mahali pickle recipe

if you're looking for a blood purifier or just something to soothe your nerves and settle your stomach, look no further than a small portion of mahali pickles. it will set your tongue on fire before settling you down, but it sure works. made from indian sarsaparilla, a root that grows in central india, mahali is a much loved south indian pickle. it is delcious with just plain yogurt but can also be a great accompaniment to upma or morkali.

sarsaparilla roots - 250 gm
chilli powder - 2 tbsp
turmeric powder - 1 tsp
salt - 2 tbsp
yogurt - 4 tbsp

soak the roots in water for 30 minutes. scrape the skin. remove the hard vein inside. cut the roots into tiny bits. add chilli powder, powdered salt and turmeric powedr. add curd and mix well. mahali is available at matunga market in bombay:



this recipe is from lifco's "how to cook" by mrs. vedavalli venkatachary. this is probably one of the cookbooks that i most frequently use. my father presented it to me when i got married. he was really worried as i had never cooked in my life and didn't even know how to make a cup of tea! i can't tell you what a saving grace this book has been. it has simple recipes for all the south indian delicacies that i grew up eating. you can buy the book directly from the publisher's website.