#kuruthinelli

A Spicy Indian style Pickle made with fresh Cranberries. The pickle is sweet, spicy and tart and has something for everyone.

Cranberry juice is a common juice found in my refrigerator since my son just loves it. For me, to like it beyond its tart and sour taste, would be a much acquired thing and I have not yet developed that.  During my recent trip to the local market, I found boxes of fresh cranberry and I bought them back home. I was thinking of making some fresh juice from it and I popped one in my mouth to try it out. It was so tart that the idea of juicing it completely disappeared and what came to my mind was this spicy pickle. I made this pickle the same way I did the thakkali thokku/Tomato pickle or the Apple thokku / Apple Pickle. Only difference is that I pre cooked the cranberries in water to make it mushy. The cranberries hardly took 15 minutes to become completely soft. The pickle had every quality of a good thokku. It was spicy, tart and sour and it worked great as a side for idli or dosai and not to mention, my family’s favorite Thayir saadham / Yogurt rice. I usually add roasted fenugreek powder to my pickles, but for this I did not add any because the cranberry already had enough tartness in them. Cranberries are very good for you. It is used highly to treat and prevent recurrent Urinary tract infection. It is also very low in calories and has a very high anti oxidants and nutrient contents. Native Americans used cranberries to make dyes for their clothes and blankets.

My other pickle recipes -

Thakkali Thokku Pavakkai/Bitter gourd Pickle Cut Mango Pickle/Menthiya Mangai Oorukkai Apple Thokku / Pickle Preparation time – 10 minutes Cooking time – 1 hour Difficulty level – easy

Ingredients to make Cranberry Pickle – (makes about a cup of pickle)

Cranberry – 2 cups Nallennai/Gingelly oil – 5 tbsp Mustard seeds – ½ tsp Turmeric powder – ½ tsp Red chili powder – 3 tsp (it was medium spicy) Asafetida – ¼ tsp Salt – to taste Brown sugar or jaggery – 1 tsp

Procedure to make Cranberry Pickle –

Wash and stem the cranberries. In a sauce pan add about a cup of water and whole cranberries and let it come to a boil. Simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes until the cranberries are well cooked and can be mashed with a wooden spoon. Mash the cranberries to the desired chunkiness and keep it aside.

In another pan, heat the oil and season it with mustard seeds, turmeric powder, asafetida and red chili powder. Add the cooked cranberry and mix well. Let it come to a boil and then cook in low flame until the mixture thickens and the oil floats to the top. At this stage add the salt and mix well. Let it cook for 5 more minutes and then add the brown sugar/jaggery. Mix well and once the desired consistency is reached, take it off the flame.

Transfer the pickle to a clean glass jar and store it in a dry place. Make sure that you use a clean spoon every time you take the pickle out. I had my pickle outside for almost a week and then I stored it in the refrigerator. If you are living in a warm humid place, it is advisable to store it in the refrigerator immediately.