ELIZE’S HOT DURBAN VEGETABLE PICKLE
“Thanks Leora for your recipe, at last my tweaked version of your gran’s pickle; we thourouly enjoy this!” https://yourrecipeblog.com/recipes/hot-durban-vegetable-pickle/
Elize’s tweak recipe.
- 450 g julienne cut carrots
- 250 g packet green beans, topped and tailed and chopped
- 32 green chilies’ /100 g washed, topped and tailed but making slits in the chilli will let the pickle flavour in but also make the entire dish hotter, so your choice
- cauliflower florets, optional and to taste
- 750 ml white vinegar
- 2 cups oil
- 5 teaspoons cumin seeds
- 5 teaspoons coriander seeds
- 5 teaspoons fenugreek seeds
- 5 teaspoons mustard seeds
- 2 – 3 cinnamon sticks
- 4 tablespoons pickle masala
- 2 teaspoons crushed red chilli
- 2 teaspoons turmeric powder
- 5 teaspoons biryani pickling spice
- 5 cm turmeric root, julienne cut
- 5 cm fresh ginger root, julienne cut
- 1 bulb of garlic, julienne cut
- 6 strands of saffron soaked in a bit of water
Sometimes we only use carrots and chillies or you can add cauliflower florets.
Soak vegetables in 750 ml of white vinegar for an hour or two.
Strain (keep the vinegar for dressing other salads if you wish but it will be hot)
Fill a broad pan or pot with the two cups of oil.
Let the oil warm on low, so that the spices can infuse.
When the oil is hot, add and mix the spices in thoroughly, keep in light motion so that it toasts but do not get a ‘heavy’ flavour.
Stir a few minutes to braise the pickle masala. Test and add salt as you wish.
Cool oil and mix vegetables in. Leave in the pan so that it infuse all the flavours.
I left it after cooling in the fridge for three days and then reheated it to boiling point and bottled it warm.
Recipe: Sylvia Nair, and tweaked/adjusted by Elize de Kock
Photo: Elize de Kock
