Mango Pickle with ginger garlic paste

Ingredients:
Sour Raw medium sized mangoes: 5 No’s
Ground mustard seeds powder: 1 cup
Home made Ginger Garlic paste: 1 cup
1Tsp: Zeera
1Tsp: Mustardseeds
½ tsp: Methi seeds
Red Chilli Powder: 1 cup (Use the chilli powder specially used for pickles, which gives you good colour and spice. We use three mangoes brand)
Salt: 1 Cup
1 ½ cup: Groundnut oil/ Sesame oil.

METHOD
Wash the mangoes and wipe them dry with a cloth (We can have the mango cut for pickles by the vendors during the mango season) they cut the mangoes keeping the wedges with inner shell intact. One’s dry; remove the thin layer formed over the inner shell. Make sure to do this, else the pickle might spoil. Ensure that all the mango pieces are completely. Now spread the mango pieces over a dry cloth, while you get the spices readied for the mango pickle.
We get peeled garlic cloves and cleant ginger, so all I need to do is, to let them dry, ensuring no moisture in them. Now cut the ginger. Wipe them properly and grind equal quantity of ginger and garlic to a fine paste.
Heat oil in a heavy bottomed vessel still fuming hot and then turn off the flame.

In another pan heat oil and temper it with few mustard seeds, when it crackles, add methi and zeera. Keep aside.
Grind one cup of mustard seeds to a fine powder. In a big vessel, mix the mustard powder, chilli powder and salt well, to that add ginger garlic paste. Mix well, now add the mango pieces. Mix them with your hand instead of a ladle. Make sure the mixture is well applied over all the mangoes. By now the tempered oil has cooled down , add it to the mango mixture and mix well. Rest of the heated oil can now be added to the mixture. Now mix the whole thing properly with a ladle, ensure that the masala coats the mangoes well. Cover it with a lid and keep aside for 3 days. On the third day check if oil is floating to a height of ½ inch above the pickle, otherwise add some more oil. Mix with a clean and dry ladle. Now you can store them in sterilized air tight containers. The pickle stays good for a year.

Prawns Fry

500 gms - Prawns
2 Medium sized onions finely chopped
1tsp Ginger garlic paste
1tsp- coriander powder
½ tsp- cumin powder
2tsp- Red chilli powder
1/4th tsp- Turmeric powder
Garam masala as per taste
Oil as required
Salt to taste
Finely chopped coriander leaves
1 sprig – curry leaves

For Marination:
1 tsp Ginger-garlic paste
1/2 tsp Red chilli powder
Apinch of salt
½ tsp- coriander powder
½ tsp- cumin powder
½ tsp turmeric powder    

METHOD :
Peel off the skin, clean and devein the prawns. Now marinate the prawns with all the ingredients mentioned
Heat oil in a pan; add the chopped onions, curry leaves, one’s onions turn translucent, add ginger-garlic paste and cook there is no raw smell. Now add coriander powder, cumin powder, red chilli powder, salt and garam masala and mix. Add 2 to 3 tbsp water to prevent spice powders from burning and cook for a minute. Now add the marinated prawns and cook until they are done, you can add 1/4th cup of water and cover the pan and let it cook on a low flame.check out for the consistency. One’s done, dish it out and garnish with chopped coriander leaves

Dates or Kahjoor Laddoo

Dates/Kahjoor are very nutritious, high in fiber, promotes brain health, good in diabetic management.

 

Here is a healthy laddoo preparation 

Take a cup of seedless dates/ Khajoor, blend it in a blender coarsely, and please don’t add water. Now set it aside. In a large saucepan add 1 tsp of Ghee add, ½ cup almonds, ½ cup cashews, , roast on low flame for 3-5 minutes, till the nuts turn crunchy. To this add 1 tsp of Poppy seeds/ Khus khus and roast for a minute. Add the crushed dates and mix well. Let this mixture cook on a medium flame. Keep mashing the date. Now you’ll find the dates releasing oil. At this minute, turn off the flame and allow the mixture to cool for a while, say about 5 minutes. Now immediately start making laddoos. If the mixture gets cool completely, you’ll not be able to make the laddoos. Can eat it right there or/and can be stored in air tight containers for a month at least. You can use nuts of your choice, like Almonds, Pista, peanuts, cashews etc and if you want the Laddoos to taste sweeter, add some more dates. You can roll them in desiccated coconut or roasted Sesame.

 

Guava Pickle

Guava helps in regulating blood pressure, strengthens, immune and digestive system, helps in weight loss..... I prepared some guava pickle, which was crunchy , sweet and spicy... check this out :-)
Tasty and nutritious Guava Pickle

Ingredients
2medium sized, medium ripe guavas
2tbsp Red chilly powder -
1 tbsp freshly ground mustard powder
2sprigs curry leaves
1 tsp Asafoetida
1 tsp Vinegar or fresh lime
1tbsp Sesame oil
4-5 chopped Green chillies
5-6garluc cloves
1medium sized carrot very finely sliced (julienne)optional
Mustard seeds
 
Preparation:
Clean and cut the guava into small cubes. Wipe it dry. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard, one's it splutters add chopped Green chillies, and garlic cloves, now add sliced carrots, curry leaves, asefotida red chilli powder, mustard powder.Mix well. Add guava pieces. Add vinegar or lime juice,salt and stir well. Remove from flame. and your guava pickle is ready :-)