Moti Mahal's Mohnish Gujral's new book features 100 pickles from around the world

Inlagda Rodbetor Scandinavian Beet Pickle

Monish Gujral is a pucca Punjabi. The owner of Mughlai chain Moti Mahal, the Mecca that's believed to have invented butter chicken in its kitchens, likes gobi ka achar with most of his meals. Writing a book on global pickles was only a natural extension of his love.

The 55-year-old began writing books in 2004, the first two being cookbooks on the Moti Mahal legacy. He went on to then document food trails - from desserts to kebabs, he saw that so many items are intrinsic to various cuisines. His latest book, On the Pickle Trail 100 recipes from around the world (Penguin India, R399), launched two weeks ago. "Every food book I do is a trail of foods that are common in every country. Food has no borders, and it speaks one language. It varies depending on the local cuisine and ingredients, but we are all connected through our foods," the Gourmand award recipient tells us.

Pickling is an ancient preservation method, and fermented pickles are known to be good for the gut as they act as probiotics that support the growth of healthy bacteria in the digestive tract. Any fruit, vegetable or meat can be turned into a pickle. "Historically, it was a method that helped to control spoilage. Fermentation is a process where microbes consume sugar to form acid, alcohol and gases. Even olive preserved in vinegar is defined as pickle. All you need is vinegar and water to create a salt brine for pickling," says Gujral.

Monish Gujral

That he travels the world to food fairs and is often invited as alumnus of Le Cordon Bleu to give guest lectures, keeps him in touch with chefs and food entrepreneurs from different cultural backgrounds. "I am always jotting down recipes or discussing food with them. They teach me their local cuisine and help me with research," Gujral explains. His investigation method is a mix of looking for recipes online, asking chefs and then creating his own versions.

This title too, is peppered with interesting nuggets, like how the Italian Giardiniera, a pickle made with vegetables, became popular in Chicago. While a Le Cordon Bleu student offers Gujral a Moroccan recipe for preserved lemons, using kosher salt, a Jewish chef in the US shares how to make traditional Israeli turnip pickle. In his book, recipes from 100 countries are featured, including Scandinavia, Ukraine, Siberia, Haiti, Mexico and Japan.

"In Scandinavia, they do a beetroot pickle called Inlagda Rodbetor. A friend who runs a local restaurant in Skansen, Sweden, served it to me. They make it with wine and brown sugar, and slather it on tuna sandwiches or add to salads," he says. Among his favourites are pickled eggs. "I am a frequent traveller to the UK, and I don't eat meat. Eggs are my only source of protein. I love to top it on a pizza or fold it into a sandwich. When you add beetroot and cinnamon to the brine, the colour rubs off on the eggs. I absolutely love the outcome."

From a time when soldiers pickled their meat with salt to stretch rations, to now when pickles and fermented foods are celebrated as for their contribution to gut health, pickling has history and health attached to it. "I remember my grandmother making pickles; our generation skipped that. We tend to buy them from shops. The new generation rarely gets to appreciate the process of pickling. This book makes pickling easy and fun, without restrictions. My recipes are easy on the salt, and use homegrown spices and good sugars." The last section is dedicated to sweet preserves or murabba. "These are a great topping for desserts," he signs off.

Inlagda Rodbetor Scandinavian Beet Pickle

Ingredients
4 beets, medium size
2-3 cloves
2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
3/4 cup granulated sugar (brown sugar for a healthier option)
1 whole red chilli pepper

Method
Wash the beets. In a bowl, add water and cook the unpeeled beets till tender. Drain and cool to room temperature. Prepare glass jar. Peel the beets once cooled and cut them into thin slices. Put them in the jar with cloves and chilli pepper. In a bowl, mix vinegar, water and sugar and bring to boil. Pour the pickling brine into the jar over the beets. Keep an inch space at the top and tap the jar to remove the bubbles. Seal and store for 3-4 weeks before using. Once opened, refrigerate it until consumed.