Ambate(Amte) Kayi Uppinakayi(Pickle)

Ingredients:
50 Ambate(Amte) Kayi / Hog Plum / Ziziphus Mauritiana / Ber
3 - 4 cups of coarse Salt
6  cups of Water

3 cups(around 50) Red Chillies 

Grape sized Asafetida or 1/2 tsp Asafetida powder

1 tsp Cumin seeds

1.5 tsp Fenugreek seeds

10 - 12 Black Pepper

3 - 4 tsp Mustard seeds (Preferred: Small one)

Few pieces of dried Turmeric or 1 tsp Turmeric powder

Recipe:
Clean and wipe the ambates using a clean cotton cloth.

Sun dry the ambates for about 2-3 hours and mash them into pieces as shown in the picture below.

Put around 3 cups of water, 1 cup of salt in a vessel and bring it to boil. Add mashed ambates, bring it to boil and cook well. Put around 3 cups of water and around 2 cups salt in another vessel, bring it to boil and keep it aside until it comes to room temperature.

Drain the water content and spread the ambates in a clean dry cotton cloth as shown in the picture below.

Wash the red chillies and sun dry it for about 4-5 days. Wash the mustard seeds and sun dry it for about 4-5 days.

Put red chillies, black pepper in a pan and dry roast them in medium/low flame for about 3-4 mins. Add fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, turmeric pieces. (If turmeric powder, add it at the end along with asafoetida.) Fry them for about 2-3 min until they give nice aroma. Add mustard seeds and fry them for about 2 mins until mustard seeds splutter. Add asafoetida and fry them for about 1 min in medium/low flame. Keep this masala aside until it comes to room temperature.

Put this fried masala in a mixer/grinder, add sufficient amount of prepared salted water and grind them to smooth paste as shown in the picture below. (The mentioned ingredients in the recipe will make around 2 cups of ground masala)

Transfer this ground masala to a vessel, add the cooked ambates, required amount of salt water and mix them well. Transfer this pickle to another clean porcelain/glass/plastic airtight jar. Store this pickle in refrigerator for longer use. It goes well with rice, dosas, etc.