FRESH GOOSEBERRY PICKLE

I love eating sour fruits like the Indian gooseberry, carissa carandas known as karonda in India, raw tamarind, raw mangoes, guavas and red jujubes (ber) which were a usual recess(lunch break) fare in school days when carts laden with these sour delectables used to be parked outside the school and we would run out of the gates to buy them.
Home cooked meals were relegated to the latter part of the recess or were eaten on the walk back home or else mom would be upset.
Later, as we grew older and started getting noticed by boys and noticing them, the money we spent on these sour delectables got lesser and lesser even though we got more of these fruits, because now the lads would buy and give them to us, to impress us. Now the boys have turned into handsome men but they still go all out to impress us women, though no longer with the sour fruits.

I love eating the gooseberries especially if they belong to the neighbour's tree. Plucking them off the neighbour's tree right under her very nose was the best part of my holidays. She would yell and scream and complain to my mom but I never stopped. I miss her tree which now no longer exists.
As a tribute to that tree and those lovely times at school I would like to share my favourite fresh pickle recipe.

Pickles of gooseberry, carissa carandas, tamarind, raw mangoes, guavas and jujubes are quite common in India. All these fruits are rich in vitamin C. With high vitamin C in my daily diet I was protected from minor colds and coughs all through school.

These berries are salted and dried and a handful can be eaten anytime. These berries are also a natural dye and can be used to colour hair black.

fresh gooseberry pickle

FRESH GOOSEBERRY PICKLE

Ingredients:
For the gooseberry:
.Indian gooseberry...........................1 cup
.Turmeric powder...........................1/2 tsp.
.Salt.................................................1 tsp.
.Water..............................................2 cups

For the pickle:
.Red chili (large).............................1/2 cup, cut into large-sized pieces
.Green chili (large)..........................1/2 cup, cut into large-sized pieces
.Oil..................................................1/4th cup
.Asafoetida powder.........................1/4th tsp.
.Green chili(small)..........................1 tsp. finely chopped
.Ginger............................................1 tsp, grated
.Fennel seeds..................................1/2 tsp.
.Cumin seeds..................................1/2 tsp.
.Onion seeds(kalonji).....................1/4th tsp.
.Coriander powder..........................4 tsp.
.Turmeric powder...........................1/2 tsp.
.Red chili powder...........................1 tsp.
.Raw dry mango powder.................2 tsp.
.Salt.................................................to taste



Method:
.Wash the gooseberries. In a pan add 2 cups of water, salt, turmeric powder and gooseberries and boil
 them covered till the segments start to separate, about 10-12 minutes.
.Drain* and cool (enough to be able to handle).
.Press the gooseberry at the top and bottom to separate the segments, revealing a dark green seed.
.Discard the seed.
.Prepare all the other ingredients.
.Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds, onion seeds and fennel seeds and stir fry for 30 seconds.
.Add ginger, finely chopped green chilies and stir fry for 30 seconds.
.Add coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chili powder, raw mango powder and salt.
.Add 1 tsp. water and bring to boil(5 seconds).
.Add the gooseberry segments, large red and green chili and mix well.
.Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until glazed.
.Remove from heat and serve as a condiment with  stuffed parathas( Indian stuffed breads) or can be
 added to the burger or any sandwich to give that extra punch and nutrients.
.Or cool and store in a glass jar. This fresh pickle does well for a week in the refrigerator.

Note:
.Gooseberry pickle is rich in vitamin C and 4 to 5 segments a day should be added to the diet.
*The boiling liquid can be used to make dough or added to a gravied curry.




fresh gooseberry pickle