Inji curry (Pickled ginger) - my shortcut!

Vishu has come and gone, but I cannot get over the nostalgia that day invoked...especially since I did not have much time to prepare one of my favourite things ...Inji curry.

There are many people who call this Puli Inji. Puli is tamarind and Inji is ginger. This is one dish that gets mentioned even in the `Aithihyamala' as being equivalent to 108 dishes.

Anyway, I had bought some ginger with the intention of making a Vishu Sadya, but I am finally getting round to it today. So I guess this can be mentioned as my Tuesday Toot too!!!!



Inji/ ginger - 250 gms (finely chopped)
Green chillies - 6-7 (chopped)
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 3-4 stems
Red chilli powder - 1 and 1/2 tsp
turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Hing/Asafoetida powder - a dash
Tamarind pulp - extracted from 3 lemon-sized balls
Jaggery - according to preference
Salt - to taste


Soak the finely chopped ginger in water and drain well...In a deep-bottom pan add 1 tbsp oil, when hot, add the mustard seeds. when they splutter, add the curry leaves and the ginger . Keep stirring to fry the ginger evenly till golden brown.... now add the chopped green chillies..make a paste of the red chilli powder and the turmeric powder and fry till the oil comes on top..now add the tamarind pulp and boil..add the salt, jaggery and asafoetida and take off the stove. When cool, store in an air-tight jar and keep in the fridge to last a few weeks....not that mine will last even 1 week...

I cut the pieces a bit bigger b'coz I love to bite the ginger.