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Summer brings a bounty of refreshing vegetables and fruits you'd want to eat all year. One of the best ways to do that is pickling them when the Sun is up and storing them in brine to secure all the flavours.
If you want to try more unconventional flavours, Indian pickles may be a perfect choice. Indian pickles always stand out for their spicy kick and generous use of herbs.
Spanning the border from North to South, famous pickles like mango, gooseberry, and lemon have always been a summer staple in India. These pickles can serve as a delicious starter or a side dish for salads, stir-fries, or one-pot recipes.
Explore these delectable Indian pickles and make them at home to bring a burst of flavour to your meals. These recipes are easy to make and come out delicious with only a few steps.
7 Indian Pickles To Make While The Summer Lasts
1) Mango Pickle
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The summer market is filled with plenty of mangoes, a perfect opportunity to make the most of this delicacy by pickling it. Indian mango pickle is usually made with raw mangoes and contains a spicy mustard oil-based masala to store the dried mangoes.
2) Lemon Pickle
Lemon pickle is made by mixing lemon slices with a mixture of spices such as mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, turmeric, chilli powder, and asafoetida. This mixture is then marinated and preserved in oil that allows flavours to develop.
3) Green Chilli Pickle
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Green Chilli pickle or hari mirchi ka achaar have delightful tangy and spicy flavours. As the name says, this pickle is made with fresh green chillies, spices, salt, and oil. The green chillies are slit opened, sun-dried and mixed with spices like mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, turmeric, and asafoetida. It is then preserved in oil and rested to develop flavours.
4) Indian Gooseberry Pickle
Gooseberry Pickle features gooseberry or amla as the main ingredient. Gooseberries are filled with vitamin C and other nutrients, which provide refreshing relief in summer heat. For making this pickle, gooseberries are chopped and mixed with spices like mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, turmeric, chilli powder, and asafoetida. They are then marinated and preserved in oil.
5) Tomato Pickle
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Tomato Pickle is made with ripe tomatoes, spices, salt, and oil. For this, tomatoes are chopped, sun-dried for a few hours, and cooked with mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, turmeric, chilli powder, and asafoetida. The tomatoes are left to simmer for a few minutes to make them break down, and all the flavours start to meld together. The result is a thick and flavourful pickle that can be preserved for several weeks.
6) Jackfruit Pickle
Jackfruit is one of the best summer vegetables that can be used to make delicious pickles. Usually, raw jackfruit is preferred for making pickles. It is first cut into small pieces and combined with classic pickle spices. The mixture is stored in flavoured oil and becomes deeper in flavour over time.
7) Carrot Pickle
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Carrot Pickle beautifully highlights the mild, sweet nodes of carrots. For making this pickle, carrots are cut into long strips and sun-dried for a few hours. They are then mixed with mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, nigella seeds, and fennel seeds. Then salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, and asafoetida are added for flavour. Then, heated and cooled oil is added, which allows the flavours to develop before serving.
The beauty of these Indian pickles is that they can last for several years if you keep adding oil from time to time and store it in a dry place away from moisture and humidity. Make these pickles while the sun is up, and relish the flavours all year.
