~ Lets Paint the town Pink ~
(Pickled eggs and labneh dip)
Spring is the time when there is color and joy everywhere . Right
from the vibrant flower beds displaying the most outrageous hues
to the exuberant colors of the Indian festival Holi -the enigma of
Pink seems to conquer the northern hemisphere in the
colors of celebration.
With Easter and Holi right around the corner , what could be better than
adding a bit of fuchsia to our humble eggs too. These pickled egg appetizers
are colorful , healthy , delicious and best of all absolutely a breeze to
make !! After all with all those festivities & fun around who wants to be
in the kitchen for long........
Spring is the season of garden delight too , its the time when nature
awakes from its long sleep to welcome the colors of warmth and life,
and the gorgeous trees and shrubs loaded with bunches of flowers
silently seem to bid adieu to the winter frost & chill .
The deep pinks of the pickled eggs are perfect for spring !!!
As per wiki -pickled eggs are hard boiled eggs that are cured in brine .
As per wiki -pickled eggs are hard boiled eggs that are cured in brine .
Just like other preserved foods the recipe evolved in the olden times
to preserve surplus eggs from the farm , so that they could
be consumed later .
While many parts of the world relish this pickled version as a favorite
hors d'oeuvre some places confine it to as pub food served with pickled
onions and fish. Owing to the presence of beets in the pickling solution the
eggs from Pennsylvania Dutch country have a beautiful pink color.
Pickled eggs
( The easy peasy way)
Ingredients - 4 hard boiled eggs ( peeled) , 1/2 cup white vinegar,
1/4 cup beet juice, 1/2 tsp sugar , 6-7 black peppercorns , salt to taste.
Method - Mix together all the ingredients ( except eggs) till the
sugar dissolves. Keep the eggs in a glass jar and pour the vinegar
mix over it. Refrigerate for 5-6 hours . To Serve- drain the liquid ,
divide into halves and season with some freshly crushed pepper .
( Don't soak the eggs for too long or else they'd be tough and chewy)
( If you don't like pickles replace vinegar with water for just
beautiful pink color)
( If you don't like pickles replace vinegar with water for just
beautiful pink color)
Opt for a healthier yolk free version by removing the yolks and filling up
the cavities with some freshly whipped caramelized onion labneh dip .
The mild tanginess of Lebneh and crunchiness of the onion will surely
leave everyone craving for some more .....(BTW a generous spread of
labneh tastes great on sandwiches , pitas and paratha so go
ahead n indulge)
ahead n indulge)
Caramelized Onion Labneh Dip
Ingredients
2 cups regular yogurt ( home made curd is perfect too), 2 large red
onions finely diced, 1 tsp chopped onion greens/ chives , 2 tbsp blanched
peas ,1 tsp olive oil , salt to taste
Method
Combine yogurt n salt and place the mixture on a large muslin cloth .
Tie from all the four ends and hang on the kitchen faucet to drip .
Remove after 3-4 hours . Untie and keep the cheese aside.
Drizzle some oil in a skillet and saute onions till golden .Cool and
mix with the cheese. Mix in peas, chopped onion greens n drizzle
some olive oil( opt). Serve.
