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Spicy carrot pickle

Makes around 4 small-ish jars

This is very favourite pickle of ours that seems to go with just about everything. We think you’ll find it’s addictive;

we’ve been known to finish a jar in one sitting.

1 kg (2 lb 4 oz) carrots

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

2 teaspoons mustard seeds

6 fresh curry leaves (or dried will

do at a pinch)

100 ml (3 . fl oz) apple juice

200 ml (7 fl oz) cider vinegar

Spice paste

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

3–4 small dried red chillies

(depending on their heat)

1 teaspoon sea salt

5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

50 g (1 ¾ oz) fresh ginger, peeled

and roughly chopped

1 teaspoon turmeric

75 g (2 ½ oz) soft brown sugar

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Cut the carrots into roughly 6 cm (2 ½ in) lengths, then cut into matchsticks. Set aside.

 

To make the spice paste, combine the cumin seeds and dried chillies in a mortar and grind to a fine powder. Add the salt, garlic and ginger to the mortar and continue to grind to a fairly smooth paste. Add the turmeric and sugar and mix in well.

 

Heat the oil in a wide casserole pan – a cast iron Le Creuset is ideal. Add the cumin and mustard seeds and fry for 10 seconds or until they just start to pop. Add the curry leaves and fry for 1–2 minutes, until they turn translucent. Add the spice paste and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the apple juice and vinegar and bring to a vigorous simmer. Add the carrots and stir well, so that they are all

coated with the spicy liquid.

 

Lower the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 15–20 minutes, stirring every few minutes to ensure they cook evenly. By the end of the cooking time the carrots should be soft, but still retain some

texture and the liquid should have reduced by about one-third.

 

Leave to cool slightly then transfer to sterilized jars and store for up to 3 months. Once opened, store in the fridge and use within 5 days.

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