Natal Plum/ Karonda and Green Chillies in White Vinegar

A great attraction in my kitchen garden at Jhansi, was the huge Karonda/ Natal Plum bush!! Its white star-shaped flowers with a lovely whiff were actually the star attraction for me, but others simply adored its large red and white oval shaped berries, colloquially called KARONDA. But its spiny branches were a threat not only to my 6 year old child, but also to my two over-exuberant pets. Hence after a bit of effort a fence was erected around that plant so that everyone was safe and I got my peace of mind!

Well, that was the time when I made pickles by the jar-full; of lime, lemons, tamarind, karonda, mango etc.. But since my childhood I have had a special affinity towards karondey-ka-achaar( Natal Plum Pickle). It was a very simple preparation but added such ambrosiac touch to your everyday meals, that to ignore that flavour is almost akin to blasphemy!
Give it a try and I am sure you will love it!

Ingredients:
Natal Plum/ Karonda - 250 grams ( washed and dried thoroughly by wiping with a clean cloth/ paper-napkin)
Green Chillies             - 50 grams (washed and dried thoroughly by wiping with a clean cloth/ paper-napkin)
Rock Salt/ Common Salt- 1level teaspoon
White Vinegar - enough to thoroughly soak the karonda and green chillies.
A clean and dry glass jar with an airtight cap.


Method:
Mix all the above mentioned ingredients in the glass- jar, and keep it preferably in the sunlight, for 3-4 days ( for an hour or two each day).
Remember to shake the jar for a couple of minutes, so that the ingredients mix evenly.
Yummmy, the pickle is ready! Savour the sharp taste of chillies with the tangy taste of Natal Plums!

Next time I should remember to share the recipe for karonda-chutney too :)

Super mango chutney

A hot, summer afternoon meal can be a trifle boring and dreary. And it was so yesterday!! So to goad my son and myself to consume the lunch,I had to do some quick thinking.....And voilà! One look into the refrigerator,and I discovered some absolutely fresh, green mangoes. I hurriedly peeled a few, sliced them and gave them a chhaunka!! Now, WHAT is chhaunka?! Its simply the North Indian word for 'tempering' a dish! Words like baghaar, chhaunka, chounk,tadka basically mean the same.

To try out this fabulous chutney all you need is, as follows-

Ingredients:
  Raw mangoes (not pulpy)- 3( peeled and sliced into 1 cm broad strips)
  Red chillies-3
  Rock salt or common salt- 1/4 teaspoon
*Panch-phoran- 1/2 teaspoon
  Cooking oil- 1 teaspoon
  Sugar- 2 teaspoons

*Panch-phoran is a mixture of equal amounts of fennel seeds, nigella seeds,mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and carom seeds.
If you don't have Panch-phoran, then you can alternatively use only mustard and / or fenugreek seeds.


Method:
Heat the oil in a saucepan/ wok, add the whole red chillies to it and then the panch-phoran. As soon as the seeds start spluttering add the sliced mangoes and stir it all for a few minutes. Now, reduce the flame to medium intensity and sprinkle the salt on it. Allow it to be cooked on this flame for 3-4 minutes,then cover with a lid and further reduce the flame. In between stir the mango slices, so that they do not get burnt. In a few minutes, the slices will change colour and become soft in texture, now you must sprinkle the sugar on it and allow it to be cooked further, until a slight brown tinge appears. Remove the vessel from the flame and either serve it hot or allow it to cool. for storing in the refrigerator. My mango chutney gets consumed in a day!

Happy chutney-session!

Tamarind (Imli) Chutney/Dip

No snack is complete without the tangy flavour of Tamarind chutney. The best part is that, irrespective of the season, you can enjoy this with actually anything!

Ingredients:

150 ml tamarind pulp (sieved)

½ teaspoon ginger paste

1 tablespoon sugar

¼ teaspoon rock salt

½  teaspoon mustard seeds

A pinch of red chilli powder

½ teaspoon cooking oil

4-5 curry leaves (optional)

250 ml water

Method:

Boil the tamarind pulp in 250 ml of water, on medium flame (stirring occasionally). As soon as the pulp attains a thick consistency, remove it from flame.

Heat the cooking oil in a saucepan, on a high flame and add mustard seeds; as soon as they start spluttering add the ginger paste, curry leaves, chilli powder and rock salt. Stir and cook for about 2 minutes. Now pour the tamarind-water mix into the saucepan and add sugar. Cook for another 3 minutes.

Tangy tamarind chutney is ready. Have it as a dip with pakoras, finger-chips, rice,fritters etc.

Raw mango drink ya kairie ka pana- Beat the heat!!

With mercury soaring in various parts of India, what better than to cool your system with a glass full of chilled aam ka pana! Kairie or  aam or mango is useful in this season, in its raw form too. I know some of you would any day prefer, the ripe fruit to the unripe one, but believe me, a cool glass of this drink does wonders for you, especially if it is delicately spiked with rock salt and fresh green mint leaves!
so how does one prepare this heavenly concoction? Here we go!

Ingredients:


Raw mangoes, medium sized- 3
Rock salt- a pinch
Green mint leaves chopped- 1 tablespoon
Sugar- 1/2 cup (or more if you like)
Cumin ( jeera) seeds roasted and powdered- 1 teaspoon

Method:
You can either roast or steam/ boil the mangoes , without peeling them. If pressure cooked, they are done with 3-4 whistles of the cooker. Let them cool and then gently remove the peels. Scrape the kairi/ mango pulp out with a knife and then make a purée of it by adding sugar and mint leaves.
Now add about a litre of chilled water to this mixture , add  the rock salt and sprinkle the cumin powder on top.
There! Your fantastic summer drink is ready!

Low-cholesterol Veggies- My choice

Staying trim and healthy has always been an endeavour worth striving for. However, the how and why of it is the trickier part! An easy way out, is to watch what you eat. Being aware of the ingredients which go into your cooking is  of utmost help. 

So, in this piece I am mentioning a very healthy, no-nonsense variety recipe. All you need,is a variety of seasonal vegetables, chopped into bite-size pieces,steamed for a couple of minutes in a steamer ( or blanched in hot water for a few minutes). Strain the water out and sprinkle some appetizing dried herbs like basil and thyme along with a pinch of salt (preferably rock salt), on it and serve !

 (Serves: 4 small portions)

 Ingredients:

 Fresh Broccoli cut into large florets- 1

 Carrots( preferably orange) peeled and diced - 2

 Thinly sliced slivers of cabbage - 2 cups 

 Shelled green peas - 1 cup

 Herbs - Thyme, Basil, Oregano ( all of these or a combination which you like)

 Rock salt / Common salt - a pinch of it

Method: Steam the above vegetables in half a litre of water for 2-3 minutes. (Tip: As soon as you get the delicious aroma of steamed broccoli, you can understand that no more heating of the water is required). After about a minute strain the water, and run cold water through the vegetables, to ensure that they stay crisp and their fresh colour does not drain off.

Sprinkle a dash of the dried herbs mentioned above ( or any other flavouring which you prefer) along with a pinch of salt. Toss all of this together and it is ready to serve!

Enjoy this till my next recipe!!