Anaheim Pepper / Italian Pepper Pickle

Anaheim / Italian pepper, is popularly known as "Bajji milagai" down south. As the name indicates, this is most used to make stuffed green chilli bajji. For want of variety, I attempted at making a pickle of these amazing looking chillis. Wow, my experiment clicked. So, here it is, my recipe for chilli pickle.

Ingredients:

• Italian Pepper / bajji milagai   : 250 gms / ~ 25 numbers

• Tamarind   / Imli / Puli           : Small Lemon size soaked in water

• Coriander / Dhaniya powder    : 1 tspn

• Turmeric Powder                    : 1/2 tspn

• Red Chillie powder                  : 2 tspn

• Jaggery / Gud / Vellam           : 1 tspn

• Salt                                       : Per taste

• Mustard / Rai / Kadugu          : 1 tspn powdered (Dry fry it and powder)

• Feenugreek / Methi /Vendhayam: 1.5 tspn powdered (Dry fry it and powder)

• Gingely Oil / Nallenai / til oil  : 2-4 serving spoon (small sized) 

Procedure:

1. Wash, dry and slit the chillis, remove the seeds and cut into small pieces 
2. In a kadai (pan), add enough oil. As soon as it warms, add the turmeric powder, coriander powder, and chilli powder 
3. Immediately, add the diced chilli. Just fry it for a few seconds. Keep checking if the oil level is enough to cook the pickle. The chillis will start shrinking as they get cooked
4. At this point, add the tamarind juice (just enough to add a tangy taste and balance the chilli's spice)
5. To this mix, add salt
6. Keep stirring from time to time. Cook it till the chilli shrinks and starts leaving out oil
7. Before removing from fire, add the jaggery powder and stir it a few seconds 
8. Remove from fire, and add the Mustard and Feenugreek powder
9. Cool it and store it 
10. Server it with rice, idli, dosas, or any other snacks / breakfast menus including Upmas / Pohas etc

Tips: 

• The powders will lose its raw smell easily if added to the warm oil; also, the chilli powder in the warm oil will give a good red color.

• Adding jaggery powder will balance the tangy and spicy tastes in the pickle.

• Use of oil is your choice. If limited oil is used, then its best to refrigerate it. 

• If refrigerated and used with proper care (away from water etc), this can be stored for weeks