Instant Punjabi-style pickle

Preparation time

less than 30 mins

Cooking time

10 to 30 mins

Serves

1 litre/2 pints

Recommended by

1 person

Dietary

Vegetarian

By Madhur Jaffrey

Ingredients

3 tbsp jaggery (cane sugar) or palm sugar (both available from Asian grocers) or light brown sugar
175ml/6fl oz cider vinegar
120ml/4fl oz extra virgin olive oil (you can use mustard oil, peanut oil or vegetable oil)
1-2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
400g/14oz small cauliflower florets
5 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 5cm/2½in pieces
225g/9oz baby turnips, peeled and halved
2 tsp whole brown mustard seeds, ground in a clean coffee grinder
2 tsp salt
a mixture of 1 tsp chilli powder and 1½ tsp bright red paprika
½ tsp garam masala

Combine the sugar and vinegar in a small pan set over a low heat, stirring occasionally. Heat until the sugar has dissolved, then turn off the heat.
Pour the oil into a large pan set over a medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and ginger and stir for 30 seconds.
Add the cauliflower, carrots and turnips to the pan. Stir and cook for about a minute or until the vegetables are coated with oil and still fairly crisp.
Reduce the heat to low and add the ground mustard, salt, chilli powder and paprika mixture and garam masala. Stir and mix for a minute or two until the vegetables are coated in the spices.
Pour in the palm sugar-vinegar mixture and stir. Take off the heat and allow the pickle to cool.
Spoon the finished pickle into one or two clean jars, with its juices, then refrigerate. The pickle may be eaten immediately but will keep in the fridge for 3-4 weeks.