Recipe - North Indian Lime Pickle

1 tablespoon Whole fenugreek seeds;
soaked in warm water for
45 hours and drained
One half tablespoon Ground; roasted fenugreek
seeds
2 tablespoon Chile powder
Three fourths tablespoon Turmeric
2 tablespoon Black mustard seeds; roughly
ground
3 tablespoon Salt (that's what the recipe
says!)
12 Limes; well rinsed
7 ounce (fl) vegetable oil
10 Dried Birds Eye chiles
(widely available in Asian
grocers or similar)
4 1inch sticks cinnamon
1 teaspoon Ground black pepper
1 tablespoon Ground asafoetida

From: David Smith david@dwsmith.demon.co.uk

Date: Sat, 31 Aug 1996 18:42:46 +0000
This recipe comes from "The Perfect Pickle Book" by David Mabey and David
Collison a good book for all sorts of pickles and chutneys. The recipe
is not the authors' but, even better, is credited to Meena Patak. Those in
the UK (and elsewhere?) will know of Pataks Pickles which are good quality
Indian pickles and chutneys and are used, I believe, in many restaurants as
well as being widely available in the shops. Meena Patak helps run the
business but this recipe is apparently a domestic version she makes herself
~ so it comes with good credentials.

I suppose you could just substitute lemons for limes although the size
difference might change things a bit.

Mix the soaked and roasted fenugreek, chile powder, turmeric, mustard seeds
and salt in a large bowl.

Make 2 cuts across the top of each lime so they are partially split into
segments, taking care not to cut all the way through. Stuff each lime
generously with the spice mixture.

Heat the oil in a separate pan and toss in the chiles, cloves, cinnamon,
pepper and asafoetida. As they begin to pop, pour the oil and spice mixture
over the stuffed limes.

Set aside to cool to room temperature before packing in jars (I can't
decide what size/shape jars you'd use and the recipe doesn't say but
wide, short jars would probably do the trick)

This pickle should be left for 23 months before it is eaten.

Well there it is. Sounds a bit unusual but worth a go.

CHILEHEADS DIGEST V3 #090

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