Karanda Nonche (Karonda / Karvand) / Natal Plum Pickle.

“Karanda Nonche /Karvanda/Karonda/Natal Plum Pickle(Uppinkai)” … Amshe ~ Tikshe ~ Midshe Nonche - Jevana vottuchi laika jatta … A little bit of this Tangy ~ Spicy ~ Salty Pickle served during lunch/dinner goes a long way and makes the lunch more delicious and appetizing … You can serve a little bit of this with lunch or dinner or even with Idly/dosa for bf. Above all we Konkani Saraswat’s prepare it without using oil, so it is a better option than the store bought one’s … Karanda is available in market now, so prepared this spicy nonce / pickle to relish with all dishes … Yumm … 

** Come summer and it’s time to prepare some pickle and store in jars for round the year usage. But due to health reasons many of us now do not make use of pickle liberally during lunch or dinner time and have begun to use the same only whenever necessary or when there are guest for lunch / dinner. There are many types of pickles that can be prepared throughout the year as per the seasonal veggies available and now I have begun to follow that pattern instead of preparing 2-3 types in bulk. After all it does give you choice to relish many more options. Also there is no question of the pickle getting spoilt over time as we Amchies do not add oil to the pickle and I prefer to keep it in the fridge which remains good for over 5-6 months. That’s if it really does not get finished off much more before that. 

** There are many choices of pickles that can be prepared. Though raw mangoes and lemon are the most famous and sought after one’s there are other’s like mixed veggies, karanda (karvanda/natal plu), hogplum, pineapple, karate (Bitter gourd), Kantola, bimbul, raw jackfruit etc. and I will be posting as many as possible this year. The reason being that I have begun to prepare them in total capacity of about 200-250 gms so that I can really go about preparing new options on vegetables. Also a little bit of pickle goes a long way and one should never go overboard on consumption of pickle as the salt content in it is very high which is not at all recommended for health. Diabetic and BP patients should completely avoid it or just take in a pinch to satisfy their taste buds. Also people with Oedema / Water retention problem should try to avoid the same as salt hold on to water and thus increasing the water content in the body without expelling the same. 

** I have included many types of Nonche / Pickle before in the Blog. Today I am adding in Karanda / Karonda Pickle to the list which is a small green colored fruit available from the onset of summer. It is fortunately available in Mumbai and is quite cheap too. Please do refer to my other Pickle posts for more knowledge if needed on pickles. The pickle we GSB’s prepare is oil free ie most of the pickles are without the addition of oil. However, the pickle can be stored outside only for a few days and has longer shelf life if stored in fridge. If stored properly in the fridge it usually lasts for more than 6 months. Care should be taken to see that always a clean and dry spoon is used when removing the bottled pickle or else the pickle may get spoilt. It would be adviceable to take some pickle into a small glass jar and use the same instead of keeping removing the pickle often from the main bottle. 

** Here is to making of the Karanda / Karonda / Karvand / Natal Plusm Pickle ….. 

** Wash and wipe dry the Karanda / Natal Plum well. Remove the stem portion if any. Also, see to it that the sticky milk that oozes out when plucking off the stem is cleaned properly if it sticks to the skin portion of karanda. The Karandas should be firm, green and sour in taste. See to it that they cleaned and dried properly as there should be no trace of water on them. I have used about one large cup full of karandas as we get it in Mumbai kept as batches and not weight wise. 

** Fill a stainless steel vessel with 1 liter of water and keep it to a full boil, lower the heat and add in a cup of salt and mix well till it dissolves. (I always use crystal sea salt for making of pickle, you may use any). Bring the water back to a boil. When the salt has dissolved / mixed well and remove from fire. Let cool completely. Sometimes there are dust particles in this salt, so once the salt water has cooled completely sieve it in cotton cloth. Always use clean muslin cotton cloth for sieving to remove the dirt particles as sieving it in steel sieve will not serve the purpose. 

** Add the cleaned karanda / natal plum in a sterilized glass bottle and pour the boiled and cooled salt water into it upto the brim level. The karanda should get completely immersed, but it will float to the top. Add the cooled salt water into both the sterilized glass bottle upto the brim level. Now tightly add on the cap of the bottle and keep it aside for a few days. Keep shaking the bottle twice a day so that the karanda as get sufficiently salted evenly. 

** The Karandas will all turn into yellow once they have got soaked in completely by the salt water. Now it is ready to be added on masala and pickled. Drain the salt water completely into a vessel and let the karandas remain in the glass bottle. We will be using the same salt water for grinding the pickle and adding to the masala later if necessary. Remember to use clean spoons and vessel while preparing pickle to avoid the pickle getting contaminated. 

** For the Pickle Masala Paste : Grind about 12-15 Kumte mirsanga (Chilly) or red kashmiri chilly with the required amount of salt water coarsely. Do not add more salt water. Add in a small marble sized piece of gummy hing / asafoetida, which is fried in a teaspoon of oil until it melts or add 2 tablespoon of hing / asafetida powder fried in a tblsp of oil and also add about 1 full teaspoon of mustard seeds (rai/sasam) towards the end while grinding the masala mixture. Continue to grind all of the ingredients for another minute or two till the masala is well blended. Do not grind for too long as the mustard seeds will then impart bitterness to the masala also we do not want a fine paste. 

** Now add the masala to the karanda in the glass bottle and mix well. Add in more salt water and mix to bring to the desired pickle consistency. Mix well with a clean spoon. There should be enough masala to bind all the pieces well as well as it should come about say an inch above the karandas on settling. If the salt water you prepared is too salty as some salts are more saltish, then to not add the salt water to bring the pickle but add in boiled and cooled water to bring in the consistency. 

** You must check the level of salt in the pickle by tasting a little bit once the thick masala is added and mixed before you start adding more of salt water. Remember too much salt is neither good not does the taste turn out appealing. Also you can keep the pickle consistency thick and add on boiled and cooled water later on as you start using the pickle too. So please do not go overboard with the addition of salt water. 

** Apply oil to a plastic sheet (I used coconut oil) large enough to cover the rim / neck of the bottle. Place this on the bottle and cover tightly with the lid. This is my own method I discovered to prevent air from entering the bottle and just preventing the pickle from getting molded or spoilt. The oil side should off course be on the inner side of the bottle. Keep the bottle aside for 2-3 days in a dark corner for the pickle to get pickled. Then store it in the fridge and use as and when needed. 

** “Karanda Nonche /Karvanda/Karonda/Natal Plum Pickle(Uppinkai)” is done and ready to be served. Amshe ~ Tikshe ~ Midshe Nonche Jevana vottuchi laika jatta (in Konkani), meaning A little bit of this Tangy ~ Spicy ~ Salty Pickle served during lunch/dinner goes a long way and makes the lunch more delicious and appetizing. You can serve a little bit to tickle taste buds during lunch or dinner time, you can also serve this with idly, dosa and roti. 

** Always remember to mix the pickle well, put on the lid tightly back once you use the pickle. Also never forget to use a clean teaspoon every time you need to use the pickle. Then keep the bottle / container in fridge and remove as and when necessary to be served. Always use a clean and dry spoon when removing the bottled pickle or else the pickle may get spoilt. 

** You can use the search option for "Pickle" where you will get many more pickle varieties prepared and posted. Do try out various types of pickles to relish with dosa / Idly / roti etc. or with dal-chawal too. Enjoy these oil free pickles with your family and friends and do give me a feedback if possible. You can also click on the link below for checking the same. 

** An Earnest Request : There are many more recipes of similar type in the blog. For all my Recipes, use the search option or the label section in the Blog. If you are still not able to find it please leave a message in comment section or mail me the same. You can also go to my page (add on the left side of blog) and leave a message and I will try my best to get back to you as soon as possible … Thank you. I have also started a food group for "Konkani Saraswats" by the name "KONKANI DELICACIES" the link of which is posted on the left side of the blog page. Do join us in our culinary journey. I strongly believe in Sharing and always endorse that "Sharing Is Caring".