Tendril Pickle Recipe - Adolph

TENDLI PICKLE

Original recipe from Ofelia de Sousa. Updated by her son Adolph de Sousa

 

CONTEXT

 

It is a warm summers day in Perth in February. I have a tendli creeper growing in a pot  by my side fence. This is what it looks like.

 

I collect about a little over a 2kgs of tendlis in about 15 days.

I then start the process of making the pickle.

 

Here is my mother’s recipe:

 

INGREDIENTS:      2 Kg Tendlis.

                                   200 gms dry chilies (preferably Kashmiri)*

                                   60 gms fresh ginger

                                   60 gms fresh garlic

                                   6 dessertspoons sugar

                                   0.5 dessertspoon pepper

                                   0.5 dessertspoon jeera  powder(cumin)

                                   0.5 dessertspoon turmeric powder

                                   2 tablespoons methi (fenugreek)

                                   Up to one bottle 500ml oil

                                   Up to one bottle 500ml vinegar

                                   Salt

 

Method 1 Slice the tendli length wise in quarters and put tablespoon salt and keep out in the sun. Stir occasionally. Recommend you do this the day before. See a photo of what it likes like after you have cut it and put it in the sun for a day with salt.

                   This is what the cut up tendli looks like

       

                        2  Roast the methi, pound and keep aside.

 

                     3  Cut the dry chilies with a scissor and remove seeds. (Some                          people then soak the chilies overnight in vinegar. I do not do that) *Alternatively use 150-175 gms of Kashmiri chili pwder you can buy from the Gourmet Indian Stores

 

                   4  Peel garlic pods and ginger

Grind Ginger, garlic, chilies, pepper and chilies adding little vinegar each time until it becomes a masala paste. Add cumin and turmeric and add more vinegar to keep the masala moist.

This is what the masala looks like

When the masala is ready heat oil in saucepan – about half bottle. When oil is hot add masala and stir all the time. 

Now add the tendli and stir. If oil looks insufficient add little more a time. This is a photo of the tendlis cooking in the saucepan with the masala

Now add the fenugreek and the sugar. Boil for about five – ten minutes. Then take off the fire let it cool completely before putting it in jars. 

 

The pickle must have oil on the surface of the jar. If oil is insufficient. Heat more oil in pan and add to top up the bottles when the oil has cooled down.

Here is a photo of the tendli pickle puyt in bottles to share with friends

 

Enjoy Enjoy