my preferred one is 3 T salt to every 6 to 8 c of water, with 1/4 c plain vinegar. i don't add more than 1 tsp of turmeric for this amount as things can turn bitter with more than this.

make sure your jars are big enough and are super clean as well as all utensils. you don't want all your work spoiled by contamination. the salt, vinegar and turmeric should serve to kill off anything lurking, anyway! :)

suitable vegetables to pickle are:

• lebanese or kirby cucumbers (whole or cut lengthwise)
  
• baby zucchini
  
• cauliflower florets
  
• cut carrots or baby carrots
• bell peppers, sliced
  
• cabbage in small wedges
• green tomatoes
• turnip (white kind), sliced
  
• beets (these will dye everything red however)
  
• baby eggplants (cut crosswise *like an X* to with 1/4 of the stem)
  

herbs:

• dill branches
  
• mint (goes well with the baby eggplant)
  
• summer savory, thyme, sage (use these sparingly)
• parsley (italian type)
  

spices:

• whole ones -- decide what you like but don't overdo the 'powerful' ones

(scary ugly jar with ducks on it! only thing i had big enough .... apologies)

quick pickled summer vegetables

any vegetables you choose to pickle in this brine will turn out pleasantly spiced and have a slight tingle of heat. if you want them plain, then take out the chilies and hot paprika, replacing it with regular paprika. these keep well in the back of the fridge for several months.

ingredients:

3 tbsp kosher salt
1/4 c white vinegar
8 c cold water
1 tsp turmeric, heaped (don't add more than this)
1/4 tsp hot paprika or cayenne pepper
2 red dried chilis
6 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 bunch of dill
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 bay leaf
6 cloves

vegetables of your choice: i used carrots, cauliflower, green bell peppers

method:

in a large pickle jar, pack the vegetables in tightly without breaking.

add the dill either half way through or near the top along with the whole spices (coriander seeds, dried chilies, bay leaf and cloves).

on top of everything, add the salt and turmeric.

pack more vegetables on top of this.

add the water & vinegar and close the lid extremely tightly.

give it a good shake over the sink in case of any leakage.

leave on the counter for 36 to 48 hours, shaking 2 x a day.

the pickles will be ready to eat after this short time. refrigerate after opening. the flavours will heighten over time, getting better.

note: the turmeric will never fully dissolve but will settle on the bottom, shake the jar each time to redistribute it.

also makes for a good present for neighbours or family if you have a lot of vegetables to use up.

enjoy!

pink and crunchy!

preserving vegetables, especially when at their best, is something that has been done globally for centuries. while the methods and ingredients to do so range from country to country, the end result is always the same — vegetables of all kinds saved for the weeks and months to come while at the height of their availability and freshness.

one of the easiest preserved vegetables to make are the very popular blushing pink turnips eaten with all kinds of middle eastern mezze and, of course, the very item that makes up the unmistakable crunchy element of falafel sandwiches.

i have heard many people become disappointed when they attempt to make these pickles because they end up with blood red turnips. recipes for this popular condiment often include almost equal amounts of beets in proportion to turnip. this is because the beets are included as a main ingredient and not a colouring agent — the colour of the turnips is besides the point.

if it's that light pink you're after, then ....


most, if not all, recipes for making torshi lift pickles call for inordinate amounts of beets which render the final turnips a crimson red for the above stated reason and not that pink that one is used to seeing (like those served at restaurants). some places, i have been told, actually dye the turnips that colour with a little red food grade colouring. to naturally get a light red or pinkish blush to the pickled turnips, one must not be so heavy handed on the beets, unless of course you like them dark red.

these pickles take a good two weeks (and up to three) to be ready, so make them as a fun sunday afternoon-type project and enjoy watching them go from white to a pinkish red as the days progress. you can also take out the piece(s) of beetroot when you have the colour you like, just make sure to do it with a sterile fork or knife. i'd cut through one of the turnip pieces first to check if it's coloured all the way through, however.

to make these you need a glass jar that can accommodate at least 4 cups of water. it must be perfectly and absolutely clean to prevent possibility of bacterial growth (which almost never happens when things are clean).

one last thing before i forget, the turnips used here are the small white-fleshed ones. don't use the large yellow-fleshed rutabaga type.


pickled pink turnips — torshi lift

טורשי לפת (לפת כבושה) — مخلل لف

ingredients:

3 small turnips (size of a small fist)
1 - 2 smallish sized beets (i highly suggest using only 1)
4 to 5 cloves garlic, whole
1 1/2 tbsp kosher (coarse) salt
3 - 3 1/2 c cold water

note: i do not use vinegar in mine. if you want it, add about 1/3 - 1/2 c of white vinegar, reducing that amount in water.

method:

peel the beets. slice them into 3/4 inch slices.

place the slices on their sides and cut again into 1/2 inch slices. you will have finger shapes and 1/2 moon shapes from the end pieces.

peel the cloves of garlic and then take your knife and cut each clove crosswise but not all the way through (approximately 3/4 of the way through). this gives a more pronounced garlic flavour to the pickles. set aside.

in your jar, place the turnips and then the garlic on top.

now under running water, peel the beet(s) UNCOOKED, but watch it — the water can splash and stain your clothes so wear stuff you don't care about or an apron.

cut the beet(s) in half or quarters OR into slices. you can add the half or the whole beet (or both if using 2), depending on the size. the fewer and larger the pieces, the lighter a pink colour it will be. you'll have to experiment as i can't tell you exactly how much to add. the flip side is that not enough will result in no colour at all. take note that if you cut the beets into 3/8" slices, or something around that thickness, you increase the surface area and release more of the beets' pigment (this is how i most usually do it (with one very small beet only)).

add the beet on top the vegetables.

add the salt and then fill with the cold water. you need enough to cover the vegetables. note that they will float after but don't worry about it.

now tightly seal the jar and shake for a good minute to dissolved the salt.

place on your counter near the window and shake once a day for two to two and a half weeks. store the pickles in the fridge afterwards. they will last several months that way.

enjoy!