“Mixed Vegetable Pickle/ Kochna Nonche with Amla (Gooseberry)” …here is the Tikshe- Amshe- Midshe Nonche (Spicy-Tangy- Salty Pickle) prepared from the brined veggies I shared yesterday … a little bit served during lunch/dinner goes a long way in tickling taste buds and makes the lunch that much more scrumptious … for this pickle the veggies are cut fine, brine for a day and then the ground chillies masala is added on … though this is prepared with addition of raw mangoes, this time I prepared adding of amla along with other veggies … the crunch in the pickled veggies is a delight to relish upon and goes very well served with pejje jevan (rice porridle) especially during winter season … Yummilicious …
** I have begun to depend on preparing and storing a little bit of pickle on regular basis with available seasonal veggies now. Though one should take necessary caution while consuming the same a little bit ie just a dash of pickle served goes a long way. 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 and storing the same. After all it does give you choice to relish many more options and also the risk of the pickle going bad or getting spoilt due to fluctuations in weather is also lesser. We amchies do not add oil to the pickle which curtails the shelf life of the pickle, however it does remain good for about 4-6 months in fridge if proper care is taken with the same in storing.
** I have shared quite a few number of pickle and will be sharing a common link at the bottom of this recipe, you can browse through the same and prepare any pickle as per your licking or as per the season and availability of the veggies. This nonche ie kochla nonche means pickle prepared with finely chopped ingredients. Usually prepared with raw mangoes along with veggies this time round as raw mangoes are yet to come into market I prepared the same with addition of amla/ gooseberry along with veggies. In my home somehow we do not like pickle prepared with addition of oil, though I do prepare the same with green chillies, so I need to prepare them often with seasonal veggies as hubby simply loves it and always demands for a little bit whenever I cook pejja/ rice porridge or some simple food for lunch.
** 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 holds on to water and thus increasing the water content in the body without expelling the same. 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 say for about 6 months. It would be advisable to take some pickle into a small glass jar and use the same instead of keeping removing the pickle often from the main bottle thereby keeping it safe.
**Here is my method of preparing “Mixed Vegetable Pickle/ Kochna Nonche with Amla (Gooseberry)” … My Style … I always follow my Mom’s method for preparing nonche, as she still makes the best nonche/ pickle …
** Fill a stainless steel vessel with 1.5 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 and when the salt has dissolved/ mixed well and remove from fire. Keep it aside covered and let it cool completely. Sometimes there are dust particles in this salt, so once the salt water has cooled completely sieve it using a clean 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.
** Vegetables I have used are approximately as follows :
Cauliflower :100 gms
Tendle/ Ivy Gourd/ Gherkins : 10-15
Alsando/ Chawli/ Yard long Beans : 6-8
Gajjar/ Carrot : 2-3 medium sized
Avalo/ Amla/ Gooseberry : 8 large sized
Limbiyo/ Lemon/ Nimboo : 4 large sized
Alle’/ Ginger/ Adrak : 3 inch sized piece
Tarni Mirsanga/ Hari mirchi/ Green Chillies : 8-10
** This pickle has TO BE REFRIGERATED or consumed within a frame of 2-3 days. Even when stored in fridge it is d advisable to be consumed within 2-3 months though it does remains good for maximum period of six months if proper care is taken.
** Wash and let dry the vegetables to be used for pickle completely. Rub them with dry towel if necessary but see to it that they are completely dry as this step is very important. Cut cauliflower into small pieces, snip off the edges and cut alsando also into small rings, similarly cut the green chillies too after cutting of the stem portion. Peel off the skin of gajjar and adrak before cutting them also into small pieces. Slice off both end sides of tendle and cut them also into same sized small pieces.
** Slice the sides of avalo/ gooseberry and cut them also into pieces discarding the inner seeds. While cutting the lemons into small pieces, discard the inner seeds if possible. Try to cut all the vegetables mentioned into small pieces of equal size, in all you should have about approximately 6 cups. You can make variations in the quantity of the veggies as per your liking too by adding in those you like in more quantity than the other, however the mentioned is in perfect balance for a delicious pickle.
** Now add in all the chopped ingredients into a clean sterilized glassware bottle and then pour in the cooled, strained and kept ready aside salt water till the brim, ie all the veggies should get immersed in the salt water. Now tightly add on the cap of the bottle and keep it aside for 24 hours. Keep shaking the bottle twice a day so that the veggies gets mixed in well with the salt water and get soaked in equally well. Do not keep the veggies soaked in salt water for more than maximum 36-48 hours or else the veggies will lose the crunch and when pickled will have softer veggies that do not taste great.
** Note : It is very important to use sterilized glassware or a clean porcelain ware bottles for pickles. I never use plastic ones, though nowadays they are used by one and all even those which are sold. I will never recommend the same as plastic is not good and if it cannot be avoided completely it best to do so wherever possible. Also remember to use clean spatula and vessels for preparation of pickles as hygiene is very important to retain the pickles well.
** For the Pickle Masala Paste : Before you begin to grind check out and see that the chilly is fresh and crisp. Strain all the veggies brined/ put in salt water so that the salt water is obtained for grinding. (we always use the same salt water in which the veggies were soaked for grinding of the pickle). Strain out only the salt water, let the veggies remain in bottle.
** Grind about 150 gms off Kumte mirsanga (Byadgi Mirchi/ Kashmiri Red Chilly) semi coarse paste with just the required amount of salt water needed. Do not add all the salt water in one go, but add little by little as you keep grinding. When coarsely done add in 3 tsp of Mustard Seeds (Rai/ Sasam) along with a small marble sized piece of gummy hing/ asafoetida, which is fried in half a teaspoon of oil until it melts or add 2 tablespoon of hing/ asafetida powder fried in a tsp of oil.
** Continue to grind all of the ingredients for another minute or two till the masala is well blended and the ingredients are also equally ground. Do not grind for too long as the mustard seeds will then impart bitterness to the masala and also keep to a note that we do not want a very fine paste. Again, in my home we like to keep the masala slightly coarser say about 85% ground and not a smooth masala paste, though some prefer it that way, you may do so if desired, the choice is always yours.
** Keep the texture of the ground masala on thicker side as you can always add in boiled and cooled water as and when necessary to the same. Now add the masala to veggies in glass bottle and mix well adding in more salt water as is necessary to bring to desired pickle consistency. Remember to mix well using a clean dry spoon. There should be enough masala to bind all pieces well as well as it should come about say an inch above the veggies on settling, so use accordingly. If the salt water you prepared is too salty, then avoid adding in the same and add in boiled and cooled water to bring in the consistency.
** Note : 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 days in a dark corner for the pickle to get pickled. Then store it in the fridge and use as and when needed.
** “Mixed Vegetable Pickle/ Kochna Nonche with Amla (Gooseberry)” is done and ready to be served. A little bit of Tikshe- Amshe- Midshe Nonche (Spicy-Tangy- Salty Pickle) served during lunch/dinner goes a long way and makes the lunch more delicious and appetizing. Tastes awesome when served with pejja/ rice porridge, dosa, Idly etc. Do try this simple method of preparing pickle and relish the same just a little bit at lunch/dinner time with family and friends, I am sure they will love that crunch of veggies in the pickle very much.
** Note : Always remember to mix the pickle well, put on the lid tightly back once you 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. For daily consumption store in a little bit of pickle in a smaller bottle, this prevents you opening the larger bottle of pickle often and preserves it better.
** Note : If you do not like or want to add in lemon cut into pieces, you can add in the squeezed out juice of the same once all the masala has been mixed too. Sometimes we do add in juice and cut down the number of lemon pieces. In this nonche/ pickle case I have not done so as I have also added in amla/ gooseberry pieces which will also impart tartness.
** Note : Using of well cleaned and sterilized glassware/ ceramic/ porcelain bottle is very important for the pickle to remain good. Modern days people do use plastic bottles which I would not suggest and have never done so to as the salt content remains better in glass wares. Again it is entirely upto to you and you may do so if desired, however do keep it in sunlight to dry for an hour or so before storing pickle in the same.
** Note : If you are living in hot weather climate then you can store the larger bottle of prepared pickle straight away in the refrigerator and need not keep it at room temperature. However, never keep this prepared pickle in sunlight as it will not keep good in hot temperatures. If you are living in very cold places then you can keep it out for 24-48 hours and then store it in the refrigerator. In all conditions of weather, I recommend storing it in fridge for better shelf life.
** Note: Do not fry the red chillies for the pickle masala, if they are damp you can roast or put them in the sunlight, but we do not fry it in oil. Again, it is best to buy the dry chillies fresh from stores for preparing of pickles than the home stored ones, that is what I do most of the time unless I have them in excess at home, in which case I microwave them for a few minutes as sunlight facility is almost nil at my place as I live on ground floor in flat system.
** For more “Pickle/ Nonche” Recipe, Please use the common link shared below and browse through theose that you would love to try out ….
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