Pickles are an integral part of almost every Indian meal. They add the necessary tanginess and heat to the meal, be it a breakfast of parathas or puris or a simple meal of rice and dal or roti and dal. Talking of pickles, they need the right masala to turn out perfect. Of course, we can buy an assortment of ready to mix pickle masalas off the store shelves. But it would come as a surprise to know that they can just as easily be made at home. What’s more, you make batches of this in advance and use as and when needed. All you need to do is to cut mangoes and mix it with the readymade masala and oil.
I am sharing here the secret of making the perfect pickle mix at home, which is super easy.
With this versatile instant masala you can make the following pickles:
- Mango pickle (aam ka achaar)
- Mango and chickpea pickle (aam aur kabuli chana ka achaar)
- Mango and bitter gourd pickle (aam aur karela ka achaar)
- Mix mango pickle.
- Aam ka sukha achaar.
Ingredients to make instant masala for 1 kg pickle:
- Haldi (Turmeric powder) – 2 tbsp
- Lal mirch (Red chilli powder) – 5 tbsp
- Saunf (fennel seeds ) – 4 tbsp
- Methi (fenugreek seeds) – 3 tbsp
- Peelee sarso (yellow mustard) – 3 tbsp
- Ajwain (carom seeds ) – 1 tsp
- Hing (asafoetida) – 1/2 tsp
- Kalonji (nigella seeds) – 1 tbsp
- Salt – 1tbsp
Method:
- Take Saunf, methi, peelee sarso and ajwain in a pan and dry roast them on low flame for 4-5 minutes. The masalas turn very aromatic at this stage.
- Switch off the flame.
- Now add haldi, lal mirch and hing, mix well and let mixture cool completely.
- Now add 1 tbsp salt and grind everything coarsely.
- Transfer masala to the plate and mix kalonji with it
- Instant pickle masala is ready to use. It can be used immediately or stored in airtight container and used when needed.
Note:
- I don’t grind kalonji because it darkens the colour of the masala.
[…] Instant pickle masala […]