Tomato Pickle

Ingredients:

• 1 kg ( 10 medium sized) tomatoes
• 15 dry red chillies
• 5 green chilies (or use more for a spicier version)
• 1 1/2 to 2 tsp salt or to taste
• 4 tsp packed tamarind
• 125 ml (1/2 cup) sesame (til) oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 1/4 tsp asafetida, divinded
• 1 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp fenugreek seeds (methi) (dry roasted for a few seconds and crushed)

  Method:

Wash tomatoes and cut into halves. Remove the eyes of the tomatoes.

Place the tomatoes in a sauce pan and cook covered without any water until the skin starts to peel. Peel off the skin and place in a food processor or blender and grind to a puree. With the help of a soup strainer remove the seeds and keep aside.

In the food processor or blender, place the red chili, green chili, 1/2 tsp salt and tamarind along with this tomato paste and blend again.

In a heavy bottomed wok or kadhai, heat til oil and add mustard seeds. When they pop add 1/2 tsp asafetida or hing, turmeric powder and the ground paste and allow to cook on low heat, stirring in between so that it does not stick to the bottom of the wok or pan.

When the pickle starts leaving oil add the roasted and crushed methi seeds and the remaining asafetida and salt.

Avakaya ( Andhra Mango Pickle)

Ingredients:

1. Raw Green Mangoes - 6 Cups
2. Mustard Seeds Powder - 1 Cup
3. Salt - 1 Cup
4. Red Chilli Powder -1 Cup
5. Turmeric Powder- 1 tbsp
6. Fenugreek Seeds - 1 tbsp
7. Garlic Pods - 1/2 Cup
8. Sesame Oil - 2 Cups

Method:

1. Wash and wipe well mangoes, cut into 1" wedges (you need to use a sharp knife to do this job, normally we get it cut from vendor. 
~You have to make sure the mangoes are completely dry if not pickle will get spoil soon. Normally we lay the mango pieces in a clean dry cloth until it required.
~ We also keep the mangoes inner shell intact for a longer shelf life (this we do for most of the pickles) and it also helps mango from becoming soggy and soft
2. Dry roast fenugreek seeds until light brown and grind to fine powder, grind mustard seeds to fine powder. Clean garlic pods and remove skin.
3. Heat oil (don't boil) and allow it to cool completely.
3. Take a large bowl and mix together red chilli powder, turmeric powder, mustard seeds powder, fenugreek seeds powder, fenugreek seeds and salt.
4. Add mango pieces and mix well to coat mango pieces well with the masala.

5. Add garlic pods and 1 1/2 cup of oil and mix well again. 
6. Transfer pickle along with all masala to sterilize bottle or jar and add remaining 1/2 cup oil on top.
7. Cover the jar or bottle with a muslin cloth (cheese cloth) or close with lid and keep under sun light for 2-3 days.
~ Normally we keep the pickle jar under sun light in morning and take out before sun set.
8. After third day mix pickle with the clean dry spoon, oil should float on top of mango pieces if not add more oil, cover and store pickle.

Gongura Pachadi

Ingredients:

• big bunch of fresh gongura / red sorrel (wash and separate leaves from the stalks and leave them out to dry)
• 10 whole dry red chilies
• 1/2 tsp methi / fenugreek seeds
• 1 tbsp minapppapu (black gram / urad dal)
• 1 tbsp senaga pappu (bengal gram / channa dal)
• 11/2 tbsp coriander seeds
• 5 garlic cloves
• 2 tbsps oil
• salt to taste.

Tempering:

• 4 tbsp oil (pickle made with red chilies needs more oil than green chilies)
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• ½ tsp cumin
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 whole dry red chillies
• 1 stalk of curry leaves

Method:

• Heat 2 tbsps of oil in a heavy bottom vessel. Add the leaves and sauté them until soft. Remove and let it cool.
• In the same vessel add 1 tbsp oil and add methi seeds and fry till light brown. Add coriander seeds, urad dal(black gram), channa dal (bengal gram lentil) and dry red chilies and fry stirring constantly till light brown. Remove them into a bowl and let them cool.
• In a grinder, add methi, coriander seeds, urad dal, channa dal, dry red chilies, cumin, garlic, salt and grind them. Add the fried gongura leaves and grind very coarsely.
• Heat 4 tbsps of oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, when they splutter, add the whole dry red chilies, crushed garlic, cumin, curry leaves and fry until garlic is slightly brown. Remove the tempering from fire; Let it cool before adding it to the ground gongura pachadi. (When storing any pickles for more than few days, always let the tempering cool to room temperature before adding it to the ground paste, since adding hot oil to the ground paste releases some more moisture and spoils the pachadi)
• Add the tempering to the ground paste along with the oil.