This is a Sri Lankan specialty, a meal is not complete without a spoonful of this tasty sweet and spicy pickle (Malay) made with Chillies, Dates, Red Onions pickled in a mustard vinaigrette.
Ingredients
500 g of small Red Onion
1 1/2 cup of Dates
100g green chillies
1 tablespoon finely ground Mustard seeds
1 1/2 tablespoon of chilli powder
2 tablespoons of minced Ginger
4 tablespoons of Sugar
1 1/4 cup natural Coconut vinegar or any vinegar available
Salt to taste
Method
Soak the red onions in water for 15 minutes and then remove the skin. Wash the skinned onions. Wash and slit the green chillies lengthwise. Remove seeds from the dates. These are the three main ingredients to make the Malay pickle/chutney.
In to a cooking pan add ground Mustard, Sugar, Chilli Powder and minced ginger.
If you are unable to find ground mustard, make your own by grinding or pounding some mustard seeds with salt. Pour in the vinegar and let it simmer for 5-8 minutes or until the sugar dissolves over low fire. Season with salt.
Remove from fire and set aside to cool for 1 hour.
Once the pickling sauce is cool, add the onion, dates and green chillies. Do not worry about the dates being hard at this point, combine all the main ingredients with the sweet and spicy pickling sauce.
Set the pickle aside. Combine all ingredients with a wooden spoon every two hours throughout the day. Avoid refrigerating for 24 hours instead set aside and cover with a pan lid.
This will help the Malay pickle to achieve its perfect consistency which will happen as the dates dissolve and onion and green chillies soak in the pickling flavours.
For best results. do not consume for at least 24 hours but let it rest for this time period.
Store the onions and date pickle in a dry airtight container, refrigerate and use as needed.
NB: I usually use a blender - drop in the mustard seeds, salt, vinegar, chillie powder, sugar, garlic and ginger and make the sauce. Then I take a pot or stainless steel pan and boil this mixture and then add the onions, dates and chillies. Do not leave in an aluminium saucepan, either put into a stainless steel pan or plastic box to store.
To this base you can add carrots cut in strips, pineapple, beans or raw papaya. Or use for any type of vegetable to you like.
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