Neemki | Instant Mango Pickle From Himachal Pradesh
Aruna
Neemki is a delicious, instant mango-onion pickle from the Himachal Pradesh. What I love about this vegan, gluten-free dish is the unusual flavour combination of fenugreek (methi) and carom seeds (ajwain).
Dry roast 1 tsp fenugreek seeds (methi dana) till they change colour to golden brown.
Let the fenugreek seeds cool and grind into a powder. I used a mortar and pestle to crush them to a powder.
Getting the Mustard Oil Ready
Heat the mustard oil to smoking point till it becomes colourless, and then let it cool to room temperature.
Making the Neemki
To a bowl, add 1 cup finely chopped mango pieces, 1 cup finely chopped onion, the roasted fenugreek powder, 1 tsp carom seeds (ajwain), 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp spicy red chilli powder, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder (haldi), the heated and cooled mustard oil, and salt to taste.