Inji curry … an inevitable side dish of Sadya and a mouthwatering delicacy, is a popular recipe from Kerala cuisine. It’s an amalgamation of flavors; spicy n salty with the aroma of ginger in warm spices, all in a perfect balance! There is a saying in Malayalam about Inji curry; a dish equivalent to 101 curries (നൂറ്റൊന്ന് കറിക്ക് സമം).

This recipe is from my Amma’s cookbook which is more of a Travancore style and a spicier version. A variation of this dish is also very common with additional ingredients like grated coconut and small onions, but has a much lesser shelf life. This recipe is completely different in taste from that of Puli Inji which is a Malabari style dish having similar ingredients and cooking instructions but uses much more tamarind and jaggery, making the curry spicy, sweet and tangy.

Few things to consider while making Inji Curry:

1. Ensure to slice ginger thinly and proportionately, as it will help in frying them evenly without any burnt ends.
2. Ginger slices should be fried till they turn brown and crisp, that’s what makes the curry tasty.
3. Adding a pinch of jaggery at the end is optional, but it helps to balance the taste.
4. You can store ginger curry  at room temperature initially for 2 days, but refrigerate thereafter to prevent decay.

Enjoy Inji curry as a side dish along with Sadya or with steamed rice.

Interested in other Kerala style pickle recipes? Check these out:

1. Mango Pickle
2. Lemon Dates Pickle

If you would like to check out my other Sadya recipes, click here.

Enjoy, Happy Cooking…!

Follow me on Instagram, try out the recipes and tag #pepperdelightblog to all your pictures of Pepper Delight recipes you prepare. Rate us if you love it!

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Inji Curry / Ginger Curry

Aromatic and Spicy Kerala Style Inji Curry, a must try Classic from Kerala Cuisine …!!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Indian, Kerala

Keyword ginger curry, inji curry, kerala pickle

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 1 16 oz mason jar (approx)

Author Akhila

Ingredients

• 300 gm inji/ginger
• 3 tbsp chili powder
• 2 green chilies (sliced round)
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp kayam/asafoetida/hing
• ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds (roasted & powdered)
• lime sized puli / tamarind (soaked in ½ cup warm water)
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 2 dry red chillies
• 3 sprigs of curry leaves
• 1.5 cup water
• Coconut oil (as required)
• Salt (as required)

Instructions

• Prepare ginger: Clean and scrape off the skin, cut ginger into thin slices and soak in water for 10 minutes.
• Fry ‘em up: Squeeze out the water from the ginger slices and fry in hot coconut oil until crispy and browned.
• Allow the fried ginger to cool completely, then transfer it to a blender and grind into fine powder. Keep aside.
• Prepare tamarind extract: Squeeze the tamarind in the soaked water, strain the juice and keep it aside.
• Prepare spice powder mix: In a separate bowl, mix water, chili powder, turmeric powder, asafoetida, fenugreek powder and keep aside.
• Make curry: In a separate pan on medium flame, heat oil and splutter mustard seeds. Add dry red chilies, green chilies and curry leaves. Sauté for a minute.
• Add the prepared spice powder mix, tamarind extract, and increase the heat to max allowing the curry to boil.
• Once it starts boiling, reduce the flame to a low and add the fried ginger powder, mix well.
• Allow the curry to cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring in between until it reaches a semi thick consistency.
• Check for the seasoning, add a pinch of jaggery to balance the taste.
• Once it reaches your desired consistency, switch off the flame.
• Storage: Transfer to a clean dry glass jar or a ceramic jar / bharani to store. You can keep it outside for 2 days and then refrigerate it.

Notes

• Small onions / shallots are an optional ingredient for this recipe.
• Coconut oil is recommended in this recipe, any neutral oils except for olive oil can also be used.
• Adjust the quantity of chili powder and green chilies to suit your spice levels.
• Use a clean dry glass jar or a ceramic jar / bharani to store pickles. Do not use steel or metal jars as the acidic nature of the pickles may react with the metal and become toxic.
• You can store the pickles at room temperature initially for 2 days, but refrigerate thereafter to prevent decay.

The post Inji Curry / Ginger Curry appeared first on Pepper Delight.

Pickles are a staple in every Indian kitchen! You will find not just one but many varieties; made with different types of fruits & vegetables, preserved in big jars for up to a year or the next season, and to cater to the household needs and festival/party servings. In my hometown Kerala, it is during the festival time of Onam and Vishu that we make different types of pickles all at once. They are served in Sadya (the biggest vegetarian feast of Kerala) and among them, mango, lemon and ginger pickles are the highlight.

Lemon pickle is the favorite at my home and my amma makes it during the festival season or when I’m visiting home on vacation. While returning back, I carry big jars of homemade pickles with me as it’s something I can’t live without. Packaging the pickles in large airtight jars, vacuum sealing it to prevent leaks, and carefully packing in the suitcases is a day’s process in itself, but we happily do it like a ritual every time.

The type of lemon used to make pickle vary across India. In Kerala we use the Giant Bitter Lemon / Wild Lemon, locally known as karinaranga. It’s a bigger version of a regular lemon, has the size of a pomelo, and is quite bitter.  But the pickles made out of it just tastes out of this world! We also make different varieties of lemon pickles combining other fruits & vegetables. It takes the flavors to a whole new level, giving it hints of sweet, tangy, sour and balancing the overall bitterness of the lemons. Among them, the dates version stands out and makes a great combination with lemon. I have tasted lemon dates pickle so many times at marriage feasts, but never got a chance to try my hands on it in the kitchen. Last year when my friend’s mom visited the US, we had a lot of cooking moments together where she taught me so many recipes and tips. This lemon dates pickle recipe is from her cookbook, Thank You Aruna aunty for sharing this wonderful recipe which has indeed become my all-time favorite pickle.

You will also find a variation of this recipe with ginger in it which is common in other parts of Kerala, though not in my hometown. If you love the taste of ginger, give it a try. Just include it while adding garlic when following my instructions. Also do keep in mind that the thick outer skin of the lemon can add way too much bitterness to the pickle and may not be enjoyed by everyone. The overnight marination of the steamed lemons in this recipe helps in reducing the bitterness and balancing the taste along with the sweetness of the dates.

Enjoy, Happy Cooking…!

Also guys, don’t forget to check out my Kerala Style Mango Pickle recipe.

Follow me on Instagram, try out the recipes and tag #pepperdelightblog to all your pictures of Pepper Delight recipes you prepare. Rate us if you love it!

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Lemon Dates Pickle

Aromatic Sweet and Sour Kerala Style Lemon Dates Pickle … A Perfect Combination with Rice, Biriyani & Parathas ...!!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Indian

Keyword achar, kerala pickle, lemon dates pickle

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 2 jars of pickle

Author Akhila

Ingredients

• 5 big or 10 small lemons
• 20 dates (chopped)
• 5-6 garlic pods (sliced)
• 3 green chilies (chopped)
• 2 tsp mustard seeds
• 2 sprigs of curry leaves
• 4 tbsp kashmiri chili powder (or more)
• ½ tsp fenugreek powder
• 2 tsp asafoetida / hing / കായം
• Gingelly oil (നല്ലെണ്ണ)/ sesame oil (as required)
• Pinch of sugar
• ¼ cup vinegar (or more depending upon the sourness)
• Salt (as required)
• 1 cup hot water
• Water (for steaming lemons)

Instructions

• Steaming Lemons: Wash the lemons thoroughly. Steam for 10 -15 minutes, or until the lemons swell with the skin becoming soft and forming cracks.
• Allow it to cool completely and then cut into small pieces (½ inch sized). Discard the seeds at this time.
• In a glass bowl, mix the sliced lemons with salt, a pinch of sugar, and keep aside with the lid placed allowing it to rest for 1-2 hours at least, preferably overnight.
• Pickling lemon and dates: In a pan, heat sesame oil and splutter mustard seeds. Add sliced garlic, green chilies, curry leaves and sauté.
• When the garlic turns aromatic and light brown in color, lower the heat and add chili powder, fenugreek powder and asafoetida. Sauté the masala for 1-2 mins, make sure not to burn it.
• Follow by adding chopped dates and saute for 3-4 minutes, then add 1 cup of hot water and bring the curry to a boil.
• When the curry starts boiling and thickening, add the marinated lemons to it. Mix well, add vinegar and check for salt and sourness. Combine everything well and give a good stir. Switch of the flame and allow it to cool.
• Storage: Once completely cooled, transfer the pickle to a clean dry glass or ceramic jar and close it with a tight lid. Keep it outside for 3-4 days (depending upon the weather at your placand then refrigerate it.
• Serve with steamed rice or biriyani.

Notes

1. Use of gingelly oil (നല്ലെണ്ണ) / sesame oil is ideal for all Kerala style pickle recipes, otherwise you can use any oil except for olive oil.
2. Discard the seeds of the lemons as they add a lot of bitterness.
3. Adjust the red chili powder and green chilies according to your spice level.
4. Use a clean dry glass jar or a ceramic jar / bharani to store pickles. Do not use steel or metal containers as the acidic nature of the pickles may react with the metal and become toxic.
5. You can store the pickles at room temperature initially for a few days, but refrigerate thereafter to prevent decay.
6. Variations of this recipe with ginger is also very tasty, try it out if you like.

The post Lemon Dates Pickle appeared first on Pepper Delight.

How are your Vishu preparations coming along? Only three more days left and I’ve kicked off mine by preparing pickles to start with.  This year I am celebrating Vishu at my place with a few friends and family, and we are also preparing Sadya; our traditional vegetarian feast.  Vishu is a Hindu New Year festival, celebrated in the Southern State of India, my hometown; Kerala.  Just like Onam (our biggest festival), Vishu is also a grant festival with family and friends getting together, all dressed in new attires, preparing Vishu Kani, Vishu Sadya, offering Vishu Kyineetham, attending special Poojas at temples, and many more.

So coming back to our recipe today, pickles and condiments are an integral part of Indian cuisine. The taste, color, preparation, and the spices used vary from place to place. Pickles made with mango, lemon and ginger are very popular in Kerala and a must have for Sadya. Among those, mangoes are my favourite …! The sourness of the fruit, the heat from the red chili powder, and the aroma of fenugreek and asafetida, together make a tongue tickling combination.

During my childhood, whenever my ammumma (grandma) opened one of those big bharanis (storage jars) of mango pickle, the aroma was so strong that I would stop whatever I was doing and run to her to get a sample to taste. During the mango season, she used to prepare pickles in large quantities and store them in the bharanis for usage throughout the year. At times when you are short of any side dishes at home, a spoon of the achar (pickle) along with rice and plain yogurt is enough to satisfy your appetite. And now when the mangoes are in season, I too have my stock of two big jars of pickle, ready to savour!

This Kerala Style Mango Pickle recipe is purely my mother’s creation and straight from her kitchen. Variations of it with the addition of ginger and garlic are also good. Feel free to customize it according to your style, coz it’s all about the balance of heat, spice, sour and salt.

Also guys, don’t forget to check out my Lemon Dates Pickle recipe.

Enjoy, Vishu Aashamsakal…!!!

Follow me on Instagram, try out the recipes and tag #pepperdelightblog to all your pictures of Pepper Delight recipes you prepare. Rate below if you love it…!

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Kerala Style Mango Pickle

Spicy, Aromatic and Sinfully Addictive!! Green Mango Pickle made with Gingelly oil and Spices… A Perfect side with any rice dish…! 

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Indian

Keyword achar, kadumanga, kerala, mango pickle, pickle

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Author Akhila

Ingredients

• 2 green mangoes
• 4 tbsp red chili powder
• 1 tsp kaayam / hing / asafetida
• ¼ tsp uluva / fenugreek powder
• 1-2 sprigs of curry leaves
• 4-5 tbsp nallenna / gingelly oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• Salt (as required)

Instructions

• Peel the mangoes, then cut into half and remove the seeds.
• Slice the mango thinly into small pieces. Keep aside.
• Heat oil in a pan or a kadai, add mustard seeds and allow it to splutter. Add curry leaves.
• Reduce the flame to a low and add fenugreek powder & asafetida, saute for few seconds. Add red chili powder and saute well. Ensure not to burn the powders. You can remove the pan from the flame and add spices, stir, and place back on a low flame to avoid burning.
• Add mangoes and salt, mix well and stir on the low flame for 1 minute. Adjust salt and red chili powder according to your spice level.
• Turn off the flame and allow the mango pickle to cool down in the pan for a few hours. Later transfer it to a clean dry glass jar or a ceramic jar and close it with a tight lid.
• Serve with steamed rice.

Notes

1. Adjust the red chili powder according to your spice level.
2. For an authentic taste, use gingelly oil when making pickles, otherwise you can use any oil of your choice.
3. Use a clean dry glass jar or a ceramic jar / bharani to store pickles. Do not use steel or metal jars as the acidic nature of the pickles may react with the metal and become toxic.
4. You can store the pickles at room temperature initially for a few days, but refrigerate thereafter to prevent decay.
5. Variations of this recipe with ginger, garlic or vinegar are also very tasty, try them if you prefer.

The post Kerala Style Mango Pickle appeared first on Pepper Delight.