Winter vegetables are very juicy, which can be preserved and enjoyed during the off season as well. In Northern India mainly in Punjab, they preserve these veggies by making pickle. I am very much fond of all kinds of pickles right from our traditional non-oily baby mango pickle to Andhra Avakaya and Punjabi mustard oil soaked root vegetables. No meal is complete without pickle. I usually prefer homemade pickles over store bought one and usually stocks lots of varieties for our regular usage. People who know me will surely agree with this. 😀
In this Pickle we use seasonal Red carrots, radish, cauliflower and Turnip chunks. Which is mixed with assorted spices, salt, jaggery and mustard oil. It is a classic combination with any kind of Indian flat breads.
How I make-
Ingredients:
Carrot – 250 grams (Red or Baby carrots)
Radish – 250 grams
Turnip – 250 grams
Cauliflower – 250 grams
Salt – ½ cup+ 1 table spoon (as needed)
Mustard oil – 50 ml
Refined cooking oil – 50 ml
Garlic cloves – 10
Yellow mustard – 50 grams
Turmeric – 1 + 1 tea spoon
Kashmiri chilli powder – 20 grams
Normal chilli powder – 20 grams
Vinegar – 50 ml
Jaggery – 75 grams
Method:
- Wash, cut carrots, Radish, Turnip into long pieces.
- Remove small florets from cauliflower. Wash and drain.
- Boil 4 to 6 cups of water in a big vessel. Add 1 table spoon of salt and 1 tea spoon of turmeric.
- Blanch cauliflower, radish, Turnip, carrot pieces separately and drain and cool.
- Spread these on a clean towel and keep it under the sun for 1 to 2 hours to remove all the water content.
- If you are keeping and drying it inside the house, please switch on the fan or keep it for long hours, until it is dry.
- Now keep everything ready for pickle masala and seasoning.
- Take one thick kadai, pour oil, when it is hot, add garlic and fry for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add crushed yellow mustard, fry for one to two minutes.
- Immediately add turmeric and dry veggies. Mix nicely.
- Add both the chilli powders, salt and mix nicely.
- Then add grated jaggery (I have kept the jaggery piece to show) and vinegar.
- Cook until all the masalas and liquid absorb and becomes like a mass.
- Cool the mixture, store this in a clean, dry glass bottle.
- It will set in a weeks’ time and one can relish after that period.
- After it sets, I usually prefer storing it in the fridge to prolong its shelf life.