Ambazhanga ( Hog Plum) Pickle

Overview
A special kind of plum grown in Kerala and many parts of Asia. In Kerala usually it is eaten when it is green and raw and typically to make pickles or as a souring agent. It has a sour taste kind of like fresh green mangoes. Though grown in tropical places one of our friends had grown this in big pot at their place and during winter they bring it inside. When I visited them they gave me some fresh Ambazhanga so had to try this pickle which is one of my favorite pickles.

Ambazhanga(Hog Plum) Pickle Ingredients

Ambazhanga Pickle

Ingredients
Ambazhanga cleaned and cut into small pieces - 2 1/2 cups
Garlic  - 10 cloves finely chopped
Ginger 2 inch piece finely chopped
Green chilly - 4 finely chopped
Curry leaves - 3 sprigs
Whole Red Chilly 4 - 5 broken into pieces
Kashmiri chilly powder - 3 tablespoons
Mustard seed powder - 1 tablespoon
Fenugreek - 1 tablespoon
Asafoetida powder 1 teaspoon
Vinegar - 1/4 cup
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Whole mustard seeds  - 1 tablespoon
Oil - 4 tablespoons
Salt to taste

Steps
1. Mix the cleaned and cut Ambazhanga pieces with salt. Mix well and keep aside overnight or for 2 - 3 days.
2. Mix the Chilly powder, turmeric powder and Mustard seed powder and keep aside.
3. Dry roast the fenugreek seeds and grind to a smooth powder and keep aside.
5. Heat oil in heavy bottom pan. When the oil gets hot add the mustard seeds. After the seeds splutter add the whole red chilly pieces and fry few minutes and add the curry leaves.
6. Add the finely chopped green chilly, garlic and ginger to this and saute till the garlic is light brown.
7. Add the chilly powder  mixed with turmeric and mustard powder to this and keep stirring on low flame still the raw taste of chilly powder goes away and a nice aroma of roasted chilly powder comes.
8. Add the vinegar mixed with 1/4 cup water to this and mix well. Add the sliced Ambazhanga to this along with the fenugreek seed powder and asafoetida powder. Mix well and bring this to a boil. Adjust salt as needed and turn off heat.
9. Let it cool to room temperature Transfer to a clean pickle jar.

Serve with any Rice or Indian Breads.