Pickles & Condiments
Khalpi (Cucumber Pickle)
खल्पी
Khalpi is fermented cucumber pickle made from bhadaure kankro, the fat russet-skinned Nepali cucumber harvested at the end of the monsoon and left on the vine until fully ripe. Sliced, salted, sun-dried and then packed with mustard oil and spices, it ferments in the jar for a few days into something sour, crunchy and gently fizzy. Nepali families credit it with settling the stomach, and it is one of the most common jars in the kitchen from Asoj through the winter.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Total
- 35 min
- Serves
- 10
- Difficulty
- Medium
At the stove
Method
Peel the ripe cucumbers, halve them lengthwise, scrape out the seedy core, and cut the flesh into batons or thick slices.
Toss with the salt and turmeric and leave in a colander for an hour so the water drains away.
Spread the pieces on a tray and dry in strong sun for half a day, until the surface is no longer wet and the batons have shrunk slightly but stay crisp.
Dry-roast the fenugreek seeds until dark and fragrant, then grind them coarse.
Heat the mustard oil to smoking point, take it off the heat, and let it cool until just warm.
Mix the cucumber with the ground mustard, fenugreek, chilli powder, broken chillies, timur, lemon juice and the warm oil, working it through with clean hands.
Pack firmly into the sterilised jar so the pieces are submerged in oil and juices, and cover with a cloth-lined lid.
Leave in a warm spot or in the sun for three to five days, opening once a day to release gas and stir. It is ready when it tastes distinctly sour. Refrigerate afterwards and eat within a month.
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