Did you know that the pepper vine grows wild in the Western Ghats and it is indigenous to this region ? Long before chilies became popular in South Indian cuisine,all of the recipes comprised of pepper as the active spice ingredient.
Did you know that the pepper vine grows wild in the Western Ghats and it is indigenous to this region ? Long before chilies became popular in South Indian cuisine, all of the recipes comprised of pepper as the active spice ingredient.
Mid January to February is when all the tender shoots, flowers, berries get harvested.Ideally this season which the West refers to as spring is when the young edible produce of the plant life is picked.
Street vendors in the old market places are where one can unearth such finds. So it was no wonder when I found the cheerful Rajathi on Vysial street doing brisk business with her basket of fresh green peppercorns.
I so love the twiggy sprig with the dark green, round, tender berries. They hang so prettily on the vine and are easy to pick. Friends of mine who own pepper estates far away usually send me only the dried black peppercorns, but the folk who grow pepper closer to Coimbatore are the ones who are easily able to share some of the fresh green peppercorns.
While we do dry some of the green peppercorns and use it in the pepper mill, the fresh ones excite the taste buds in an altogether different manner. For one, the green peppercorns are a lot milder on the tongue and also carry a burst of freshness. It goes so well with summer foods like cucumber, green tomato, lemon, watermelon, buttermilk etc.
Boiling the green peppercorn helps it break down better and blend with other ingredients. We made a cucumber, green tomato salad and the dressing was made by crushing the cooked green peppercorns with salt and mixing the coarse paste into lime juice. It was zingy and quite delicious. The tingly taste from the clean, young spiciness of the peppercorns is quite unique. It does not grip the throat but rather creates a slight buzz on the tongue.
Chutneys too can be made with the green peppercorns for a unusual but tasty twist from the original recipe. My aunt-in-law makes a mouth watering green peppercorn pickle with red chilli powder, maanga inji, salt and lemon juice. It’s a fabulous summer accompaniment for curd rice.
Green peppercorns are also much more beneficial for the gastric tract in comparison to chillies. People with stomach ulcers or those who have an intolerance to chillies are able to tolerate the black and green peppercorns. It is an ingredient which can be found in most traditional recipes. For eg; temple prasadhams will most likely contain peppercorns rather than green or red chillies (if they follow the same recipe handed down through generations)
Green peppercorns are high in iron, Vitamin K and antioxidants. A simple wet masala using fresh green peppercorns, garlic and salt can be used to flavour rasams, a puli kozhambhu or even as a simple marinade for seafood. I enjoy making this in my stone pestle and mortar. It’s quick and a most enjoyable kitchen activity.
It’s also a good spice to introduce to children instead of the intense heat of capsaicin from the chilli. Green peppercorns are highly perishable so it’s best to store them in the refrigerator in an airtight container and use quickly.
Expand your culinary prowess with the green peppercorn, it’s a taste that is quite hard to forget !
Mid January to February is when all the tender shoots, flowers, berries get harvested.Ideally this season which the West refers to as spring is when the young edible produce of the plant life is picked.
Street vendors in the old market places are where one can unearth such finds. So it was no wonder when I found the cheerful Rajathi on Vysial street doing brisk business with her basket of fresh green peppercorns.
I so love the twiggy sprig with the dark green, round, tender berries. They hang so prettily on the vine and are easy to pick. Friends of mine who own pepper estates far away usually send me only the dried black peppercorns, but the folk who grow pepper closer to Coimbatore are the ones who are easily able to share some of the fresh green peppercorns.
While we do dry some of the green peppercorns and use it in the pepper mill, the fresh ones excite the taste buds in an altogether different manner. For one, the green peppercorns are a lot milder on the tongue and also carry a burst of freshness. It goes so well with summer foods like cucumber, green tomato, lemon, watermelon, buttermilk etc.
Boiling the green peppercorn helps it break down better and blend with other ingredients. We made a cucumber, green tomato salad and the dressing was made by crushing the cooked green peppercorns with salt and mixing the coarse paste into lime juice. It was zingy and quite delicious. The tingly taste from the clean, young spiciness of the peppercorns is quite unique. It does not grip the throat but rather creates a slight buzz on the tongue.
Chutneys too can be made with the green peppercorns for a unusual but tasty twist from the original recipe. My aunt-in-law makes a mouth watering green peppercorn pickle with red chilli powder, maanga inji, salt and lemon juice. It’s a fabulous summer accompaniment for curd rice.
Green peppercorns are also much more beneficial for the gastric tract in comparison to chillies. People with stomach ulcers or those who have an intolerance to chillies are able to tolerate the black and green peppercorns. It is an ingredient which can be found in most traditional recipes. For eg; temple prasadhams will most likely contain peppercorns rather than green or red chillies (if they follow the same recipe handed down through generations)
Green peppercorns are high in iron, Vitamin K and antioxidants. A simple wet masala using fresh green peppercorns, garlic and salt can be used to flavour rasams, a puli kozhambhu or even as a simple marinade for seafood. I enjoy making this in my stone pestle and mortar. It’s quick and a most enjoyable kitchen activity.
It’s also a good spice to introduce to children instead of the intense heat of capsaicin from the chilli. Green peppercorns are highly perishable so it’s best to store them in the refrigerator in an airtight container and use quickly.
Expand your culinary prowess with the green peppercorn, it’s a taste that is quite hard to forget !