Pickle the fresh, tart cranberry – in a fiery Indian style: enjoy it with Parathas, or inside sandwiches, tacos and wraps. Everyone, it seems, loves a good tart pickle – doesn’t matter which part of the world you’re from! As for the pickle to also be fiery hot? That seems to be everywhere too! Pickled Jalapenos, hot Italian Giardiniera, Korean Kimchi…. and of course, the vast assortment of spicy Indian pickles.
Pickles, especially the ones made at home, can also stimulate the digestive process. In addition, since they are usually made from raw, uncooked fruits and vegetables, they deliver valuable antioxidants to the meal. During storage, they slowly ferment, and become a good source of probiotics. This cranberry pickle is no exception – all the well-known health benefits of cranberries are preserved in this beautiful and delectable package.
Pickles – Fusion-style
Years ago, one bite of the crisp, tart cranberry, and I was hooked! My brain went into overdrive, and I immediately started to think “pickle”! Why not create one in classic fusion-style? Take this gorgeous-looking, decidedly American fruit and pickle it, the Indian way! Then I could enjoy this beautiful red berry with Indian foods too! The cranberry reminded me of the Indian Karonda. (Kar-oan-daa, with Kar- as in ‘fur’; and the ‘daa’ with a soft ‘d’ as in ‘the’). The recipe presented here has its roots in the Indian Karonda pickle, which my Mom used to make when they were in season, typically during summer. Something that is different about the cranberry? Unlike the rather large seeds of the Karonda, the tiny seeds of the cranberry are barely even noticeable.
I always make some pickle when cranberries are in season in late fall. I hide a good-sized jar at the back of the refrigerator, and fight the urge to take it out before spring/summer. After all, I want to be able to pull some out when the craving strikes, to enjoy with a hot Paratha or Dhirda (savory Maharashtrian pancakes). If I can “see” it every time I open the refrigerator, I know that it will probably be all-gone by the end of January!
Make it fast!
It is so easy to do – cut up the cranberries, add the spices and that’s pretty much it!! Ready to pack into a jar in less than 20 min. It lasts in the refrigerator for at least 3-4 months, possibly more – mine is usually gone before that. Just the lovely color is enough to lift your mood and make you drool. I feel like I could easily polish off a whole bowl of it, just by itself! Of course, my brain would likely intrude on my binge-party, to remind me of my Dad’s sage advice, that a pickle is a condiment, meant to be consumed in only small quantities.
Restricted Diets
This pickle is gluten-free, vegan and soy-free. It can be nut-free, if you swap the peanut oil with another oil that works for you. If you like mustard oil with its strong pungent flavor/aroma, use it. The spiciness? That’s the beauty of home-made pickle, isn’t it? It can be as spicy as you wish or as mild as you please. You get to decide how much red chilli powder you want to add.
A word of caution and common sense: pickles do tend to be somewhat high in sodium content, so please consume in moderation, especially if you’re watching your salt intake.
I hope you make this pickle and, like me, fall in love with it. Do let me know if you make it, with a review and a rating.
Enjoy!
Pickle the Tart Cranberry – in a Fiery Indian style
Equipment
- standard kitchen tools and eqipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup cranberries rinsed,towel-dried, sliced in half, lengthwiseabout 100 grams (about 1/4 lb)
- 1 tbsp Oil Peanut oil preferred; mustard oil is excellent if you like its strong and pungent taste and aroma; other oil of your choice ok
- 1 pinch Fenugreek Powder: about !/4 of 1/8 tsp do NOT use too much- it make the pickle become unpleasantly bitter
Pickle Masala
- 2 tsp Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder if not available, use (1 tsp cayenne + 1 tsp Paprika); adjust the amount to suit your siciness preference
- 1/8 tsp Turmeric
- 1 tsp Mustard Powder
- 1 tsp Fennel Powder
- 1 tsp Cumin Powder
- 1/2 tsp Kalonji (Nigella seeds)
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/16 tsp Asoefetida (Hing)
Optional: Extra Pickle Juice
- 1/4 cup Water: boiled and cooled
- 1/8 tsp Salt
- 1/8 tsp Citric acid
Instructions
- Rinse the cranberries. spread on a towel and carefully dry each cranberry. Pick through and remove any that are not firm- save them for use in another cranberry recipe (sauce, relish, etc)recipe. Slice each cranberry in half, lengthwise.
- Mix all the Pickle Masala ingredients together
- Heat oil in a wide, shallow pan.
- Add the Fenugreek powder. stir fro about 30 seconds, until it sizzles and starts turning brown.
- Add Pickle Masala to the heated oil. Turn the heat off and stir well to release flavors into the oil.
- Set aside to cool the prepared Pickle Masala for 5 min.
- Add the sliced cranberries and stir gently to mix.
- Set aside for about 20 min.
- This pickle is a bit on the dry side: the cranberries do not release much juice.If you want some pickle "juice": boil and cool 1/4 cup water and stir in salt and citric acid. Stir this mixture into the cooled cranberry pickle. If not serving immediately, transfer to a glass jar – please do NOT use plastic containers for acid containing pickles- they react with the plastic!
- Serve as a condiment, especially with stuffed Parathas, Puris, Luchi, Naan, Kulcha, Cheela, Dhirda, Utthappam, (savory pancakes), etc. Also wonderful with any Indian meal, along with Rice, Roti, Naan, Dal, Vegetable, salad, etc. Try it on a sandwich, or in a pita pocket, or anything you want to an extra bit of "Yumm" to!
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Should be good for at 3-4 months, possibly longer.
- If you make a batch with the intention of using it a few months late, please add about 2-tsp oil (heated for about a minute and cooled) – on the surface of the pickle; this will minimize the likelihood of spoilage.
- However, inspect carefully every time you take it out of the refrigerator. If you do see mold growth, please discard – it is probably not safe to consume.
Now this is one of my favorite pickle! This recipe so delicious…. will be making a bigger batch soon.
One of my favorites too! So glad you liked it, Padmaja!
I made this recipe for extra credit in my Organic Chemistry class and the hardest part was not the cooking but finding the spices. I went to 5 different stores and they didn’t have them. One of the stores was a world market too. I ended up just ordering them online but just so people know it may be hard finding the spices.
Hmmm…. These pickling spices are actually very commonly used in spicy Indian pickles.
That said, I do realize that it is sometimes hard to find some ingredients listed in a recipe, but I’m glad you were able to find them online. May I know which one you had trouble finding, so I can add a note to the recipe, regarding what to do if someone else has trouble finding it?
Thanks for your thoughtful review, Dakota. 😊