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An invariable ingredient in any Indian thali is pickle and also a chutney if you are from southern part of India. The history of pickles dates back to more than 5000 years.Coming to the war of pickles and chutneys which one is the best, to arrive at a conclusion let me walk through basic science behind the preservation methods of Indian pickles and the health benefits and loss in case of excess consumption.

Why were pickles made?

Historically we know that pickles were made to:

To preserve the seasonal fruits and vegetables in salt spice and oil

This preserved food served as a substitute during summers when vegetables were not grown due to water scarcity
This was an ideal substitute to fresh vegetables and was commonly used by travellers and sailors.

Scientifically pickle in small amounts has following health benefits:

It was used as an appetizer /starter for a meal even today in traditional south Indian meal, it stimulates the digestive juices and saliva and helps in good digestion of food.

Traditionally made Indian pickles are made using coarse sea salt and though high on salt they are packed with probiotics.
The bacteria in pickles helps in growing B vitamins, and create a healthy flora in the gut and aids in digestion. These also contain antioxidant and fat soluble vitamins.
Spices used in making Indian pickles are currently the centre of attention under listed super foods for their health benefits (red peppers, black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, ginger ,garlic apart from cumin, mustard seeds,
Oils typically used are again one most sought after oils under the healthy oils banners (mustard oil, gingelly /sesame oil) which coat the vegetables and prevent decay and retain its form intact.

What is the right method to make a pickle?

Well this is completely dependent on which part of the world you live in and what are the common sources of vegetables that are pickled and spices used. Vegetables used are Raw Mango, Lime, Amla/ Indian Goose berry, Tomato, Ginger, Garlic, Carrots, Cucumber, Cauliflower, Red and Green chillies, Raw/Green Tamarind etc.

In India there are several methods used, however I have listed the most common methods used:

1. Salt coating and sun drying the pickle to remove moisture from pickle and then adding oil, salt and spices, this is done where the moisture content is high and climate is hot and humid , i.e. in costal parts of the country.

2. While the other method is cutting the vegetables and adding spices and salt and leaving the jar for 3-4 days till all the spices and salt produce a good amount of water. This is preserved added oil preferably mustard oil in north and gingelly or sesame oil in south of India. This certainly leave a tangy, pungent and spicy flavour to the pickle and the shelf life varies from 1 to 2 years.

Which is the best pickle:

Amla pickle followed by lime pickle are considered the best. Especially in South India the first few morsels of rice are consumed with ghee and Amla /lime or mango pickle as it works like an appetizer and improves digestion.

Amla extracts protects liver functioning and prevents hepatotoxicity /liver damage. Regular consumption of Amla or Indian gooseberry pickles also help in reducing ulcers, if particularly, gastric ulcers that are caused by a weakening of mucous membrane and hyperacidity.

What is the Safe amount that can be consumed on a daily basis?

Despite all the benefits of pickles as it’s said anything in excess or exaggerated proportions can be a health hazard. We need also understand that our daily sally /Sodium requirement is not more than 5 /6 gm /day and if we consider that 2-3 serving of pickle is safe meaning you are adding 10-15 gm of additional salt apart from your required dose. High sodium intake can lead to water imbalance water retention, weight gain, hypertension and greater pressure on heart as a result. While it’s not just salt alone but since these pickles are high on oil as well we need be careful in amount of pickle that we consume. Ideally ½ teaspoon of pickle that can be divided into entire day’s meal can bring in great health benefits without affecting other physiological functions in the body. Also making pickles at home will lower the possibility of high salt, oil and too many preservatives that are added in readymade pickles available in the market.

Does this mean pickles are best to be consumed in limited option, then what is the best alternative to pickles?

With our current life styles and amount of preserved and ready to eat foods we consume we certainly double the intake of sodium compared to the daily allowance. Hence it’s ideal to make home based pickles if you cannot avoid and consumed it in limited amounts. However Chutneys which are made from freshly ground vegetables and seasonal fruits and vegetables can with a dash of powdered nuts and grams can be a great appetiser and act similar to pickle and enhance the taste of the meal. You can make a chutneys with a variety of vegetables (onion, tomato, gongura, coriander leaves, mint leaves, brinjal, ridge gourd, karonda, green chillies, ginger, garlic, coconut, , puffed Bengal gram, curry leaves, cucumber, green/raw mango, drum sticks, lime, green tamarind).

Don’t overcook the vegetable, ground the vegetable in as is form to a coarse paste with green chillies (chillies are mildly toasted green chillies with oil, cumin and asafoetida) a few teaspoons of sesame seeds, black gram, Bengal gram dal, or groundnuts can enhance the flavour of the chutney and makes it more palatable. If the vegetable is low on vitamin c few teaspoon of lime juice or tamarind pulp can make it more tangy and appetising. Tampering with a spoon of oil along with cumin, mustard seeds, coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds and asafoetida (or garlic if you don’t like asafoetida) and turmeric gives the chutney the pungent flavour that we usually relish while eating pickle.

Does this mean chutneys are best options compared to pickles?

I would say yes, on condition that you are not loading the chutney with salt like we make a pickle, not using too much oil for tampering, not over cooking the vegetables and boiling a few vegetables that might lead to loss of several water soluble vitamins and minerals.

Nutritionally how healthy is a chutney?

Its Low on salt, unlike pickle
Seasonal Vegetables are used as base to make chutney and are loaded with vitamins and minerals
The chutneys are power packed with several antioxidants which are used in tampering as mentioned above.
Compared to pickle its certainly high on protein content as well, its fortified with when nuts and grams
Several super foods like green chillies, tomatoes, gourds and green leafy vegetables are part of regular chutneys.

In short chutneys can be power packed super foods, with a dose of vitamins, minerals and can be safely consumed during all meals of the day without any restriction. However the only disadvantage is has a low shelf life, a few can be stored under refrigeration for few weeks and a few for a day or two. But this is certainly the healthiest option if you can put in a little extra effort in making it in contrast to pickles.

book mark the blog for next few weeks for detailed recipes for chutneys!

Traditionally Thali is a meal usually served as lunch /dinner consisting of Rice and Roti / phulka / chapatti, Vegetable gravy curry, seasoned toasted curry (dry vegetable curry/ or chicken or egg in case of a non-vegetarian thali) Dal, Curds, fried crispies Pickle and Chutney. Amount of rice and roti varies depending on regional staple food grain. All southern and eastern states of India have rice as their staple cereal, while in North its Wheat, Maize and Bajra, in Western parts it’s a combination of rice and roti (Jowar- Sorghum vulgare), Bajra(Pennisetum typhoideum) and wheat) in 30/70 or 50/50.

However the way each recipe is cooked in different regions is strongly ruled by the crops and spices that are locally grown. Within the same region every house hold has a different way of making a recipe say for instance sambar (Lentils (masoor dal) or Red gram (turdal) cooked in plenty of water, tamarind juice, spices with one or more vegetables), I must have tasted at least thirty different versions of sambar with in Bangalore. Several of my Andhra friends complain of sweet taste of sambar in Bangalore, while Chennai friends complain of lack of spice and sourness, while Keralites want it with more pepper and chili powder for obvious reasons.

Thanks to sundry cookery shows on television, social media and boxed spice industry for not merely taking Indian food global, but has been instrumental in gradual standardisation of recipe. Especially if the person cooking is opting for ready to make spice mixes for sambar, rasam, Indian curries and several other dishes the use of the spice is well described in making of the recipe. In the coming decade I am sure at least 70 of the population would depend on packed spices or masalas and recipes might get more standardised and cooking methods more uniform across various regions. Tangentially the Indian recipes/ spices/vegetables and fruits are finding place with make overs that can sync with the foreign palate.

However I do not find this a welcome change since we miss out on the original regional traditional recipe that has survived over the years. I strongly believe in the fact that all traditional recipes which are homemade across the regions have a strong scientific base in preparing the recipe in a particular manner which balance the nutritional needs of individuals. There are several factors which rule the preparation of a particular food depending on the geographic location, vegetation, crops, soil, water sources, climate and socio-political set up.

As most of us are aware that traditional Indian recipes are cooked on a slow flame.With a combination of freshly ground spices and herbs, this method gives sufficient time for the food to absorb the essential oils from the spices and herbs and makes the dish abundant in readily available antioxidants along with the protein, carbs and fats associated with that particular food. This method is certainly losing ground as all these recipes are sliced up with new methods of fortification and easy cooking techniques. However this revised traditional dish lacks the natural flavours and wholesomeness. While it certainly gets fortified in terms of protein, fats and carbs. Decidedly the antioxidant levels of these foods certainly does not improve with the new methods adopted. The most pathetic twist ever , I have come across is the vadapav twist, noodles in place of potato vada. Imagine the refined carbs over load in this dish !

With the changing times and advances in cooking appliances we certainly save time but to retain traditional form of cooking at least let’s not mix-up global foods in our traditional recipes. Every Indian traditional recipe is a fine balance of food chemistry making every dish complete and neutral in nature and extremely nutritious and unassumingly delicious. For instance let’s look at the simplest and most popular summer recipe consumed across Indian, Mango pulp (Aam Rass) with Puri / Chapati /curd rice. We all know that Mango is rich in several anti-oxidants, fructose and several cancer fighting properties. Making a simple juice of the ripe fruit without additives is healthy , but traditionally Indians love eating Mango pulp, mixed with little ghee/ Milk and a pinch of salt along with Roti / Poori or Curd rice in Southern states.

Well let me tell you why this is more healthier than just guzzling down the mango juice thinned with water and unwanted sugar. Mango pulp is rich in sugars, vitamins and minerals and when complemented with milk or ghee (clarified butter) improves absorption of these essential nutrients without harming the gut and for easy bowel moments., compared to as is form in which the absorption is direct and you will find a spike in blood sugars. While when consumed with roti, poorie or curd rice (consumed in combination with a protein, fat and carbs combination) its absorption is slow and complete without causing any shocking changes in blood sugar levels. Hence ideally even if a diabetic loves to have a cup of mango pulp its ideal to take it along with a cereal food which will not spike the blood sugar levels as its released slowly along with complex combination of food.

This is one small and simplest example to understand the beauty of traditional methods, combination of foods and the hidden health benefits behind every recipe.

Promote traditional foods and traditional eating practices which are safest and avoid make overs of traditional foods. Globalisation of Indian foods to a certain extent is acceptable as long as the traditional methods and ingredients are used. However changing a few ingredients or adding a few more in the existing recipe will not only over load the nutritionally but also influence the digestive systems which many not be accepting it for its basic constitutional design adaptable for a particular geographic location. Like the paneer dosa, or cheese dosa.

Do we really need to eat paneer or cheese in South of India? Well the answer is No keeping in view the traditional status of the Dosa and its goodness. A traditional dosa will have good amount of ghee or oil, apart from the traditional coconut, gram chutney with chilles and tampering, potato curry and sambar, makes it a wholesome and complete meal an ideal start for a breakfast. But imagine adding double dose of fat and protein in the form of cheese and paneer will essentially spoil the balance of the entire breakfast. So eating traditional foods will not a make you fat, eating traditional food with an international twist will certainly make you feel world is round physically and mentally! If this article crosses the eyes of chefs, cooks and cooking enthusiasts request is let the original be original , remember old is gold, twist of taste may not go with the tongue and bellies of millions across the globe. Imagine making a burger with beans and bottle guard filling, will this be appreciated and liked by our burger eating nations? Answer is certainly not! Let’s not pollute our traditional foods with unwanted ingredients. However the idea behind this write up is undoubtedly not to kill your experimental approach to dish out new food varieties, concern has been regarding, adoption of food ingredients used in other parts of the world and mixing it with traditional Indian recipes. Traditional Indian foods are sacred and let us sanctify and stick to the original methods of making them, to retain its health benefits and palatability.

Tag: antioxidants

PICKLES VERSES CHUTNEYS

Division of Traditional Indian recipes and Multiplication of global ingredients in recipes = Globalization of Indian nutritious recipes and diet