I’ve longed for baby mango pickle to complement south Indian meals forever. And wondered about a good Canadian substitute till a friend’s visit yesterday when realization hit home  Baby or crab apple hanging lusciously on branches right at my doorstep. A quick text to my lovely neighbour for permission & handfuls of the apples came home for baby apple pickle. Don’t you love the marigold in my pix that bloomed just in time for Canadian thanksgiving.

Method

1. Remove stem, blossom ends from apples.
2. Wash apples and thoroughly wipe dry.
3. Dry roast fenugreek seeds in pan and then grind to powder. Set aside.
4. Heat oil in pan. Add mustard seeds, when they splutter, add hing & cayenne pepper.
5. Add whole apples to spice mix and stir fry till apples are lightly soft.
6. Add salt to taste. Finally add roasted ground fenugreek and then remove pan from fire.
7. Let cool and then pour into clean jar.
8. Here’s my pickle waiting to cool off.

SOS Fenugreek is what lends this pickle its distinctive southern taste and dry roasting brings out its inner qualities so do take the time to add this spice to the pickle.

Health benefits
There is very little written about crab apples. I would hazard a guess that the deep red colour indicates anti oxidants and the tartness a sign of vitamin C.

Fun facts

Here’s the tree we harvested yesterday. Its hard to find crab apples in store so your only option may be to pick some from your friend’s yard. Just offer them a portion of your baby apple pickle and they are bound to be in pickle nirvana and will never say no to your requests to harvest these delicious fruits. And if, dear reader you don’t have access to these fruits never fear, you can duplicate my recipe with grated green apples too for a similar taste effect.

Suggested Pairing
Try this pickle with any Indian cereal or even by itself. I’ll share recipes on Indian cereals as soon as I get a batch of my childhood best friend’s home made cereal. I hear that batch is on its way from the Unites States and should reach me soon. Can’t wait to share her recipe with you. Hope you enjoyed this innovative recipe. I’d love to hear how you make pickle or what creative substitutes you are able to bring to the table.