Uppu Elumichai Oorugai / Pickled Lemon

How to make Uppu Elumichai Oorugai / Pickled Lemon

         At first sight, this may not seem like a pickle at all. The ingredients are lemon, ginger, green chillies and salt. That's it!! No preservatives, oil or chilli powder are required. As you can guess, most of the heat comes from the green chillies. Salt and the citric acid from the lemons are the only (natural) preservatives here. This pickle makes an excellent side for sambhar rice, curd rice, as a treatment for morning sickness or just cos' you want to suck on something sour. 

         This one pot - one shot, home style recipe comes from my MIL - to - my recipe diary - to - you. This pickle can stay good, for months together under refrigeration and will taste great. The longer the ingredients swim in its own juices, the better they will taste. That's when, the heat of the chillies get on to the lemon, the sourness from the lemon juice gets into the chillies, and the ginger absorbs some of the sourness from the lemons. Scroll down to see a picture of the pickle, after three weeks of storage. Anybody can make this pickle - No special skills or expertise  needed; so go ahead and try this hassle free method of preserving a few lemons this time. Who know this could give you the confidence to make other complicated pickles too ;o)

Ingredients:

1.5 cups of bite sized chunks of  fresh lemon (about 3 to 4 lemons)

1 cup chopped, Mango ginger or Ginger

2 Tbsp salt, preferably rock salt

7 to 10 slit or chopped green chilies (about 1/4 cup)
a few fresh green peppercorns (optional)

Orange Peel Pachadi/Chutney

How to make Orange Peel Pachadi/Chutney

          The skin/peel of many fruits and vegetables can be used to cook a variety of dishes. It's one way to use up the nutrients & fiber, which would otherwise go to waste. Once you try cooking with the peels, you will discover that, it takes the dish to a whole new level. In some households, the peels are simply cooked as an economic choice. Either way, I'm all in when it comes to cooking with peels. Here's an aromatic, lip-smacking Pachadi, which can be made using the peel of a Navel Orange or Kamala Orange. No matter which variety you use; make sure the peel is thick & fleshy. Organic is best; if unavailable, use a Veggie wash to remove any pesticide residue.

           In the Tamil language, there is a phrase called 'Arusuvai Unavu', which means 'Six Flavors'. A good Tamil feast is supposed to include six flavors into it. Those six flavors being - 

Inippu - Sweet - ex: sugar, starchy foods

Pulippu - Sour - ex: citrus fruits, buttermilk

Uvarppu - Salty - ex: all salty foods

Kaarppu - Pungent/Hot - ex: peppers, ginger

Kasappu - Bitter - ex: bitter gourd, neem flowers

Thuvarppu - Astringent - ex: pomegranate, betel leaves

           This recipe is definitely one of those dishes, which has all six of the flavors in it. Our daily schedules are so hectic, many, do not even have time for a decent sit-down meal; leave alone a six-flavor meal; the best we can do is to incorporate a six-flavor dish when possible. We are, what we eat, after all!

Ingredients for 4 servings:

1 Cup of chopped Orange peel (Navel Orange or Kamala Orange) 

1 Tbsp, Tamarind Paste or about 1 Cup of Tamarind extract

1 Tbsp, crushed Jaggery

2 Tbsp of Oil

1 Tsp, Mustard seeds

1/8 Tsp, Asafoetida/Hing

1/8 Tsp, Turmeric powder

A sprig of Curry leaves

About a Cup of water

Salt to taste

To roast in oil & grind:

1/2 Tbsp, broken Urad dal

1 or 2, dry red chillies

Chopped or grated Coconut, about 1 Tbsp

Peerkangai Thuvayal/Ridge Gourd Peel Chutney

How to make Peerkangai Thuvayal/Ridge Gourd Peel Chutney

              When we peel any vegetable/fruit & discard the skin - we are bound to lose some micro nutrients & fiber along with it. Although the skin of the Ridge Gourd looks very tough, almost like an Alligator's back; it gets a little soft on cooking & even better upon grinding. I'm not sure if our grandmother's knew about the micro nutrients or they were trying to efficiently use all parts of a vegetable to feed their families; while cutting back on their grocery bills. The tamarind & other spices added to this Thuvayal adds a punch to this ordinary accompaniment.