Bird’s Eye Chilies in Brine
A hot and tangy medicinal pickle for gourmets, cholesterol and obesity patients alike.
Servings Prep Time
40servings 10minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
15minutes 1week
Servings Prep Time
40servings 10minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
15minutes 1week
Ingredients
  • 150gm bird’s eye chilies(pigeon eye chilies / Thai chilies / kanthari mirsange in Konkani / kanthari mulake in Malayalam)
  • 400gm lemons or limes(green or ripe)
  • 70gm salt
  • 500ml water
Instructions
  1. Chop the lemons / limes to bits of any size you like and set aside.
  2. Pour the water into a pan and set on high heat.
  3. Tip in the salt. Stir till it dissolves.
  4. As soon as the brine starts to boil, tip in the lemon / lime pieces and stir.
  5. Once it starts to boil again, turn down the heat and let simmer for 10 minutes.
  6. Now turn up the heat and chuck in the chilies. Stir and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and let cool naturally.
  7. When cool, transfer to a clean, airtight, sun-dried glass jar and store in a cool dry place for a week for resting. Once you start using the pickle, take care to store it in your refrigerator.
  8. Serve with hot porridge, cherupayar kanji, gruel or with rice. While eating, squeeze the lemon and chili together into the thick brine with your fingers and lick up small quantities in between bites. When one is down with the flu, and the mouth feels tasteless, this simple pickle brings back one’s appetite. It’s very aroma will make your mouth water.
Recipe Notes

Ayurvedic physicians generally advice cholesterol patients and obese people to take two or three birds eye chilies a day with meals. Persons who do not like the heat are asked to simply swallow them with rice or with water.