AI-generated image
Mother-in-law pickle
Mother-in-law: fiery Trinidadian mixed vegetable and mango pickle
Its name is a joke about its sharp tongue: mother-in-law is a crunchy, vinegary, blazing-hot pickle of carrot, cucumber, christophene, green mango and scotch bonnet, made in south Trinidad and passed round at limes, weddings and Sunday lunch. It cuts through rich curries and fried food beautifully. The common mistake is chopping the vegetables in big chunks, which stay raw and never take on the brine; aim for small, even dice. Wear gloves for the peppers. Chef's tip: let it sit for a full day before eating; the heat spreads and the vinegar softens the edges of the vegetables.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 16
Ingredients
- 1 green (unripe) mangopeeled, cut into 1 cm dice
- 1 carrotcut into small dice
- 1 cucumberseeded and diced
- 1 small christophene (chayote)peeled and diced (or extra cucumber)
- 1 small oniondiced
- 4 scotch bonnet peppersfinely chopped, seeds in
- 4 cloves garlicsliced
- 6 leaves chadon beni (culantro)chopped (or coriander)
- 1 cup white vinegar
- ½ cup water
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Wearing gloves, mix 1 green (unripe) mango, 1 carrot, 1 cucumber, 1 small christophene (chayote), 1 small onion, 4 scotch bonnet peppers, 4 cloves garlic and 6 leaves chadon beni (culantro) in a large glass bowl.
Step 2: Bring 1 cup white vinegar, ½ cup water, 2 tsp salt and 1 tsp sugar to the boil in a small pan, stirring until the salt dissolves, then let it cool until just warm.
5 minStep 3: Pour the brine over the vegetables and stir. Pack into clean jars so the vegetables sit under the liquid.
Step 4: Close and refrigerate for at least 24 hours before eating. It keeps for 2 weeks in the fridge; the vegetables should stay crunchy.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 25 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 5 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does mother-in-law pickle take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 5 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 16 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of carrot?
- Parsnip or sweet potato, same weight.
- What can I use instead of cucumber?
- Courgette, same weight (in salads, use young ones).
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Vegan nuoc cham
Nước chấm is the dipping sauce that goes with almost everything in Vietnam: spring rolls, bánh xèo, noodle salads and broken rice. Buddhist vegetarian cooks, all over the country, make it without fish sauce, using light soy sauce and a little coconut water for the deep, rounded taste. It should be thin, clear and pale amber, with flecks of garlic and chilli floating on top. Chef's tip: dissolve the sugar in the warm water first, then add the lime and soy, and stir in the garlic and chilli last, pounded with a pinch of sugar, so they float on the surface instead of sinking.
Vietnamese
Mint and onion chutney
Onions fried gently until soft and sweet, then blended with fresh mint, green chilli and lemon juice. It's a mellow, fresh-tasting chutney that is great with bhajias, samosas, kebabs and tikka, or spread in sandwiches.
Indian
Sour cream dip
A simple, tangy dip made with thick home-made cottage cheese (hung yogurt) or ready-made sour cream, seasoned with garlic, chilli, black pepper and vinegar. Serve it cold with crisps, nachos and jacket potatoes. The book's other dips use this as their 'sour cream'.