From enhancing the flavour of your dishes to having digestive benefits, pickles are one preserved food that compliments every Indian dish. It can be made from veggies and meat and usually lasts months since it's prepared in bulk. But, once it's finished, there is nothing but pickle oil and masala left which often goes to waste. But did you know you can easily incorporate this oil in your preparations to enhance their flavour? Yes! Pickle oil has several flavours infused in it which makes it perfect for a variety of dishes, from salads to raitas. Intrigued? Read on to learn more about ways to reuse pickle oil in your dishes.
Also Read: Is It Okay To Consume Pickles Everyday? Here's The Answer
Reuse pickle oil as a salad dressing to enhance its flavour.
Photo Credit: iStock
Here Are 5 Easy Ways To Reuse Pickle Oil
1. Salad Dressing
You can easily turn your pickle oil into a base for salad dressing. Add a dash of lemon juice, mustard, salt, vinegar, spices, honey, etc. to balance the flavours of the oil. These ingredients can add tanginess and depth to your produce, especially if your salads are bland. Drizzle this oil dressing over your fresh greens like spinach, cucumbers, broccoli, lettuce, etc., to add a delicious twist that your tastebuds will love.
2. Marinate
Did you know you can marinate your grilled veggies and meats in pickle oil? Elevate the taste of your dishes by adding spices and herbs before transferring them to a grill pan. The additional ingredients added in the pickle oil can infuse the meats and veggies, making them even more flavourful while serving. Just be mindful of the ingredients since pickle oil has a stark flavour which would require only a pinch of spices.
3. Raitas
Raitas made for an amazing side dish, be it in summer or winter. You can use leftover pickle oil to add a flavourful tempering over your raitas. Simply heat the pickle oil and add a few mustard seeds and red chilli powder to it. Mix it well and add this tempering to the freshly made vegetable raita. This would make your raita even more flavourful.
Temper your raita with leftover pickle oil.
Photo Credit: iStock
4. Beverages
You can easily use pickle oil in homemade beverages. Pickle oil can be added to cold homemade beverages like lemon water, sattu sharbat, and aam panna to compliment their tangy taste. Simply add the leftover pickle oil over the beverages but make sure to add only a dash to balance out the taste and not overpower any ingredient.
5. Instant Pickles
How much pickle is too much pickle? If you have leftover pickle oil left, why not just use it to ferment more veggies? We know pickles can take weeks or months to prepare for consumption, but you can make some instant pickles which would require just a couple of days. Veggies like carrots, lemons, cauliflower, onions, etc. only take a few days to ferment and be ready for consumption. Add the additional ingredients like salt, vinegar and spices and keep the pickle jar under the sun!
Also Read: 7 Lip-Smacking South Indian Pickles You Need to Try
Do you know any other way to reuse pickle oil in your dishes? Let us know in the comments below!