Lime pickle without oil - my Aji's recipe

This is one of my favourite pickles that I had growing up as a child. I have very sweet memories of my grandmother making this every summer and keeping the pickle jar on the terrace that soaked the sun and cooked slowly into a spicy-tangy preserve.
Try it, maintain it and you'll love the fruits of your patience, not efforts - since it requires none!
This doesn't have any oil like many other fresh pickles require.

Ingredients:
6 limes - quartered
8 lime juice
4 tsp salt
3 tsp red chilly powder(adjust based on how spicy you want)
1 tsp turmeric powder
1.5 tbsp sugar
1 tsp roasted cumin powder
2 tsp asafoetida powder

Method:
1. In a clear glass jar, mix the lime juices with salt, sugar, red chilly powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder and asafoetida powder. Shake well.
2. Add the quartered lime wedges to the juice and shake well.

Maintenance:
1. For first 15-20 days try to keep the jar in sun for two-three hours. Shake the jar every day.
2. After 20 days, leave the jar on the kitchen counter and shake every few days.

Fresh pickle should be ready to eat in a month.

Pickle after two years of preservation

If you want it to be well preserved, you can even leave the pickle in a cool place in your pantry for up to two-three years. These old pickles taste the best and have the most wonderful textures. And kids love it!! Try it - it'll hardly take 10 minutes of your time today ;)

Haaq - Palak ka shorba

This is a classic Kashmiri dish that my father used to make for me on cold days - for a quick and light meal. This recipe is one of my favourite but you can tweak it to increase or decrease the spice you like. Another important thing to note here is the use of whole spices. That gives this dish a whole new level of flavour and aroma.
The recipe below serves one with hot saffron rice or as a side to good grilled meat!

Ingredients:
Bunch of spinach
Some cinnamon
Some whole black pepper corns
Half dry red chilly
One cardamom pod
Some cumin seeds
Two cloves
Salt to taste
Pinch of sugar
1 tsp clarified butter(ghee)
1-1/2 cup water



Method:
1. In a pan, heat some ghee, then add all the whole spices and roast for some time.
2. Then add water and boil that for 1 minute.

3. Add salt and sugar.
4. Then add spinach and blanch for 4-5 minutes.

5. Serve haaq with steaming rice or grilled meat.

Asian salad with grilled cottage cheese

This is another party pleaser salad that can be converted to a grilled chicken salad anytime based on the people it is serving! Marinade for the cottage cheese and chicken remains the same.

Ingredients:
Salad
1 head of Romaine lettuce(or salad leaves of your choice)
Fat bunch of cilantro - used as a major salad leaf for flavour
Couple of Radishes - sliced
Couple of Cucumbers - diced
Some spring onions - sliced
One carrot - cut into julians
One red bell pepper - cut into julians
Handful of mint - cut into julians
Quarter red cabbage - thinly sliced

Dressing
Some toasted sesame oil
Some peanut oil(or vegetable oil of your choice)
1-2 lime juices(this is the main ingredient of the dressing)
Some dark soya sauce
Some smooth peanut butter
Some Chinese hot sauce(optional)
Grated ginger
Salt
Black pepper
Little honey for balance

Marinade
Some grated ginger
Generous dollop of honey(for caramelization)
Some peanut oil
Some soya sauce
Salt
Black pepper
Some red chilly powder
Generous amount of lime juice

Method:
1. First thing is to get all the marinade ingredients in a zip lock bag and soak cottage cheese or chicken pieces in it. Leave it aside for at least 30 minutes(up to overnight).
2. After 30 minutes, grill the cottage cheese for a couple of minutes on each side on a hot griddle(or cook the chicken until done).
Note: If you are using the cottage cheese - I'd recommend putting the cheese back in the marinade so it can keep absorbing the marinade and stay moist till you use it.
3. In a bowl whisk together the ingredients for dressing. Mix with the vegetables and salad leaves in it.
4. Cut the grilled cheese or chicken diagonally and garnish the salad.

Serving suggestion - right before serving add some lime on top of the salad to enhance the flavour.

Fiddlehead fern and beans salad with cherries

Enjoy this refreshing and novel salad on a nice summer day!

Ingredients:

Fiddlehead fern

Crisp beans

Handful of Spinach

Some micro greens of your choice

Sweet cherries

Olive oil

Lemon juice

Salt

Pepper

Some sugar(optional)

Parmesan cheese

Method:

1. In a pan, roast fiddlehead ferns and beans with some oil until they are a bit tender and browned from outside.

2. To make the dressing, whisk olive oil, lemon juice, salt, sugar and pepper.

4. Coat the salad leaves and roasted veggies with the dressing and serve with cherries.

5. Add some grated Parmesan for extra flavour.