Wash the hog plums under running water, wipe them using a dry kitchen towel. Spread them under fan and let them dry. Once done, trim the edge and make pieces. You can include the seed too.

Next add a layer of hog plum pieces followed by crystal salt in to a glass jar. Continue this process till all the pieces are over. Keep this jar covered for about 3 to 4 days.

When you find the hog plum pieces soft, you can begin the process of pickling. So on the day of pickling, boil 1.5 cups of water adding 1/4 cup of salt. Let boil and reduce 1 cup. Let this salt water cool down.

Next in a pan add mustard, fenugreek and cumin seeds. In medium flame roast these spices with constant stirring.

Transfer these roasted spice and add red chillies to the same pan. Add 3 tsp of oil and roast them too. The chillies would puff up. Switch off the flame and let the roasted spices cool down.

Include all these roasted spices in a mixer jar, add asafoetida and powder them together.

Add the salt water prepared in step 1 little by little to the spice powder and grind to thick sauce consistency.

Finally transfer the hog plum pices in salt to a wide bowl. Include the spice sauce prepared in above step and give a nice mix. Adjust consistency by including salt water.

Palate tickling hog plum pickle is ready to serve with curd rice or matta rice ganji.

If the hog plums are tender, you can pickle whole hog plum. No need of cutting them in to pieces.

There should be no trace of water on hog plums. So ensure they are dry before pickling.

Choose the sour, tangy hog plums for pickling. They taste better in pickle.

Before roasting the spices, ensure the salt water has cooled down to room temperature.

You can start using the pickle immediately. This pickle lasts for more than a month outside refrigerator.

The golden rule while pickling is to avoid water. Always use dry spoon, bowl and pan in the process.