Kumquat Pickle

Hey friends!!! Wondering about kumquat??? Its really tasty... I tasted this in my husband's cousin's house. She made this pickle and it tasted great. We all fell in love with this pickle instantaneously. It tasted more like lime pickle but with a natural sweet tinge to it. Let me give a small intro to this amazing little fruit.

The Round Kumquat (also Marumi Kumquat or Morgani Kumquat) is an evergreen tree, producing edible golden-yellow colored fruit. The fruit is small and usually round but can be oval shaped. The peel has a sweet flavor but the fruit has a sour center. The fruit can be eaten raw but is mainly used to make marmalade and jelly. It is grown as an ornamental plant and can be used in bonsai. This plant symbolizes good luck in China and other Asian countries, where it is sometimes given as a gift during the Lunar New Year. It's more commonly cultivated than most other kumquats as it is cold tolerant. It can be kept as a houseplant. (Source Wikipedia)

With simple preparation process that my aunt told me, I made this pickle and it came out really well. Thanks to my aunt and cousin sister.. 

Health Benefits:

Improves immune system

Reduces aging

Improves lung health

Helps fight againt dry and itchy skin

Strenghtens hair and nails

Improves wound healing

And there are many more benefits . For more benefits check out this link http://genuineaid.com/2010/05/01/komquats-nutrients-and-benefits/

Ingredients:

Kumquats - 20 (cut into 4 pices each) 

salt - to taste

Red Chilli powder - 1/2 tbsp

Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

Oil - 1/4 cup

Mustard - 1 tsp for seasoning. 

Asafoetida -1/2 tsp

For dry roast:

Mustard - 1 tsp

Cumin - 1 tsp

Fenugreek (methi) - 1 tsp

Red Chilli - 2

Preparation:

In about 6 - 8 tbsp (just enough to cook kumquats) water boil  the kumquats for about 2 mins. It becomes tender pretty quick. So keep an eye on it. Alternatively, you can add salt to the fruit and keep it aside for about 2 days. The fruit becomes tender in 2-3 days. But if we boil it in water, it becomes tender fast and the pickle will be ready in a day. 

Now when the kumquats become tender, remove from heat and let it cool. At room temperature, add salt, turmeric and red chilli powder and mix well with dry spoon and keep it aside for one day. 

Next day, dry roast fenugreek, cumin seeds, mustard red chilli until you hear the spluttering sound and grind it to fine powder. Do not burn the mustard seeds.  Mix well with the kumquats. 

Heat 1/4 cup oil and add a tsp of mustard, asafoetida and when it splutters add it to the mixture. Set aside for another day so that the kumquats soak well in spices and oil. 

You can serve it immediately or the next day. Pickles always tastes better when it soaks well in spices for atleast 2-3 days. 

Serve it with rotis or rice. Tastes really good. You can always add salt and red chilli according to your requirements. 

Sending this to Hima's Pickle/Achar/Urgayi Mela event 

See you soon ....