Bimbla sweet pickle (बिंबलाचे गोड लोणचे)

Bimbla is a tropical sour , tangy fruit found in konkan area. In Goa, we make curries, pickles from this fruit.

Ingredients:
12-15 Bimbla fruit, sliced (बिंबलाची फळे)
1/2 tsp chilly powder
approx 1/2 cup grated jaggery, or as per taste
1/4 tsp salt

Seasoning:
1 tbsp oil,
1/2 tsp mustard seeds (मोहरी),
a pinch of asafoetida (हिंग),
5-6 fenugreek seeds (मेथी),
8-10 curry leaves
1/4 tsp turmeric powder

Slice bimbla fruits. In a kadhai, heat oil and season with mustard seeds, asafoetida, fenugreek seeds and turmeric powder. Add sliced bimbla fruits and stir well. Cover with lid and let it cook for 2-3 minutes. The bimbla slices will turn slightly soft, change to light yellow color once it is cooked. Now add salt, chilly powder and jaggery. Mix well and let it cook. After about 8-10 minutes, the jaggery will dissolve and form into a slightly frothy syrup. Turn the stove off and allow it to cool.

Store the cooled down pickle into an air-tight container. This pickle can stay outside for 4-5 days or for about 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

Hot and Sweet Raw Mango Pickle (आंबट गोड कैरीचे लोणचे)

Ingredients:
2 cups of raw mango pieces, small pieces
2 cups of jaggery
1 1/2 tsp of chilly powder
14 tsp of salt

In a kadhai, stir raw mango pieces till they turn soft. Add jaggery, chilly powder and salt. Mix it well. Jaggery will start melting and after some time, it will start to thicken up. Simmer for about 20-30 minutes stirring occasionally. Once all the juice is evaporated and a thick sticky gravy is formed, turn off the stove.

Transfer this to an airtight container. This can be kept outside fridge for about a month.

Amla pickle (आवळ्याचे लोणचे)

I have learnt this recipe from my mother. This pickle is very easy to make and requires no standard pickle masala. Instead we will use mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and pepper for seasoning.

You can make this pickle with just amla, ginger and lemon. Optionally you can add fresh turmeric (oli halad), green chillies and/or raw black pepper spikes to it for added flavor.

Ingredients:
8-10 amlas,
5-6 lemons
1/2 cup of finely cut ginger
1/2 cup of finely chopped green chillies (optional)
1/2 cup of fresh turmeric, peeled and finely chopped (optional)


For pickle masala:
2 tbsp of mustard
1/2 tbsp of fenugreek seeds
1 tbsp of freshly ground pepper (or as per taste)
2-3 tbsp salt

For seasoning:
1 cup of vegetable oil
2-3 tsp of mustard seeds
1/2 tsp of asafoetida

Servings:
Makes about 1/2 kg of pickle

Wash all the ingredients thoroughly and dry them. Cut amlas into small chunks, take the seed out. Next squeeze the juice out of lemons and keep it aside. Cut the squeezed lemons into small pieces. Similarly cut ginger and fresh turmeric (oli halad) into fine pieces. Slit and cut chillies into small pieces, lengthwise. Chillies and fresh turmeric enhance the taste of the pickle, however they are optional ingredients and can be skipped.

Take a clean and dry jar and transfer all the cut ingredients into the jar. Add the lemon juice that was kept aside while cutting lemons. Add about 2-3 tbsp of salt and mix well. Instead of regular table salt, you can use rock salt and table salt combination. Leave it overnight. This will release juices from the ingredients and the volume of the mixture will be slightly compressed. 

In a kadhai, dry roast pickle masala ingredients, one by one. In case you are using chillies, adjust the quantity of the pepper to avoid making the pickle extra hot. After cooling down the roasted ingredients, grind it in a mixer. Make sure the mixer is dry and no trace of water is present in the mixer. Add this dry powder to the jar and mix well.

In a seasoning pan, add about 1 cup of vegetable oil and once it is hot, add mustard seeds and asafoetida. Once the mustard seeds start popping, turn the heat off and let it cool. Once the oil is completely cooled down, pour it into the jar and mix well.

This pickle is ready to serve. Refrigerate the pickle. It can last for over a month in the refrigerator.

Note:
You can add 8-10 raw black pepper spikes to the pickle optionally. The pepper is very hot, hence adjust the chillies and pepper powder in the pickle masala.