Hot and Sweet and Sour Inji thokku or ginger pickle is a great rice and tiffin accompaniment prepared with loads of ginger and jaggery and tamarind and red chilly powder.
6 tbspWater divided, 3 tbsps optional for soaking tamarind
3tbspJaggery
1tbspGingelly oil
5Curry leavesto garnish
Instructions
Wash and peel the ginger skin and chop them roughly. Then grind them by adding 3 tbsps of water. I got around 1.5 cups and the spice measurement is based on this quantity.
Heat the kadai and 3 tbsps of oil.
Once the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds.
As they start to splutter, add the mustard powder, methi/fenugreek powder and hing.
Fry for a minute and now add the ground ginger.
Add salt, tamarind paste and red chili powder and mix well.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and let it cook for about 10 minutes. Make sure you mix them for every minute or so.
Intially it absorbs all oil, but after some time it will slowly start to ooze oil out and comes together as a balls. (In tamil, we say thirundu varum pozhudu)
Now add the jaggery and mix well and let it cook for couple more minutes. (More we cook, more shelf life)
Add the gingelly oil and mix well and cook for couple more minutes. The right consistency is, it should come together as one big non sticky ball like below.
That’s it. Ginger pickle is ready.
Let it cool completely before refrigerating. Serve hot with rice or curd rice or any tiffin.
Notes
Ginger can be grated instead of grinding.
Adjust the red chili powder and salt according to the spiciness of ginger.
Ginger is spicy, and we are adding red chili powder, so I went with 3 tbsps of jaggery. You either reduce or increase as per your preference.
You can grind a strand of curry leaves along with ginger, and it adds more flavor to this thokku.