1,000 Indian Recipes (77 page)

Sirkae vaali Hari Mirch

Makes about 1
¹
⁄
₂
cups

The spicy vinegar can be used in salad dressings and in soups. The hot chile peppers are lovely when served with any type of puff pastry appetizers or over rice. Try these only if you know you like spicy, complex seasonings.

1 tablespoon
Tamarind Paste

15 to 20 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon salt, or to taste

¹
⁄
₂
cup distilled white vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon dried mint leaves

1.
Prepare the tamarind paste. Then, place the chile peppers in a small non-reactive bowl. Add the salt and mix well. Set aside about 2 hours at room temperature. (By then the salt will have drawn out the juices from the chile peppers, and the bowl will have a fair amount of juice.)

2.
Mix in the vinegar, tamarind paste, sugar, and mint. Refrigerate at least 24 hours before using. Then, transfer to a sterile glass jar and store in the refrigerator about 1 year. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Pickled Chile Pepper Purée with Tamarind

Hari Mirch aur Imli ka Achaar

Makes about 1
¹
⁄
₂
cups

This is a purée of fresh chile peppers (with a lot of heat) that I often use as a dip with vegetables. To temper the heat, use milder peppers such as jalapeño, or mix in some green bell peppers. Don't omit the
urad dal
—the starch released when it is boiled is what gives this pickle its silky smoothness.

¹
⁄
₄
cup white urad beans (dhulli urad dal), dry-roasted and coarsely ground (
Dry-Roasting Spices
)

1 tablespoon sesame seeds, dry-roasted and coarsely ground (
Dry-Roasting Spices
)

¹
⁄
₃
cup
Tamarind Paste

¹
⁄
₂
pound fresh green chile peppers, such as serranos, coarsely chopped

1 large clove fresh garlic, chopped

1
¹
⁄
₄
cups water

2 tablespoons coriander seeds

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

1 tablespoon sugar

1
¹
⁄
₂
teaspoons salt, or to taste

1.
Prepare the dal, sesame seeds, and tamarind paste. Then, place the green chile peppers, dal, garlic, tamarind paste, and water in a nonstick saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan and cook about 5 minutes. Add the coriander, cumin, sugar, and salt, and continue to cook until the peppers are soft, 7 to 10 minutes.

2.
Transfer to a food processor or a blender and process to make a smooth paste. Remove to a serving bowl, lightly mix in the sesame seeds with some of them visible as a garnish, and serve. Or transfer to a sterile glass jar and store in the refrigerator about 6 months. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Prabha's Green Chile Pepper Pickle

Prabha ka Hari Mirch ka Achaar

Makes about 1
¹
⁄
₂
cups

This very hot condiment, from my friend Prabha Chauhan in California, will set off fireworks in your mouth, but is too good to resist. It pairs well with griddle-fried
parantha
breads or with rice and curry. It is also lovely with grilled foods. Citric acid is available in most supermarkets.

2 teaspoons fenugreek seeds

1 tablespoon fennel seeds

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon ground turmeric

¹
⁄
₂
cup mustard or peanut oil

1 to 2 tablespoons salt

1 pound fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, cut into
¹
⁄
₄
-inch diagonal slices

1 tablespoon citric acid or 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar

1.
In a mortar and pestle (or a spice or coffee grinder), coarsely grind together the fenugreek and fennel seeds. Remove to a bowl and mix in the turmeric.

2.
Heat the oil in a large nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low, add the ground spices and salt, and stir a few seconds. Add the green chile peppers and cook until they are crisp-tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Mix in the citric acid (or vinegar) and cook another 2 to 3 minutes. Let cool, then transfer to a sterile glass jar and store in the refrigerator about 1 year. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Other Vegetable Pickles

Crunchy Cucumber Pickle

Kheerae ka Achaar

Makes about 2 cups

Crispy texture and bold flavor, with a unique set of spices and flavors—this is India's answer to the word "pickle" as we know it in America.

4 to 5 small seedless cucumbers (about
³
⁄
₄
pound), diagonally sliced

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

2 tablespoons peanut oil

3 to 5 dried red chile peppers, such as chiles de arbol, with stems

3 to 5 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, halved lengthwise

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

¹
⁄
₈
teaspoon ground asafoetida

1 tablespoon dried curry leaves

1 medium onion, cut into
¹
⁄
₂
-inch pieces

2 large cloves fresh garlic, minced

¹
⁄
₄
cup distilled white vinegar

1.
In a bowl, toss the cucumbers with salt and allow to sweat about 1 hour.

2.
Heat the oil in a large nonstick wok or saucepan over moderate heat and cook the red chile peppers about 30 seconds. Add the green chile peppers and stir 30 seconds. Add the mustard seeds; they should splutter upon contact with the hot oil, so reduce the heat and cover the pan until the spluttering subsides.

3.
Stir in the asafoetida and curry leaves, then add the onion and garlic, and cook, stirring, until barely softened, about 3 minutes. Add the cucumber with all the juices and cook, stirring, about 1 minute.

4.
Add the vinegar and boil over high heat about 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Let cool, transfer to a sterile glass jar, and refrigerate at least 2 days before serving. This pickle stays fresh about 6 months in the refrigerator. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Water Pickle with Crispy Cauliflower and Carrots