Tickle Your Palate With Some Pickle

By Flagthis -

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My Godmother Auntie M,  is my Mom’s biggest rival in the kitchen, second only to my   Grandmother (Dad’s Mother, Mom’s mom-in-law of course ;)). Auntie M is what I would call a ‘Joy in the kitchen’.  She is a big girl (hard not to be when you cook like that) and has a sense of humor to match her size. With non stop witty chatter she cooks with ease and effortlessly sprawls out such scrumptious meals that, no invitations for dining are turned down at my God Parents. One of the treats that I fondly remember on her dining table from my childhood were the assortment of  Kerala pickles she often served. She was notorious for pickling anything and everything that grew or moved. And my Godfather Uncle G, often teasingly warned us naughty kids to mind our fingers and toes lest they end up in one of her pickle jars :D.

This post is dedicated to Auntie M from whom I learnt two wonderful things. 1-Kitchen could be fun and not just work. 2- It just takes a simple jar of home made pickles to turn an ordinary Indian meal into an extraordinary one.

Indian pickles unlike pickles form most other parts of the world,  apart from oil and salt use lots of flavorful spices in their marinade. These are not just for preserving seasonal food for non seasonal times but, with their powerful flavors form an integral part of the Indian cuisine.

Pickled Shrimp – Kerala Style

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Among many other things, Kerala cuisine is popular for its lip-smacking zesty meat and seafood pickles. These pickles are so astonishingly flavorful that it is hard to believe they are so easy to make.[read more]

 

 

 

Lemon Pickles – South Indian Style

lemon2When life offers me lemons I make pickles of them. I’d suggest the same to anybody who even remotely likes the citrus family. Because making lemonade out of them, to me is like saving the wrapper and throwing away the candy. The peels with all their essential oils,[read more]

 

 

 

Bittermelon-Carrot-Mango Pickle/Pavakka Carrot Manga Achar (Ready To Eat)– Kerala Style

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This is my Mom’s all famous  mixed pickle recipe. It comes together fairly quickly and is one of my favorites. Like all mothers do, my Mom too eyeballs all her ingredients while cooking. So the proportions ..[read more]

 

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