Dates Pickle

Even though we don’t eat pickle on a daily basis I love to make and store pickles. I always have a stock of dates pickle and Lime pickle in my pantry. Dates pickle goes very well with Biriyani and also with Aloo Parathas.

Dates Pickle

Ingredients:
Dates –1/2kg

Green chillies-15, cut into thin rounds

Garlic – 3 pods, minced

Ginger –2 tbsp, minced

Turmeric powder-1tsp

Chilly powder-4 tbsp

Fenugreek powder / Uluva podi-1 tsp

Mustard seeds-1/2 tsp

Curry leaves – 2-3 sprigs

Gingelly Oil / Sesame Oil / Nallenna – ¾ to 1 cup

Asafoetida / Kayam - 1/2 tsp

Salt - As needed

White vinegar-2 cups

Sugar – 1 tsp

Method:

• Deseed the dates and cut into small pieces.
• Heat ½ cup oil in a pan and fry chopped dates and keep aside.
• Add some more oil in the same pan and sauté green chillies, ginger, garlic and curry leaves and keep aside.
• Now add mustard seed to the remaining oil and when it splutters, add turmeric powder, chilly powder and fenugreek powder and sauté on low flame.
• To this add fried dates and ginger, garlic and chillies and mix well.
• Add sugar, salt and vinegar and bring it to a nice boil on medium flame.
• Turn off the flame and allow the pickle to cool down.
• Store in clean dry bottles.

Note: For longer life of pickles never add water in pickle, always use vinegar instead of water. Use clean and dry bottles to store pickle and always use dry spoon.