Gooseberries and raw tamarind pickle

This pickle is speciality of Mysore region. It tastes good with anything and everything. Little ghee along with this pickle is heaven. It is very easy to make and does not contain any preservatives.

Ingredients:

•  1/2 kg Indian gooseberries or amla or bettada nallikai
• 1/2 kg unripe raw tamarind fruits or hunasekai
• 1/4 kg magali beru or swallowroots or Decalepis hamiltonii
• 1/4 kg mavinakai Shunti or mango ginger or Curcuma amada.
• Few green chillies
• Red chilli powder of your choice 300 GM's
• Mustard seeds 150 GM's
• Methi seeds or fenugreek seeds -2 tea spoon
• Solid Hing or asafoetida -1 tea spoon (Coarsely ground) (read Health Benefits of Hing or Asafoetida )
• Turmeric- 2 tea spoon
• Salt 400 GM's
• Water 3  litres

Mango Ginger or Mavinakai Shunti

Magali Beru or Swallowroot or Makali Beru

Method

1. First wash gooseberries, Swallowroots , Mango ginger, tamarind and green chillies. Spread them on a clean cloth to dry. 
2. Boil water with salt. Turn off the gas.Add tamarind to this and close the lid. Leave it to cool. This makes tamarind soft.
3. Dry roast fenugreek or methi seeds. 
4. In a mixer jar add mustard seeds, roasted methi seeds, turmeric and asafoetida and grind them to a fine powder. Add chilli powder and grind it again. Pickle masala powder is ready. 
5. Peel external skin of mango ginger and magali beru. Cut them into round slices. Remember to remove the hard fiber from the centre of swallow root or magali beru. 
6. Cut amla into medium pieces. Keep the seeds intact
7. Cut green chillies into 1 inch pieces
8. Squash the softened tamarind  in salt water till all its pulp gets into salt water. Now strain this water through a sieve to remove the fibers and seeds. Collect the juice in a big vessel. Now Tamarind juice is ready.
9. Take prepared pickle masala powder in a big mixie jar add required quantity of tamarind juice and grind it to a soft paste.
10. Mix this paste into tamarind juice and add all cut fruits and roots. Stir well to break the lumps of pickle masala paste. 
11. Store it an air tight container.

Enjoy with curds rice, dosa, idli or with freshly cooked hot rice.