Lashun ka Achar (Indian Garlic Pickle)

Ingredients:

60ml (¼ cup) mustard oil
130g (1 cup/3 heads) garlic cloves, peeled
1 tsp mustard seeds (black or yellow)
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
2 tsp fennel seeds
2 tsp nigella seeds (kalonji)
½ tsp ground turmeric
⅛ tsp asafoetida (hing)
2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
2 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp cider vinegar (or white vinegar)

3 tbsp mustard oil at room temperature (to cover the pickle)

Method:

One tip for peeling the garlic, separate the cloves then place in a bowl of hot water. Cover with a plate and set aside for 30 minutes. After this time drain and peel the garlic… the skins will come off easily now.

Arrange the peeled garlic cloves on a plate or baking tray and allow to air dry until completely dry (any water will spoil the final pickle).

If the garlic cloves are large, chop them in half, otherwise you can keep them whole. Also slice off and discard of the parts of the garlic cloves that may have brown spots or marks.

Combine the mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds in a spice grinder or clean coffee grinder. Render to a fairly coarse blend (do not process to a fine powder), turn out onto a plate and set aside.

Once the garlic cloves are prepared and completely dried, heat the mustard oil in a frying pan over medium heat. As soon as the oil is hot, reduce the heat to its lowest setting then add the prepared garlic cloves.

Stir well to mix with the oil then fry for 3-4 minutes until a pale golden brown all over (do not over-cook the garlic cloves or they will become tough). Take the pan off the heat and set aside to cool.

Whilst the mustard oil is cooling stir in the ground mustard seed and fenugreek seed mixture. Stir well to combine then add the fennel seeds and nigella seeds. Again, stir to combine then add the ground turmeric, asafoetida, Kashmiri chilli powder and sea salt.

Once thoroughly combined allow to cool completely then stir in the vinegar.

Using a dry metal spoon transfer pickle to a clean, dry, sterilized glass or ceramic jar. Top up the jar with more mustard oil (about 3 tbsp) to ensure that the garlic cloves are completely submerged.

Cover with a lid, ensuring it’s tightly closed then place the garlic pickles in a sunny spot and allow to mature for 2-3 days. Lightly shake the jar every day without opening the lid.

Once the garlic has matured, place the jar in a dark, dry place. At room temperature, this garlic pickle stays good for about 2 weeks. After two weeks, transfer any leftovers to the refrigerator. It will keep good for about a month.

If the top oil layer is removed as you eat the pickles, add 1 to 2 tbsps of mustard oil again to cover the top layer. This will prevent the cloves from coming into contact with air and spoiling.

Make sure to remove the pickle with a clean dry spoon every time. Do not add water logged spoon into the pickle.

Serve about ½ to 1 tsp of the garlic pickle per person with any Indian main course meal.