Pick your pickles

Indian food has a vast repertoire of recipes and the inspiring part is that vegetables fascinate us. So much is the endearment that we use vegetables and their versatility to make an amazing variety of pickles. Pickling means preserving a vegetable/fruit for several months and taking great in storing them too, so that they can be consumed for a longer period of time.  Since our childhood, all mothers and grandmothers would make sure to pack a tiny box of a pickle for us wherever we went.  Pickles are not thanked enough but they have made our lives so much easier and zingier!  Regular chapatti with any achaar of your choice is the saviour for those days when you are too lazy to cook elaborately in the kitchen.

Health word!

People prone to hypertension must avoid pickles simply because of the richness of oil and salt. For the rest, spices in the pickle are a good thing, as they act as antioxidants that remove the free radicals. Also, essential oils in them help to kill bacteria in the intestines to some extent.

Next up are some tips to create those beautiful jars of sweet, sour, tangy awesomeness: make pickles perfectly plus some great pickle recipes too!

• Always use fresh and odour-free bottles.
• Sterilize the bottles by rinsing with hot water, wiping dry with clean towels and finally drying in the sunlight.
• Adding 2 teaspoons of vinegar to the bottle and shaking well before bottling the pickle will prevent fungus formation.
• The proportion of salt to fruit, while using acidic fruits like lemon and raw mango, should be 1:4 in volume.

Finally, some handpicked recipes, just for the pickle person in you!

Mixed Vegetable Pickle

This can be considered as one of the most popular pickles after the raw mango pickle. A mix of various vegetables, a tangy taste and some spiciness makes for this typical desi achaar. You can be free in your choice of vegetables to go

Garlic Pickle

Garlic has amazing health benefits and for those who love this robust flavour a little too much, this pickle Garlic Pickle is just the right thing!With minimum kitchen ingredients, and a stock of garlic, this pickle also gets done in a blink of an eye (pun intended!).

Jackfruit Pickle

This delicious pickle is slightly underrated, but, we would like to give it it’s due respect! Let us tell you, it can outrank any of your favourite pickles effortlessly. The crunchiness of jackfruit and the spiciness of red chillies are put together to make this zara hatke pickle. Try it out, you will love it!

Amla Pickle

Indian gooseberry or amla is considered as a popular Superfood, with an array of health benefits. Amla achaar is something which you have been enjoying since ages to accompany your meals. It has the perfect balance of being sweet and spicy which makes it a star amongst all achaars

Drumstick Pickle

You might have not heard of this yummy pickle but let us tell you, it is a favourite in South India. There are a lot of curries and sabzis made of drumsticks, and this pickle is another delicious addition to the list. This spicy and flavour packed pickle is sure to tingle your taste buds. The South Indians like their share with curd-rice or dal-rice, what will you pair it up with?

Nimbu ka Achar (Lemon Pickle)

Amongst the wide range of pickles to choose from, lemon pickles steal the limelight every time. Their strong and delicious flavour remains supreme till date. They have the best of tangiest flavours packed in them and are the easiest to make at home.

Green Chilli Pickle

One can’t really miss out on this one when pickles are being talked about.  Even if you are not so much of a spice lover, this pickle is just irresistible. It is the quickest and simplest way to add some zing to your boring meals. Try it ASAP!