Sweet & Spicy Dates Pickle

The last time I prepared it, I had added less spice. But this time I prepared it for a new mother, who loves spicy food & dislikes sweets. My mother-in-law had prepared something called shakti laddoo for me when I had delivered my kids..made up of Dry dates, jaggery, dry fruits & Gondh. Now since this friend doesn’t like sweets, I thought of this…and I have a feedback that she has been relishing it. :)

Ingredients:

Dates- 500 gms- Deseed

Green chillies – 2 large- finely chopped

Ginger- ½ inch- 1 inch piece – ground to Paste

Red chilly powder- 2 tbsp

Salt- to taste

Lemon Juice- 1 lemon

3 tbsp- Oil

Mustard- 1 tsp

Asafoetida- ½ tsp

Curry leaves- 15-20 pieces

Method:

1. Grind the deseeded dates in a mixer with little water.
2. Heat the oil in a heavy bottom pan, add mustard, asafetida, curry leaves.
3. Once the mustard splutters add the green chillies & Ginger paste. Fry in low flame till the raw smell goes.
4. Add the ground dates, salt to taste and cook the mixture till it starts leaving the sides of the pan. Add the lemon juice at this stage and mix again.
5. Do a taste check to see if the salt/ chilly powder/ lemon juice are all added as per your taste. Add more of these according to your taste.