Rai Wala Marcha

Have you ever visited chilli pepper fields. I did last week before coming back to the US. Vivekbhai, my cousin's friend is the owner of these huge fields near Vangaon, border of Gujarat and Maharashtra where he produces bell peppers of various color, green chillies of different kind, and other fruits and veggies to export them to various parts of the world. They are all of best quality and taste, and produced in a controlled environment. It was a great experience. I have grown bell peppers and chilli peppers in my backyard, but this was totally different. While we were visiting the fields, I could just think of various recipes I could make with these flavorful peppers. :) We came back home with bag full of goodies! Below are few pictures for you to enjoy.

Since I was about to leave India and come back home, I could not have brought fresh produce. But I thought of bringing back some pickled green chillies for my husband. Also, I found my Great Grand Mother's traditional pickling jar which I wanted to bring back with me. What a wonderful way of using it...pickling fresh picked peppers in a 100 year old jar!

Chilli peppers can be pickled using different recipes, but Gujarati families enjoy it the most with crushed mustard. Delicious, tangy, mustardy, green peppers or Rai wala Marcha as we call it are a great accompaniment with any recipe especially parathas and theplas.

Ingredients:

5 cups cut green chillies (semi hot green chillies)

1 cup crushed mustard (for pickling) (rai na kuria)

1/3 cup salt

1 tbsp. turmeric

1 tsp. hing

1+1/2 cup mustard oil (or oil of your choice)

Juice of 3 lemons

Slit green chillies and remove the seeds and veins. Cut into 1 inch pieces.
Whisk salt, mustard, lemon juice, turmeric, hing, and mustard oil together for 7-8 minutes.
Mix cut green chillies well in the mustard mixture such that the filling goes in the green chillies.
Fill in the clean jar and let it rest at least for a day to eat.
Serve with paratha or thepla.

Wash and dry green chillies.