Puli Milagai Pachadi (Sweet Sour and Spicy Chilli Pickle)

This is a good recipe when you have more chillies than you would ever want to taste in your food. 

Makes about 2 cups.

(Serrano) Green Chillies - 200 gms

Tamarind pulp - 1/4 cup (If using tamarind - size of 2 Indian lemons)

Jaggery - 2 tbsp

Roasted fenugreek powder - 1/2 tsp

Gingelly (sesame) oil - 1 tbsp

Asafoetida - a 

pinch

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Water - 3 cups

salt - to taste (about 1.5 tsp)

Handle green chillies with latex gloves to avoid burning. Make a slit on the narrow end of the chillies. If using big American chillies, you may need to cut them into two halves with slits. 

Add sesame oil (1 tbsp) to a non reactive vessel (due to acidic nature chillies and tamarind) and let the mustard seeds sputter. 

Add the slit green chillies. Saute them until white and brown spots appear. 

Add the water, salt, tamarind and set to boil.

While boiling, add jaggery and roasted fenugreek powder.

Taste for required blend of pepper heat, sweetness and sourness and remove from fire.

Enjoy with curds and parathas.

Note:

The spice level of the dish can be adjusted by type of chillies used, by using with seeds/deseeding (traditionally cooked with seeds) and adjusting the other ingredients in proportion (tamarind. jaggery and salt)