Pickled Cauliflower

Name: Pickled Cauliflower
Ingredients: 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets, washed, pat dried, sprinkled with salt and air dried for one day; to taste, peanut or safflower oil; to taste, yellow mustard seeds; to taste, turmeric; to taste, ground cumin; to taste, ground coriander (one part coriander to one part cumin); 2 serrano peppers, sliced down the middle up to the stem; to taste, fresh lime juice

Nepal is a landlocked country. Villagers frequently have no electricity or indoor plumbing, so they are very ingenious in devising simple yet delicious dishes that will keep without refrigeration. This takes a bit of work, but it is well worth it. This will keep for a long time as long as there is enough oil to keep the cauliflower submerged.

Submitted by: Mabel from Chicago, IL

Spices

Featured in this Recipe

Ingredients

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets, washed, pat dried, sprinkled with salt and air dried for one day
to taste, peanut or safflower oil
to taste, yellow mustard seeds
to taste, turmeric
to taste, ground cumin
to taste, ground coriander (one part coriander to one part cumin)
2 serrano peppers, sliced down the middle up to the stem
to taste, fresh lime juice

Preparation Instructions:

Heat oil until hot. Pour in mustard seeds and cover immediately. After the seeds have stopped sputtering, add the spices and fry for a minute or so. Add the cauliflower and fry for a minute or so. Pour the cauliflower with the oil and spices into a heavy jar or container.

Pour in the lime juice. Throw in the serrano peppers. Heat more oil and pour on top. Add enough hot oil so that no vegetables are exposed. Cover tightly. Allow the jar to sit in a sunny area if available. This helps in the pickling process.

The cauflower will become sour and spicy but remain crunchy. Shake the jar once in a while to redistribute the spices.

Helpful Hints

Radishes cut into thick strips also make a great pickle. Prepare as for the cauliflower to remove as much moisture as possible before frying.