Spicy Vegetable Pickle
When I had started Woke Up & Made, part of the objective was to gather all of my mom’s recipes that I remember growing up eating and loved. These are recipes that my mom never wrote down and always makes by memory and with what’s called andaaz in Hindi/Urdu, which, in the context of cooking, means making with estimation. So, I’ll say that although this is one of my mom’s recipes, it’s one of many vegetable pickles that she’s made over the years, improvising and adding ingredients as she cooks to make it unique every time.
My mom would make a large pot of this and distribute it to me and my sisters in mason jars and we’d eat it little by little, savoring each teaspoon.
This spicy tomato and vegetable pickle, or tarkari ka achaar, isn’t made often in our home but once in a while it’s a nice treat to have alongside parathas and eggs in the morning or biryani or any Indian dish. My mom would make a large pot of this and distribute it to me and my sisters in mason jars and we’d eat it little by little, savoring each teaspoon. Since it’s a concentrated tomato reduction, you could toss a small amount with pasta and make a spicy tomato spaghettata di mezzanotte, or top slices of roasted squash or eggplant with a little pickle for a flavorful appetizer.
This pickle definitely takes a while to make but I promise you, it’s worth the time and effort! It keeps well for a while in the fridge as long as you top it off with some canola oil and tightly seal it. As any Indian mom will remind you, make sure you don’t double dip your spoon into this otherwise bacteria will be introduced and it will spoil fast. Enjoy!
Spicy Vegetable Pickle (Tarkari ka Achaar)
Makes: Approx. 150 servings
Calories: About 30 per teaspoon
Time: 2.5 hours
INGREDIENTS
Tomato Mixture
5 lbs. Roma tomatoes, cut into 1 inch chunks
1/2 cup red chili powder
2 Tbs. salt
3/4 cup canola oil
2 Tbs. ginger & garlic paste
3 Tbsp. ground cumin
2 Tbs. ground coriander
1 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
1 tsp. nigella seeds
1 tsp. brown mustard seeds
1/2 tsp. fenugreek seed powder
1/4 cup lemon juice
Vegetable Fry
1 lb. green beans, cut into 1 inch sticks
2 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 lb. carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch sticks
3/4 cup canola oil
1 1/2 tsp. salt
Hot Oil Temper
1/3 cup canola oil
1 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
1 whole bulb of garlic, cloves separated and peeled
10 whole dried red chilis
1/2 tsp. nigella seeds
1/2 tsp. brown mustard seeds
METHOD
Step 1
Place tomatoes in a large pot on medium high heat. Add chili powder and 2 Tbs. salt and stir. Then add 3/4 cup canola oil, stir, and cover. After 10 minutes, partially uncover the lid. After another 30 minutes, add ginger & garlic paste and stir. After 10 minutes, add ground cumin, coriander, and turmeric and mix well. After another 20 minutes, add the tomato paste until incorporated. Cover and cook on medium high heat. Keep checking on this mixture and stir to make sure nothing burns.
Step 2
For the vegetable fry, in a separate medium sized pan on medium high heat, add 1/2 cup of canola oil, green beans, and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. salt. Fry the green beans until brown (about 15 minutes) then remove from pan. In the same pan, heat 1/4 cup oil, then add potatoes, and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp salt. Fry for 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown on most sides. Remove potatoes from pan, then add carrots and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp salt. Fry for 10-15 minutes until brown. Set vegetables aside.
Step 3
Back to the tomato mixture, in a separate pan, dry roast nigella seeds and brown mustard seeds for 1-2 minutes. Grind seeds either by hand or in a coffee grinder and add to the tomatoes. After a total of 90 minutes of cooking the tomatoes, stir in fenugreek seed powder. After 10 minutes, add lemon juice. After another 10 minutes, add in the the fried vegetables with their oil and give it a good stir. Turn heat to low and cook for another 10 minutes. Turn off the heat but don’t remove the pan from the stove.
Step 4
For the hot oil temper, in a separate small pan, heat 1/3 cup oil on high. Add cumin seeds and garlic cloves. Fry 1-2 minutes until brown. Add whole dried red chilies. Fry for 30 seconds. Add nigella seeds and brown mustard seeds, fry for 10-15 seconds, and add the entire oil temper over the tomato and vegetable mixture. Immediately cover, let rest for 2 minutes then stir. Allow to cool completely before filling in mason jars, tightly sealing, and storing in the refrigerator. As you keep this pickle, the oils will start to evaporate. Make sure you keep a thin layer of oil over the top of the pickle to avoid mold.
Achaars, Pickles, and Chutneys
Pickles have been a part of Indian history for over 4,000 years. But the term “pickle” or “chutney” used for Indian condiments doesn’t always translate quite right. While an achaar often has acidity from tomatoes, lemon juice, or tamarind, it isn’t always brined or soaked in vinegar and salt like a traditional pickle. And it’s not a fresh or runny chutney like the green and tamarind ones that are commonly found in Indian restaurants. An achaar is often thick, very spicy, and eaten as a condiment on the side of a main dish, but in a much smaller amount than a chutney. An achaar can be made from almost any fruit or vegetable but mango and lemon achaars are favorites in India.
Read more about Indian pickles here: https://theculturetrip.com/asia/india/articles/a-brief-history-of-the-humble-indian-pickle/
