Tamarind has a very important place in the Indian kitchen and it has loads of health benefits as well as it is a treasure of anti-oxidants and dietary fibres.
Indians love its tangy and sweetish taste and enjoy this in chutney, relish, digestive candies, pickles and more.
From childhood, I used to enjoy tamarind pickle and never knew about the recipe. Thanks to my brother-in-law who sourced the recipe and made it possible for me to enjoy this relish after so many years.
This is a family recipe of one of our friends from Mangalore and speciality of the local Jain community form coastal region.
Ingredients:
Tamarind- 100 grams
Dried red chillies – 200 grams (Byadagi variety)
Jaggery – 250 grams
Salt – 8 to 10 teaspoons
Water – 3 to 4 cups
Fenugreek /methi seeds – 1 tea spoon
Cumin – 2 tea spoon
Gingelly oil – 1 to 2 table spoon.
Mustard – 1 tea spoon
Garlic – 5 to 6 cloves (crushed)
Curry leaves – 1 spring
Method:
- Soak tamarind and grated jaggery in water for some time.
- When it becomes soft, nicely squeeze out and sieve the liquid.
- Discard all the roughage and fibres.
- Dry roast methi and cumin.
- Roast red chillies by putting very little oil.
- Powder all the roasted items by using dry mixer jar.
- Now keep one thick bottomed vessel on the gas stove, put oil and do seasoning.
- When oil is hot, splutter mustard seeds, then add crushed garlic and curry leaves.
- Pour tamarind and jaggery concentrate, salt, ground masala powder and boil.
- After boiling it for some time, upper layer of the mixture will look glossy and it is the sign for its doneness.
- Switch off the gas, cool this mixture completely and store it in dry glass bottles and keep outside for two days to set and afterwards keep it in the fridge.
- It will stay up to one year if you store it in the fridge.