Bilimbi ( Birmi Karmbal ) Dry Pickle - konkani recipe.

Bilimbi fruit is called Birmi Karmbal in Kochi Konkani.Birmi Karmbal is also known as Bimbul in Konkani.Bilimbi dry pickle is a Konkani style lip smacking and mouth watering hot pickle made with Bilimbi fruit (Birmi Karmbal) and other spice powders.

Bilimbi Fruit/ Birmi Karmbal

The following ingredients are needed for preparing Bilimbi (Birmi Karmbal) Dry Pickle.

Ingredients:-

Bilimbi fruit            -1kg medium size and firm
Salt.                       - to taste.
Hing powder.         -1tsp
Mustard seeds.     - 1tbsp
Fenugreek/ Methi. -1tsp
Red chilly powder. -5 tbsp
Gingely oil.            -1/4 cup

Instructions:-

Wash and pat dry the Bilimbi fruits with a clean cloth. Slice the Bilimbi fruits vertically into four pieces and keep aside.

Apply little Salt on the sliced Bilimbi pieces and keep them on a plastic sheet to sun dry for two three days.Daily mix the Bilimbi slices to nicely coat with Salt.

In a pan dry roast Mustard seeds and Fenugreek seeds seperately for a second and remove from flame. Do not over roast. Grind the roasted ingredients into a fine but little coarse powder and keep aside.

Dry heat 2tsp Salt in a pan for a second and remove from flame and keep aside.


Method:-

Heat Gingely oil in a wide bottom non stick pan and add the marinated, sun dried slices of Bilimbi fruits and saute well in oil for a minute on low flame or till the water if any evaporates.

Add 2 tsp dry heated Salt and mix well.Saute well continuosly till the Salt mix with the Bilimbi slices.

Lower the flame and add Red Chilly powder. Mix well and stir continuously till the Red chilly powder well coated with the Bilimbi slices.

Switch off the flame and add the ground Mustard seeds powder and Fenugreek powder and mix well until the spice powders well blended with the Bilimbi slices.

Add Hing powder and mix with Bilimbi slices coated with  theMasala powders.

When completely cooled pour 2tbsp Gingely oil over the Bilimbi pickle and mix well.

Now Bilimbi (Birmi Karmbal) dry pickle is ready to use.Can start using this Bilimbi dry pickle from first day.

Transfer the Bilimbi dry pickle in a clean,sun dried,air tight glass bottle.

This Bilimbi dry pickle will lasts for a year or more.

Always use clean and dry spoon to scoop out the Bilimbi dry pickle from the glass bottle for better shelf-life.

Try this recipe and enjoy the real taste of Bilimbi (Birmi Karmbal) dry pickle.