Kumquats are delightful little citrus fruits with sweet skins and tart and tangy flesh. You can enjoy the fruit as is or as I like it, pickled! My recipe for this sweet and spicy pickle is as follow.
Soaking ingredients
30-40 kumquats
litre water (lukewarm)
2 tsp (10 ml) bicarbonate of soda
Pickle masala mix
25 ml salt (Reduce or omit salt if your pickle masala has salt)
½ tsp (2.5ml) cumin seeds
1 tsp (5 ml) coriander seeds lightly crushed)
½ cup (125 ml) methi pickle (achar) masala
1 1/2 cups (250ml) sugar, Please see note for sugar-free & reduce sugar option
500 ml vinegar, (approximately 2 cups)
2 tbsp (30ml) corn flour
1/3 cup (80 ml) ml water
Tempering mix
1 tbsp (15 ml) sunflower oil or a little more if you like.
1 tsp (5 ml) mustard seeds
½ tsp 2.5 ml asafoetida powder
3-4 sprigs curry leaves
Instructions
Soaking
Place the kumquats in a plastic or glass bowl
Cover with lukewarm water and add the bicarbonate soda and mix through until dissolved.
Leave the fruit to soak for 20 minutes then place in a strainer, rinse under running water and drain.
Wipe the fruit with a clean kitchen towel.
How to prepare the kumquats:
Remove the green stem and slice each kumquat halfway criss cross whilst still keeping them intact. You may also just slice the fruit in halves.
Place all the cut kumquats in a large plastic or glass bowl, then sprinkle over the salt, cumin seeds, coriander seeds and fenugreek pickle masala. Try to stuff the masala in each fruit.
Toss the fruits in the bowl to ensure the spices are distributed evenly and allow to sit while you prepare the other items.
Mix the corn flour and water together.
In a large pot, bring the vinegar and sugar to a boil then add the corn flour mixture, whisking continuously to ensure there are no lumps or clumping.
After 2-3 minutes when the vinegar mixture has thickened and the corn flour is cooked, add the kumquats and cook for a further 2-3 minutes on low heat to allow the spices and vinegar to infuse, then remove from the heat.
Tempering
Heat oil in a pan, when it is nice and hot add the mustard seeds asafoetida and curry leaves.
Once the mustard seeds pop and curry leaves splatter – remove from heat.
Add the hot oil mixture to the kumquat and vinegar / corn flour mixture and mix through until it forms a thick coating.
Allow the kumquat pickle to cool before decanting into sterilized jars.
Ideally store at room temperature for 3-4 week before use. Refrigerate after use. However, it can be consumed immediately or after a week.
Notes: Reduce or omit salt if your pickle masala has salt.
Optional 2: use 1 cup (250ml) water and 1 cup (250ml) vinegar with 1 cup (250ml) sugar. The sugar can be reduced to a 1/2 cup (125ml) as well
For sugar free option substitute white cane sugar with Xylitol
For oil-free option – omit oil and add tempering ingredients along with water, vinegar and sugar.