Aam Ka Achar

Summer season is in so are the mangoes and for me it’s also the achar making season. This is the 2^nd consecutive year I have made mango pickle at home, and believe me I don’t find taste in those store bought pickles anymore, if you also like Punjabi aam ka achar as much as I do then you must give this recipe a try. You just have to keep in mind the basics of pickle making - use a clean sterilized jar, see that there is no moisture and ensure that mustard oil forms a covering layer over the ingredients in the jar.

Ingredients: 

2 Kg  raw green mangoes

1 liter mustard Oil

200 gm salt

200 gm fenugreek/Methi Seeds

200 gm aniseed /Saunf

2 tbsp nigella seeds/Kalonji seeds

 50 gm mustard seeds/rai dana

50 gm chilli Powder

50 gm turmeric Powder

1 & ½ tsp asafoetida /heeng

1 & ½ tsp carom seeds/ajwain

Method:

1) Heat 1 liter of Mustard Oil to smoking point and let it cool, it’s better to do I a day earlier

Prepare the Glass /Ceramic Jar or plastic container by heating a large piece of Coal till it glows. Sprinkle 1-2 tsps. Asafoetida/Heeng Powder on it and keep the Jar upside down over it. This sterilizes the Jar and helps preserve the Pickle.

2) Wash and wipe the Green Mangoes dry with a clean cloth .Cut into medium size pieces.

3) Coarsely ground the fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds and aniseeds separately, mix these two with carom seeds,  nigella seeds, asafoetida  , salt, red chili powder and turmeric powder and keep aside.

4) Place the Mango Pieces in a large Steel Vessel and add all the Spices little by little till all the Mango pieces are evenly coated.

5) Mix in about 250 ml. of the cooled Mustard Oil.  Put it in the Glass or Ceramic Jar (plastic container) which has been smoked earlier, cover with muslin cloth and Keep in the Sun for 2-3 days. Remember to shake it or mix it one or twice every day. 

6) Add in the remaining oil, the oil should be at least 1 inch above the mango pieces. Cover the jar with the lid and let it mature for 2-3 weeks before start using.

Remember:

*Wipe and dry the mangoes very thoroughly, even the slightest bit of water or moisture in mangoes or in the storage jar is enough to form fungus and mold and ruin your pickle.

*The amount of salt should be measured accurately as it acts as a preservative for the pickle.

*The pickle should be covered with a layer of oil all the time.

Home-Made Peach Jam

Making jam at home is so much fun and easy, once you start making it at home, you’ll wish you had started it doing it sooner. Right now peach season is at its peak here is Pakistan, great time to make peach jam at home, a delicious way to have to have a taste of summer all year round,  definitely worth all the effort and love you put in... 

Ingredients:

1 kg peaches (its better to use ripe peaches)
700 gm sugar 
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt (optional, I always put salt in as I feel it helps in enhancing the flavors) 
Sterilized jar of jam (in a saucepan, boil the jam jar for 10 minutes. Once sterilized, remove from heat and dry thoroughly)

Method:


1) Blanch the peaches in boiling water for one minute then remove and place in cold water for 1 minute. Remove the skin, once skin is removed (don’t discard the skins yet), remove the pits. 

2) Make a coarse paste of half of the peaches in a blender and chop the rest of the peaches. (You will be left with approximately 800-850 grams of peaches after removing the skin and seeds)

3) Put the peaches, lemon juice and sugar in a large pan. Take a slightly wet cheese cloth, put all the skins in the cloth and tie it off, squeeze out all the liquid into the pot in which you have added fruit, sugar and lemon juice. Let it stand for an hour.

4) After an hour put the pan on low heat and let it simmer gently for about 10 minutes. Turn the heat up to medium-high and boil the mixture rapidly for 20 minutes stirring occasionally. When the jam is ready (when u feel its getting thick) then remove the saucepan from heat and let it cool down. Pour it into the jam jar and then let it cool completely before sealing it.

Kadu Ka Raita

My ami used to make this raita very often during summer season. It is believed to have cooling effect on body during the hot summer days. This recipe is something which will always remind me of my sweet maa je and her love and care for us. Now when I look back, I realise how much my mother loved us and how much effort she had put in our upbringing. I still get amazed at how she managed every thing so perfectly with 5 kids. She was a really hard working woman, who spent all her time, energy and love taking care of her family and house. She was a great cook, and every body in friends and family loved her cooking and hospitality. It's been 4 long years since she left this world but I can still feel her in every single thing around the house. So coming back to the recipe, although we have always used round bottle gourds but you can also use the long ones too, choice of adding tomatoes and onions in entirely up to you. you can have it on it's own or serve it along with dal, sabzi, or meaty dishes too. Here's how ami used to make it….

Ingredients:

 1/2 kg yogurt

1 small/medium kadu/loki (bottle gourd)

1 medium onion (finely chopped)

1 medium tomato (finely chopped)

1-2 green chilies chopped

Salt (to taste)

¼ tsp red chili powder

¼ tsp crushed black pepper powder

¼ tsp cumin seeds (dry roasted and crushed)

¼ tsp coriander seeds (dry roasted and crushed)

2-3 tbsp fresh coriander (chopped)

Method:

1) Peel and great the bottle gourd. Boil it in 1cup of water for 5 minutes. Drain out the water and keep aside to cool down.

2) Slightly whisk the yogurt until well blended, squeeze out the water from the boiled bottle gourd. Mix every thing in a bowl and it’s done, ready to be served.

Mango Chutney

This wonderful Mango Chutney can accompany many wonderful Pakistani meals and is loved by all. It’s a perfect blend of sweet, sour and spicy and I love to have it with Alu Ka Paratha .   It can last for more then a year if preserved properly.

Ingredients:

1 & ½ kg raw mangoes

2 1/2 cups water
1 kg sugar

1/2 cup distilled white vinegar

1 tbsp finely chopped garlic 

1 tbsp finely chopped ginger 

1 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp red chili powder (or you can use red chili flakes)

½ tsp ground black pepper

1tsp salt (leveled)

Method:

 1) Wash and peel the raw mangos, then cut them in to either in ¾ inch cubes or thin long slices just like you would slice fries with hands. You will be left with almost 1 kg of mango slices after peeling, deseeding and slicing.

2) Put water and sugar in a nonstick pan and dissolve the sugar on medium heat, use a wooden spoon to stir.

3) Add the mango slices in and let it cook till the mangos get soft, then add salt, red chilies, black pepper, chopped ginger garlic and vinegar in.

4)  Let it cook on medium-high flame till the mixture gets thick and do remember  to stir it every now and then, but don not stir it too much as it will make the chutney mushy. It will take around 20-25 minutes to get done. Also keep in mind the chutney will get slightly thick once it cools down.

5) Once it’s done, turn off the heat and let it cool down.  Pour into clean air-tight Jars (sterilized) and refrigerate.

Keri Ke Chutney

 It’s summer time here in Pakistan, which means its “Mango Time”. Mangoes are widely used in Pakistani food. Sour, unripe mangoes (called keri in Urdu) are used to make chutneys, pickles and murabbas.  This particular delicious and tangy raw mango chutney is loved by all age groups and can be served with dal chawal, sabzi and many more dishes. My nani dadi and ami always used mortar and pestle to make this chutney, however making it in blender is much easier and quicker, so here’s what you do....

 Ingredients:

2 Raw mangos (peeled and chopped)

4-5 green chilies    

½ bunch chopped fresh coriander      

½ bunch Mint              

5-6 garlic cloves

2-3 tbsp lemon juice  

2-3 tbsp vinegar

½ tsp Salt  

1 tsp cumin seeds

           

Method:

Put every thing in a blender and blend it coarsely, chutney is ready to be served. You can store it in fridge for 2-3 days.

Strawberry Jam

It’s been a year now since I started to make jam at home. Strawberry season is at its peak right now, so why not take advantage and make home made strawberry jam, it is easy to make and only involves a few ingredients. While making jam, it is advisable to simmer the fruit and sugar really slowly. This process extracts the fruit's natural pectin. Once the sugar has dissolved, boil the mixture rapidly for about 10 minutes. Although most recipes don’t use salt while making jam, but I do like to put a bit of salt in too, just to balance the taste…

Ingredients:

1 lb of Strawberries (around 500 gm)

1 lb of Sugar ( you can use same amount of sugar or u can also use 3/4 cup of sugar, its all up to you, if you are calories conscious then you can use less)

1/2 tsp salt (optional)

1-2 tbs of lemon juice

one sterilized jar of jam (in a saucepan, boil the jam jar for 10 minutes. Once sterilized, remove from heat and dry thoroughly).

Method:

1) Wash and hull the strawberries. Cut them in 3-4 pieces each, then place the strawberries, lemon juice and sugar in a bowl, some people suggest to leave it in fridge for overnight night, but as i was so impatient to make it, I left it in fridge for an hour only. 

2) Now when u see the sugar has dissolved take it out of the fridge, put it in a large pan. Heat over low heat and let it simmer gently for about 10 minutes.

3) Turn the heat up to medium-high and boil the mixture rapidly for 20 minutes stirring occasionally. To check if the jam is ready or not, place a spoonful of jam on a saucer and put it in the fridge for two minutes. Touch it with your finger and if it "wrinkles", it's ready. If not, boil it for another 5 or 10 minutes and then check again.

4) When the jam is ready (when you feel its getting thick) then remove the pan from heat and let it cool down. Pour it into the jam jar and then let it cool completely before puting the lid on it.

Note:  You can also add a few drops of strawberry extract/essence before turning of the flame to give some extra burst of flavour. 

Orange Marmalade

 I love the idea of making Jams at home, there is something extremely satisfying about making your own jam and it is much easier than most people think!  So far I have tried making strawberry jam, peach jam, guava jam and mixed fruit jam at home, since its winter  the season of oranges , I thought of making some orange marmalade at home, Marmalade is a delicious tangy spread to have on your toast for breakfast, I am sharing two ways of making the orange marmalade at home…

 Ingredients:

6 oranges, (you can use any kind of oranges you like)

3-4 small lemons (washed)

4 cups water

2 & 1/2 cups sugar

½ tsp salt

For the jelly Marmalade:

Peel and deseed the oranges collecting the juice in a large sauce pan., now put all the oranges in a blender and blend them, next  squeeze the juice and pits out through a mesh sieve collecting the juice in to the saucepan. Collect the pit, membranes and any pulp that came out and place it in a double layer of 8 inch square cheese cloth and tie it off.

Slice the orange peels into small thin pieces about 1/8 inch wide. The peel is what give marmalade its bitter taste, you don’t have to add it if you don’t’ like it.

If you don't like the bitterness  Add 4 cups of water and lemon juice to the sauce pan and bring the juice, water, peels, lemon juice and cheesecloth to a simmer over medium heat and cook, covered, until the peel gets tender, about 30 – 40 minutes. Stir every 15 minutes, squeezing the juices from the cheesecloth when you do. Remove the cheesecloth let it cool down then squeeze out any liquid into the pot. At this point you should have about 4 cups of liquid. Add more water if you have less and simmer to reduce if you have more.

Add the sugar and salt into the mixture and bring the mixture to a full boil again, then reduce heat to a gentle boil. Stir occasionally while cooking to make sure it does not burn on the bottom. To test the marmalade, turn off the heat and put a small amount on a plate that has been chilled in the freezer and briefly return it to the freezer. Check it in a few minutes; it should be slightly jelled and will wrinkle just a bit when you slide your finger through it. If not, continue to cook until it’s done. Once the marmalade has reached the desired consistency, turn off the heat, Pour into your jars leaving 1/2 inch of space at the top, seal, let cool and refrigerate.

For the Jam like Marmalade:

Prepare the oranges by peeling the outer skin and discarding the seeds, now put all the fruits into a food processor or blender, and make them into a puree. Add Sugar and Lemon Juice. Mix well. Keep it aside for an hour.  After and hour put the pureed fruit, lemon juice and sugar in a large pan. Heat over low flame and let it simmer gently for about 10 minutes, turn the heat up to medium-high and boil the mixture rapidly for 20 minutes stirring occasionally. It splutters, so be careful. When the jam is ready (when you feel its getting thick), remove the saucepan from heat and let it cool down. Pour it into the sterilized jam jars and then let it cool completely before sealing it. Once it cools down put it in refrigerator.

Note: The ratio of sugar and fruit (juice + pulp) should be the same, for every one cup of fruit you need one cup of sugar.

Tomato Ketchup

Have you ever tried homemade ketchup?  My ami used to make it for us when we were kids, and let me tell you it tastes way better then the store bought ketchup, it easy to make and all natural, the plus point is you know what exactly is going in your homemade ketchup....

Ingredients:

1 & 1/2 kg Tomatoes (roughly chopped)

2 medium onions (roughly chopped)
3 garlic cloves
2 cups of water
1 1/2 cup sugar 
1 1/2 cup vinegar
1-2 tsp salt
½ tsp red chili powder (you can use up to 1 leveled tsp of red chili powder)
3 cloves
8-10 black peppercorns
1 tsp cumin 
1 stick of cinnamon

Method: 

1) Add cinnamon stick, cumin seeds, cloves and back peppercorns in a piece of cheese cloth. Tie the corners of the cheese cloth together to make a little bag. 

2) Put tomatoes, onion and garlic cloves along with 2 cups of water in a pot. Simmer the sauce for an hour on medium heat. (Do remember to stir it every now and then). 

3) After about an hour or so, take it off the heat take out the spices bag, let the sauce cool slightly then blend it in a blender. Press the blended ketchup through a sieve, it takes a while, there should be nothing left in the sieve but skin and seeds.

4) Now return the sauce to pan and add in sugar, salt, red chili powder and vinegar bring to boil then simmer for 30 minutes on medium heat or until it reaches desired consistency, stirring often.

5)  Let it cool down then pour in to sterilized jar/ bottles, seal tightly and place in a cool dark place or the fridge until needed. It should keep for six months.

MIxed Fruit Jam

Making Jam at home is so much easier and cost effective, another plus point of making your own jam at home is you know what exactly is going in jam, and no preservatives or food colors are added to homemade jams. Once you taste the goodness of your own jam you won’t be able to go back to the store bought  jams.

Ingredients: 

1 kg mixed fruit of your choice (I used apples, strawberries, oranges and guava fruit) 
750g sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice or to taste

sterilized jars of jam( in a saucepan, boil the jam jar for 10 minutes. Once sterilized, remove from heat and dry thoroughly)

Method:

peel the apples and guavas and cut in to cubes, wash and hull the strawberries, Prepare the oranges by peeling the outer skin and  discarding the seeds, now put all  the fruits into a food processor or blender, and make them into a puree. Add Sugar and Lemon Juice. Mix well. Keep it aside for an hour. 
After and hour put the pureed fruit, lemon juice and sugar in a large pan. Heat over low flame and let it simmer gently for about 10 minutes  Turn the heat up to medium-high and boil the mixture rapidly for 20 mins stirring occasionally. When the jam is ready (when you feel its getting thick) remove the saucepan from heat and let it cool down. Pour it into the jam jars and then let it cool completely before sealing it.

Note:

• weigh the fruits after peeling and taking all the seeds, pits out.
• you can use the same method to make any fruit jam you want, if you want to use peaches or plums then Remove the skin from the peaches or plums by blanching  them for 45 seconds to a minute in boiling water, then removing and placing them in cold water for 1 minute. Remove the skin, once skin is removed, remove the pits. Finely chop the peeled, pitted peaches. 
• Just to be on safe side, start by making jam of ½ kg of fruit
• The general rule is to use equal amount of sugar and fruit (for every 1 kg of fruit you will use 1 kg sugar) but you can always use less sugar if you like.