A pickle which is so delicious and can be preserved for months together. Once it’s aged, it taste like meat pickle.
Ingredients required:
• Tender Banana stem* cut in 1/2 inch size diced 2 cups• Sesame oil 2 tbsp• Mustard seeds 1 tsp• Garlic cloves sliced 2 tbsp• Ginger 1″ length finely chopped• Red chilli powder 2 tsps• Turmeric powder 2 tsp• Kashmiri chilli powder 1 tsp• Roasted fenugreek powder 1/2 tsp• Asafoetida 1 tsp• White vinegar 1 tbsp• Curry leaves 3 sprigs• Kosher salt as required
Soak banana stem in turmeric water solution for about 30 minutes. Rinse it several times and while every rinse, try to remove any strings/thread on it. Drain and allow to dry. Always look out for tender stem as there will be very less strings compared to large matured banana stem.
Heat a pan over medium flame and pour oil. Once the oil is hot, add mustard. Once mustard starts sputtering,add the remaining ingredients garlic, ginger and curry leaves. Saute till raw aroma from garlic and ginger is gone. Add chilli powder and saute for another 3 minutes. Now add the banana stem, mix well. Add vinegar and required salt to it. Stir it thoroughly cover the pan and cook for about 10 minutes. There is no need to add any water as water gets released from banana stem. Once done, switch off the flame. Add fenugreek powder, asafoetida and mix well. Check for salt. Allow it to cool and transfer it to an airtight glass bottle or to a porcelain bharani. Should you require to preserve it for a long period, ensure that sesame oil is heated(just make it lukewarm)in order to get oil aroma released. Once cooled, pour over the pickle. This oil layering avoid formation of any fungus on top of the pickle.
Happy cooking!
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