Kharachi Mirchi (Pickled Green Chillies)

Oh god!!!! As usual I am late in sending my entry. Basically as a newcomer to blogging I never know what event is being hosted where. Anyway better late than never. So here's my entry for Barbara's The Spice is Right .

This is a typical Maharastrian (a state in Western India) pickle which has a very important place in all Marathi households. Eaten along with a meal or with a with a snack (in very small quantities) its adds that extra zing to anything. So here goes!!!

Ingredients

1 dozen hot green chillies cut into very small pieces

Juice of 2 lemons (med size)

1 tspn fenugreek seeds powdered

1 tspn asafoetida (Hing)

2 tspn salt

1/2 tspn sugar

1/2 tspn powdered mustard seeds

1 tspn turmeric powder

3 tblspns cooking oil

Procedure:

Heat the oil in a pan. Add to that half the quantity of asafoetida, and all the powdered fenugreek. Let this mixture cool down. After it has cooled, add to it the remaining asafoetida,the turmeric powder, sugar and mustard powder and give it a good stir.Add now the main ingredient i.e the chillies and mix well.

There is a unique way of storing this pickle. In a clean bottle first put in a tspn of salt, then the chilli mixture and then all the lemon juice. Finally top it all with another spoon full of salt .The salt is the natural preservative. Close the bottle tightly. Leave this pickle for about a week in this condition and then open the bottle. Stir the pickle thoroughly before using. This way it won't spoil. As an added precaution store the bottle in the fridge.