Dates Pickle

Dates Pickle

A pickle with a combination of flavors: Sweet, Sour and Spicy. This dates pickle is a specialty from Northern Kerala and is usually served with biriyani unlike the raitha in other parts of South India. This is a must try if you wanna tickle your taste buds.......

Ingredients

1 Cup = 250 Gms

• Dates :300 Gms ( without seeds and roughly chopped)
• Jaggery: 250 Gms ( Grated)
• Tamarind: 125 Gms
• Hot water 2.5 Cups
• Red Chilli powder: 1.5 Tbsp
• Turmeric Powder: 1/2 tsp
• Green Chillies: 3-4 Small
• Ginger: 1 Tbsp ( Long sliced)
• Garlic: 1 Tbsp ( long Sliced)
• Mustard Seeds: 1 Tsp
• Fenugreek ( Uluva) seeds: 1 tsp
• Curry Leaves: 2 Sprigs
• Salt: 1/4 Tsp
• Coconut oil: 1/2 Cup 

Method

1. Soak the tamarind in 2 Cups of hot water and keep aside
2. Add oil in a pan and splutter the mustard seeds followed by the fenugreek seeds and curry leaves
3. As soon as the fenugreek seeds change colour add the green chillies,  ginger and garlic and saute well until they change colour slightly
4. Reduce flame and add the chilli powder and turmeric and saute well until all raw flavour goes ( very important to saute well - about 3-5 minutes)
5. Bring the heat to medium and add the roughly chopped dates and mix well with the spices
6. Once the dates is well mixed, add the tamarind water with all the pulp of the tamarind. ( Just remove the seeds, if any but do not squeeze out the pulp too much as we are adding it with the pulp and not just the water.) 
7. Allow to boil and cook the dates for 10 mins, by adding the remaining half cup of boiling water. So a total of 2.5 Cups of boiling water including the tamarind pulp water. Now added the crushed or grated jaggery and allow to melt 
8. Once the dates is well cooked and jaggery is all melted and the pickle thickens to desired consistency add the salt (optional) and switch off flame.
9. You can store it for 2 -3 weeks or longer if refrigerated in air tight containers.
10. Enjoy it as a side dish and nothing can stop you from licking it.............

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Happy licking!!

Shabana