Red Chillie Stuffed Pickle

Ingredients :

• Large red chillies - 1 kg
• Mustard seeds - 2 tbsps
• Cumin seeds - 3 tbsps
• Aniseed / Fennelseeds - 2 tbsps
• Dhaniya powder - 2 tbsps
• Jeera powder - 2 tbsps
• Methi seed powder - 1 tsp
• Ajvan - 1 tsp
• Dry red chillies - 5
• Mustard powder - 8-10 tbsps
• Raw mango powder - 4 tbsps
• Salt - 15 tbsps
• Asafoetida - 1 tsp
• Sesame oil - 1/4th cup 

Method :

• Wash and thoroughly dry the chillies. Trim the stems.
• Slit the chillies upto just under the stem. Do not cut right through them. Scoop out all the inner flesh and seeds and discard. Oil your hands a bit before you do this and you'll save yourself from the chillies' burn!
• Roast the dry red chillies, cumin seeds, mustard seeds and aniseed / fennel seeds on a slow fire. Cool and grind coarsely.
• Mix all the masala powder in a bowl with little sesame oil and stuff into each red chilli. 
• Put the chillies in a dry, wide-mouthed glass pickling jar [ the glass should be able to withstand hot temperatures, i.e. it should be kept under the sun as long as possible till the chillies becomes soft. ( 7 days would be sufficient ) ].
• Heat the remaining sesame oil in a pan and when it becomes very hot add the asafoetida and immediately turn off the fire.
• Pour this oil over the chillies in the jar.
• Seal the jar and keep it out in the sun for a week to ten days. The longer you keep it out in the sun the better the pickle tastes! Shake gently each day to make sure the oil coats the chillies well.
• Serve with plain chapati or rice

This pickle from North India's Uttar Pradesh sounds fiery but it is a classic case of more bark than bite! The best part is, it's easy to make.