Dalle khursani achar (round chilli pickle)
AI-drafted · awaiting admin review
A fiery pickle of Sikkim’s GI-tagged dalle chillies preserved in mustard oil with fenugreek, mustard and salt.
Region: SikkimOccasion: Eaten in small amounts with daily mealsTime: 30 min + 1 week maturingServes: About 500 gVegan
Ingredients
- 250 g fresh dalle khursani (round chillies)
- 1 tsp fenugreek seeds
- 1 tbsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp timur (Sichuan pepper), optional
- 1 cup mustard oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar
Method
- Wash the chillies and dry them completely in the sun or with a cloth. Remove the stalks and cut each in half. Wear gloves, as they are very hot.
- Dry-roast the fenugreek and mustard seeds and grind them coarsely.
- Mix the chillies with the ground seeds, turmeric, salt and timur.
- Heat the mustard oil until it smokes, then cool it until just warm.
- Pour the oil over the chillies, add the lemon juice and pack into a clean, dry glass jar.
- Keep the jar in the sun for about a week, shaking it daily, before eating.
History
Dalle khursani is a small, round, very pungent chilli grown in Sikkim and the Darjeeling hills. It received a Geographical Indication tag as a product of Sikkim.
Significance
A little dalle pickle goes with almost every meal in Sikkim, and bottled dalle is one of the State’s best-known products sold to visitors.