Cranberry Thokku

Cranberries are abundant in America this time of the year and are one of the main ingredients for a Thanksgiving meal. It is also one of the sources for the highest amount of antoxidants.The other advantage of it being a berry is that eaten in any form it does not loose its nutrients. These berries are deep red in colour and are very sour to taste. So I used to get the juice varieties of this fruit for my family until one of my relatives in Canada mentioned about this version . I had to try it out as I am an ardent pickle eater and turned out to be a huge hit in my family as well among my friends.

Ingredients:

24 oz Fresh cranberries

4 tbsp oil

1tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp fenugreek(methi) seeds

1/2 tsp asafoetida(hing/perungayum)

1tsp turmeric powder

3-4 tsp salt

5-6 tsp crushed red pepper

small lemon sized jaggery.

Procedure:

Wash the cranberries well under water. In a big wok/kadhai heat the oil and temper it with the mustard seeds and then when they crackcle add the fenugreek seeds , asafoetida,turmeric and lastly the cranberries. Keep stirring from time to time till the cranberries start bursting and coming together . Add the salt, crushed red pepper and jaggery and keep stirring every now and then till all the cranberries have burst and reduced in quantity . It will come to a point where everything will come together and oil will leave the sides . Turn off the heat and cool this thokku.

This thokku stays in the fridge for about a month.This can be used as a pickle alongwith curd rice, dosas etc or can also be mixed in rice and eaten.

Try eating this in pickled fashion and yet reap the benefits of high antoxidants.