Mixed Vegetable-Water Pickle

This is one of Delhi's most popular winter pickles. Large glass jars of this pickle are often sold at street corners. An assortment of fresh winter vegetables, fresh green garlic in tangy mustard flavoured water makes my mouth water just to think of it. Special "black" carrots available in winter enrich the colour of the "water" in this pickle to a glorious beet colour. Unable to find the bleeding "black" carrots, I have substituted them with ordinary red carrots. I often replenish the vegetables in this pickle as they get eaten. Fresh green peppercorns with their stalks can be added if they are in season. This pickle stays well for 8 to 10 days. It will get sour as time passes, you may need to add some sugar as that happens. One way to slow its deterioration is to refrigerate it.

Storage upto 10 days: At room temperature.
Preparation Time: 10 mins.
Maturing Time: 1 to 2 days.
Cooking Time: 5 mins.
Makes 4 cups.
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1 cup carrot jullienes
1 cup cauliflower florets
1/2 cup shallots (madras onions)
3 to 4 green peppercorns with stalks (optional)
4 tbsp chopped fresh green garlic (hara lehsun) or garlic cloves, peeled
2 tbsp split mustard seeds (rai na kuria)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
2 tbsp chilli powder
8 to 10 black peppercorns (kalimirch)
3 tsp nigella seeds (kalonji)
1 tsp asafoetida (hing)
2 tsp split fenugreek seeds (methi na kuria)
1 tbsp salt

1. You can add 1 teaspoon of sugar to the pickle, if it becomes sour.