Use Kale Stems - How to Make Tasty Pickle
Trim the Kale, carefully cutting the stems and thick leaf ribs away from the leaves. Rinse and slice the stems. Add boiling water to citric acid and salt in a bowl. Stir to mix, add sliced kale stems stir and microwave for a couple of min. Stir in seasoning and set aside to cool. Add oil, stir again and set aside for 15 min to blend flavors. Ready to serve with any meal. Enjoy!
Equipment
- Microwave oven preferred; if not available, can use the stove-top. See Recipe Notes for details.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Sliced Kale stems about 1/4 inch or less; if Kale is not available, you can use stems and leaf-ribs from Kohlarabi, Swiss Chard (silverbeet), collard; chopped cauliflower/broccoli stalks, etc.
- 3 tbsp Water
- 1/8 tsp Citric acid
- 1/4 tsp Salt adjust as per taste preference - when taste-testing later, add up to 1/8 tsp more
Pickle Seasonings
- 1 tsp Kashmiri Mirchi Powder for its vibrant color; if not available, use 1/2 tsp red chilli powder (Cayenne) (Cayenne is hotter than Kashmiri Chilli peppers
- 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
- 1 tsp Fennel powder
- 1/8 tsp Mustard Powder if not available, crush whole mustard seed in a mortar and pestle; yellow or black mustard are both OK
- 1/8 tsp Kalonji (Nigella seeds) if not available, OK to omit
- 2 tsp Oil I prefer peanut oil; mustard oil is excellent if you like its strong pungent flavor and aroma; other mild-flavored edible oil is OK too; I do not recommend olive oil - its flavor clashes with the seasonings used here
- 1 tsp Paprika if not available, add another mild-flavored pepper with a rich red color: Byadgi Mirchi, Kashmiri Mirchi, Guajillo Chile, Cascabel Chile, New Mexico Chile, Dried Red Sishito pepper, etc.
Instructions
- Separate the leaves from the bunch. Thoroughly wash each leaf under running water, especially in the frilly parts of curly Kale. The flatter leaves of Lacinato kale are easier to clean.
- Trim the Kale, carefully cutting the stems and thick leaf ribs away from the leaves. Rinse and slice the stems.
- Add boiling water to citric acid and salt in a glass/ceramic microwave safe bowl -do NOT use plastic bowl - even if it says microwave-safe. Stir to mix, add sliced kale stems stir and microwave on Hi for 1 min.
- Stir and microwave on low-medium power (40%) for 2 min. Looks nearly dry- most of the liquid dries out during the cooking.
- While still hot, add all the seasonings, except oil, and stir.
- It looks pretty dry at this stage, since the dry seasonings soal up all the liquid. If you like it this way, skip the next step; set the pickle aside for about 15 min. to cool to room temp. Then proceed with adding the heated and cooled oil.
- I like to have a little "pickle juice" - called "Khaar" in Marathi - in my pickle.If you would like to make some Khaar: boil 1/2 a cup of water, transfer 2-3 tbsp hot water into a bowl - set aside to cool. When lukewarm, add it to the warm pickle and stir. Set aside for 5-10 min. to cool
- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a small wok/pan for 2-3 min, then set aside to let it cool for 5-10 min. Add the cooled oil to the cooled pickle, Stir again and set aside for 15 min to blend flavors. Transfer to a clean dry jar with a well-fitting lid press down the solids with a sturdy spoon to allow trapped air bubbles to escape. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4-6 weeks, possibly longer.
- Ready to serve with any meal. Tastes great with any type of bread or rice. It is also lovely with Puris,
- Enjoy!
Notes
Variations: Make similar pickle with several other vegetables
Use this recipe to pickle the stems/stalks of the following (and other) vegetables, such as:- Swiss Chard (Silverbeet)
- Collard
- Kohlrabi
- Cauliflower (chopped)
- Broccoli (chopped)
No Microwave? Make it on the stove-top
If you do not have a microwave oven, no worries. You can do it all on the stove-top, as follows:- Place 1 cup water in a small sauce pan and set it to boil.
- Transfer the sliced Kale stems into another small saucepan.
- Place measured citric aid and salt in a glass/ceramic/stainless steel heat-resistant bowl (do not use plastic!).
- After the water boils, decrease heat and let it continue to boil for about a minute. Transfer 3 tbsp boiling hot water to the citric acid-salt mixture: stir quickly to make "pickle-juice".
- Save the remaining water in the saucepan: set it aside to cool.
- Add the hot "pickle juice" to the sliced kale stems in the second saucepan. Stir to mix; cover and heat on high for 2 min.
- Set aside to cool. If too dry, add 2-3 tbsp of the leftover boiled water.
- Remaining procedure: follow according to directions given in the main recipe.
Storage:
This pickle needs to be stored in the refrigerator: there isn't enough salt and/or oil to act as preservative and protect it from spoilage at room temperature on your counter or pantry.- I recommend that you consume it in about two weeks (it might last longer)
- Whenever you use some, be sure to press/pack down the remaining pickle tightly. The pieces should be covered with the "pickle juice" when you put it away.
- Remove any air bubbles before replacing the lid aand returning to the refrigerator.
- Once you remove some pickle from the storage jar (for serving), you should NOT return the leftovers back
- place the "once-served" leftover pickle in a separate container and try to use up within a day or two.
- if you see mold-growth, and/or the pickle develops an "off" smell, please discard it.
Nutrition
Calories: 11kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gSodium: 60mgPotassium: 28mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 382IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 7mgIron: 1mg
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