Spicy Apple pickle salad and apple thokku

Now is the season for fresh apples ripe from the tree, your local orchard or grocery store/farmers market.

Nothing like biting into a fresh apple. But consuming fresh fruits is not for everyone. Let us make it interesting and spice the fruit up!! After all  "AN APPLE A DAY KEEPS THE DOCTOR AWAY"

I have posted 2 kinds of spicy recipes.One cooked and other one fresh like a salad kind. In south India we use this process with raw mangoes. The secret behind this is that the apple has to be crispy, and  little sour. So i recommend Granny smith which is perfect for pickle.

Apple pickle salad

Ingredients:

Granny smith apple : 2

Chilly powder: 1 tsp

Hing/Asafoedita: 1/2 tsp

Mustard seeds: 1 tsp

oil: 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

• 
  
  Wash and cut the apples into small pieces.
• 
  
  Add some salt, chilly powder, hing on the top. Dont mix now.
• 
  
  heat a small sauce pan on the stove and add the oil.
• 
  
  When the oil is hot add the mustard seeds and let is splutter.
• 
  
  pour the hot oil with the seasoning on top the spices(salt, chilly and hing heap). this kind of cooks the spices instantly.
• 
  
  now shake the container from bottom to top so the spices mix evenly.

Serve this with rice or roti. Can be served immediatey if liked crispy or can be let it marinate for couple of hours which softens the apple a bit.

Serves 4.

Apple Thokku

Granny smith apple - 2

chilly powder - 2 tsp

turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

hing - 1/2 tsp

oil - 4 tsp

mustard seeds- 1 tsp

salt to taste

• 
  
  First grate the apples with skin.
• 
  
  place a sauce pan on the stove and heat the oil
• 
  
  add the mustard seeds and let it splutter.
• 
  
  add the hing
• 
  
  now add the grated apple and let is cook until it becomes translucent.
• 
  
  add the trumeric, salt and chilly powder.
• 
  
  Keep saueting it until all the water evaporates. and the thokku comes to thick consistency like cooked grits.

This can be stored in a container in fridge for a week and can be served as side for rice, roti and bread.

I like this on my toast/sandwich when craving for spicy food. Remember to let the water evaporate and the oil oozes out which helps to keep it fresh for longer shelf life.