Spicy Veg Pickles

Dear brilliant folks at Sacred Chow ~

I absolutely adore your restaurant and in particular the pickled veggies.

I searched high and low online for a recipe similar to the one I'd expect you make, but was unsuccessful.

Might you be willing to share the recipe?

I promise I'll only cook it and eat it and give credit to Sacred Chow whenever friends ask about the delicious dish, and will never post it online or anything like that...

I look forward to hearing from you.

Thanks,

Your loyal and devoted customer,
Tzivya

Hi Tzivya,

Thanks for the kind words. Flattery will get you everywhere. I'll post the recipe to our blog as well, so you can share it with your friends who want to know how you made it.

6 Cups Water
1 1/2 Cups Vinegar
1/4 cup Salt
2 TB Garlic, Chopped
3/4 Cups Sugar
2 Jalapeno chiles, sliced

That's the brine. What you do is get it on the stove, and let it come to a full, rushing boil, and make sure that all the sugar and salt is completely dissolved. Then, turn off the heat, and let it chill in the fridge overnight, until it's cold. This is what ensures that you don't cook the vegetables going into the pickling brine. Do not, under any circumstances, try to add the veg when the brine is hot. This will only result in tears.

Then, you can use any vegetable you have handy: radish, cauliflower, bell pepper, cucumber, green tomato, or any others that your imagination can come up with. If you want to, you can also add 1/2 teaspoon of coriander seeds, and a 1/4 teaspoon of mustard seeds, but that's not strictly required. We don't do all that, and the pickles are still delicious, because you can taste the flavour of the vegetable without the brine overpowering it.

Let the pickles sit in the cold brine for at least 3 days (if you can resist). If you absolutely must have a taste, wait for 24 hours, and then give it a shot. Of course, if you prefer a less spicy version, feel free to cut back on the chiles, remove the seeds, or omit them entirely.

The recipe scales up and down beautifully, so feel free to cut it in half, or double it.

Hope you enjoy it. If you do end up making a batch, please take a picture, and send it along! We'd love to show it to others.