Spicy carrot pickle

Source: Malouf, a new feast

Ingredients

• 1 kg (2 lb 4 oz) carrots
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 2 teaspoons mustard seeds
• 6 fresh curry leaves (or dried will do at a pinch)
• 100 ml (3 ½ fl oz) apple juice
• 200 ml (7 fl oz) cider vinegar

Spice paste

• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 3–4 small dried red chillies (depending on their heat)
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 50 g (1 ¾ oz) fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 75 g (2 ½ oz) soft brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Procedure

1. Cut the carrots into roughly 6 cm (2 ½ in) lengths, then cut into matchsticks. Set aside.
2. To make the spice paste, combine the cumin seeds and dried chillies in a mortar and grind to a fine powder. Add the salt, garlic and ginger to the mortar and continue to grind to a fairly smooth paste. Add the turmeric and sugar and mix in well.
3. Heat the oil in a wide casserole pan – a cast iron Le Creuset is ideal. Add the cumin and mustard seeds and fry for 10 seconds or until they just start to pop. Add the curry leaves and fry for 1–2 minutes, until they turn translucent. Add the spice paste and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the apple juice and vinegar and bring to a vigorous simmer. Add the carrots and stir well, so that they are all coated with the spicy liquid.
4. Lower the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 15–20 minutes, stirring every few minutes to ensure they cook evenly. By the end of the cooking time the carrots should be soft, but still retain some texture and the liquid should have reduced by about one-third.
5. Leave to cool slightly then transfer to sterilized jars and store for up to 3 months. Once opened, store in the fridge and use within 5 days.