Cranberry Pickle

Here's a great recipe for cranberry pickle, Indian style.

Ingredients:

Fresh tart Cranberries: 1 cup

Mustard seeds (available at Indian Store): 3 tablespoons

Fenugreek Seeds (available at Indian Store): 1 tablespoon

Red Chili Powder: 1-2 tbs

Turmeric Powder: 3 tsp

Asafetida (asafoetida or hing) (available at Indian store): 1-2 tsp

Salt to taste

Water: 3/4 cup

Cooking oil: 1 tsp

Method: 

1. With a teaspoon of oil in a pan, lightly roast cranberries for 2 minutes. If you live in a warm, sunny place, keep the cranberries out in the sun for a couple hours- that's the real way to do it.

2. Meanwhile add turmeric, asafetida and red chili powder to water and bring to boil. Boil for about 3-4 minutes and then allow to cool to room temperature.

3. Transfer the roasted cranberries into a jar that you plan to use to store the pickle. Then pour in 3/4 cup of the turmeric+asafetida+red chili powder water into the jar and give it a stir. Some of the cranberries will float and that's okay.

4. Make a fine powder out of mustard and fenugreek seeds in your blender. A coffee grinder works well for this purpose.

5. Add the above powder into the pickle jar. Add salt to taste. Then stir everything together to get the flavors going.

6. Cover the jar with some plastic wrap/cling film and then cover tightly with the lid. Set aside for 2 days. On the 3rd day, remove lid and wrap and stir the pickle a few times. Give it a taste and adjust salt if needed. Cover again and set aside for 1 more day.

*When you open the lid, you should be able to smell the mustard and fenugreek--- it smells divine!*

At the end of Day 4 Cranberry Pickle is ready to be eaten. Serve with Indian bread (chapatis, paranthas, etc) or as a side to basmati rice and lentils. It's easy to make, tastes delicious, and only gets better with age. I'd say it is quite healthy too, if you look at the ingredients. I liked it a lot. Hope you like it too!

Delicious Cranberry Pickle

A closer look