Most of us have fond childhood memories of enjoying delectable melt-in-your-mouth home-made parathas accompanied by deliciously tangy pickles. Excellent pickles and preserves have been the gold standard of most Indian homes since times immemorial. Young millennials may enjoy eating pickles, but often don’t have the time or the inclination to make them at home, like their mothers and grandmothers. This makes the search for the best homemade pickles in Delhi, an important one! Look no further, because the team at Queen’s Brigade has brought the best homemade pickles in Delhi to you – Nina’s Pickles & Preserves.
Nina Luthra, the Founder of Nina’s Pickles & Preserves, claims that she has been a passionate cook ever since she can remember. When most women shied away from being entrepreneurs in a traditional sense, she opened a fast food joint called the Pop Tates. In recent years, her entrepreneurial spirit has led her to establish a brand that sells the best homemade pickles in Delhi.
Nina began pickling at home when her mother-in-law stopped doing this annual activity. By then she was already in her 40s hence her pickling remained restricted for the use of extended family and friends. Her signature style and fabulous taste made her famous amongst her regular crew, that began coaxing her to pursue this as a commercial venture. With the support of her family and friends circle, Nina’s Pickles & Preserves came into being two years back. From pickles, she soon moved on to making the popular alcoholic and non-alcoholic preserves. The fact that makes Nina’s Pickles the best homemade pickles in Delhi, is that they’re completely preservative-free, with the exception of oil and salt.
Pickles are an essential item in almost every household as they add pep and flavour to the blandest of food. Some people have inhibitions about pickles and deem them too oily and unhealthy. Pickles are often blamed for health issues like increased blood pressure, raised cholesterol etc. However, celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar dispels these unfounded notions completely. In her books, she has hailed the many qualities of pickles. “They contain probiotics, restore electrolytes and treat muscle cramps”, she says. Hence, contrary to popular belief, when eaten in moderation, pickles and preserves help to control blood pressure and solve numerous health issues.
Nina’s entrepreneurial journey to establishing the best homemade pickles brand in Delhi has been rewarding and enriching. She believes she has never faced serious challenges along this journey and feels blessed. Joining a platform known as Homefoodi, which is an aggregator of home-chefs delivering across Noida, Greater Noida and Indirapuram area, allowed her to truly discover herself and feel nourished as a creative soul. This journey with Homefoodi presented her the opportunity to diversify her skills and launch another brand known as Nina’s Kitchen.
Orders for Nina’s best homemade pickles in Delhi can be placed through her social media handles and Whatsapp number:
Facebook page: Nina’s Pickles
Instagram Page: @Nina’s _kitchen13
Whatsapp: +91 9811297512
Website: Coming Soon
As a parting shot, Nina has generously shared the recipe for her special creation ‘Matar ka Achaar’, exclusively for Queen’s Brigade readers:
Take tender peas and peel them
Take a pan, heat the oil
Add ginger and garlic paste
Add Salt
Add Haldi
Add Degi mirchi
Add Jeera powder
Keep stirring till mixture becomes brown
Add the shelled and peeled peas
Cover and cook for 10 to 15 minutes
Meanwhile boil vinegar and gur (cook well)
Mix this in with the peas
Simmer for 3 to 5 minutes
Cool the mixture
Put it in a jar and leave it out in the sun to dry
Tangily spiced, sweet and sour pickles are ready to be enjoyed!
Since there are no preservatives added other than oil and salt, cook it well and refrigerate it if made in bulk.
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The writer is a lawyer who pursued her passion for writing through her lifestyle blog www.nooranandchawla.com. She contributes feature articles to various newspapers and publications, and can be found on Instagram @nooranandchawla.