Irumban puli/Averrhoa Bilimbi Pickle......step-by-step.

Most houses in Kerala has atleast one irumban puli tree in the backyard. Kids love to have fresh puli with salt and chilly powder. A visit to a friend's house resulted in picking up the fresh ones (I forgot to take my cam) right from the tree....

Irumban puli is used to make squash, jams, pickles, and in fish curries....my mom even makes a thoran....After coming home I chopped them and sprinkled salt lavishly on top of it and tossed them and added salt till I felt it is right....and since I was a bit lazy to make pickle (I hate peeling garlics!!!) I left it in salt for almost a week....I  tossed or stirred it every day..infact my kids loved having them.....salty!!

Chop the puli into small pieces....thats my pretty puli getting a bit of the evening sun!!!

And this is how it looked after almost one week in salt....you can see the water has oozed out and it is slightly pale....kids loved them.

Ingredients:
Irumban puli: 1/2 kg, chopped. (Can also put in salt and make when you get the mood and time like I did)
Garlic: 3 pods, peeled and sliced.
Ginger: 2 or 3 pieces, sliced.
Kashmiri red chilly powder: 3/4 cup.
Vinegar: 1/2 to 1 cup depends upon the sourness of the puli.
Salt: As needed.

For roasting:
Hing/asafoitida: 2 or 3 fat pinch.
Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp.
Fenugreek seeds: 1/2 tsp.

For seasoning:
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp.
Fenugreek seeds: 1/2 tsp.
Curry leaves: As needed.
Oil: Gingelly oil(sesame oil): As needed.

Method:
1.In a pan dry roast mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, and hing...grind and powder them and keep aside.
2. Heat oil in a kadai and put in mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, curry leaves and let it splutter. Add the garlic, ginger, curry leaves and fry till the raw smell goes.

3. Simmer the fire and add the red chilly powder fry it till the raw smell goes. Now add 1/2 cup vinegar and let it boil

4. Add the chopped puli or the salted puli into this and add the roasted and grinded masalas and mix well. Let it boil for about a minute or two and switch off fire and bottle.

Pickle/achar is ready....store in bottles.

Enjoy with roti, rice, or just about anything!!!.