This Star Gooseberry Pickle is an easy pickle that is made with tart star gooseberries, spices, salt and sesame oil. The pickle recipe does not need any sunlight.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 15 minutes
  • Cook time: 5 minutes
  • Total time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 500 · 500 grams
  • Category: Condiment, Side Dish
  • Cuisine: Indian, Kerala

Ingredients

  • 400 grams star gooseberries
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons red chili powder (or cayenne pepper)
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • ¼ cup rock salt ((edible and food grade) or regular salt, add as required)
  • ½ cup sesame oil (- Indian sesame oil made with raw sesame seeds one and not the South Asian one made with toasted sesame seeds)
  • 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
  • 1 teaspoon asafoetida ((hing))

Method

  1. Firstly, rinse the star gooseberries in water. Dry them with a kitchen napkin. There should be no trace of moisture on them. If they are large in size, then chop them and remove the seeds.
  2. Take them in a large bowl. Add the red chili powder, turmeric powder and rock salt. Mix very well.
  3. In another pan, heat the sesame oil. Add the mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds and allow them to splutter.
  4. Then, add the asafoetida. Stir and switch off the heat.
  5. Set the pan aside and let the oil cool completely at room temperature. Later pour the cooled oil over the gooseberries marinated with the spices. Mix very well.
  6. Spoon the pickle in a sterilized jar.
  7. Close tightly with a lid and keep the pickle in a dry corner of your kitchen for 7 days.
  8. After every 2 to 3 days, give the pickle bottle or jar a good shake or a stir with a clean dry spoon.
  9. The Star Gooseberry Pickle will be ready in 7 days.
  10. Once the pickle is ready, keep in the refrigerator or at room temperature.
  11. In cold climates, you can keep the pickle outside. In hot and humid climates, refrigerate the pickle. Serve Star Gooseberry Pickle with any Indian meal of your choice or with stuffed paratha.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.