Turmeric is a member of the ginger family, an antiseptic, and a staple in Indian cooking. During winter, fresh turmeric is harvested, dried and powdered into a vibrant yellow powder, also called haldi in Hindi. I add a teaspoon or so of turmeric powder to almost every Indian dish I cook. It adds such a pretty color to dals and curries (and I use the word ‘curry’ in the Indian context – you knew that already, didn’t you?) and renders them utterly fragrant. The antiseptic/digestive properties don’t hurt either!
Mom makes turmeric pickles in winter. She makes them using white and yellow turmeric. These are possibly the simplest AND prettiest pickles you can ever find, believe me! I found a stack of both turmeric varieties at the local Indian store last week and got some home. Soaked them in water for a couple of hours, peeled them, cut into tiny slivers. Actually, I took the photographs and Dad did all the dirty work!
So pretty right? Dad is a master vegetable chopper, so skilled and graceful in his work. That’s what I call a real engineer… 🙂
Squeeze a liberal dose of lemon juice, add salt, mix well. You can also use lime juice if that’s your preference. Last year, when Mom made these pickles, she threw in some fresh green peppercorns as well. This year, she is captivated by the pink peppercorns, and so they’re part of the recipe.
Store the pickles in a glass container. They can be stored in the refrigerator indefinitely. If they appear too dry, add some lemon/lime juice, mix well.
These are pleasantly tangy pickles, not spicy or overly acidic. They go splendidly with rice dishes, pilafs, curries and other vegetable dishes. Go make a batch today… 🙂
