Tendli Pickle recipe – is one of the famous and traditional pickles from Goa. The recipe is unique so is the method to make this pickle. Although there are a lot of variations I have tried to stick to the basic. Tendli vegetable is also known as tindora, ivygourd here.
For this pickle tender tendlis are used. The tendli pickle recipe is mouth watering and tastes great with chapatis, rice or as a side dish with meals. It’s one of my favorite pickle after prawn balchow. Pickles are commonly known as Miskut in Goa and also known as achar, lonche, lonchem in India. We also eat this pickle with roti or rice during Lent the fasting month.
The taste of the pickle is spicy, tangy yet sweet and flavorful. Tendlis are chopped mixed with salt and left in the sun for an hour or two. But it’s raining in Pune so no proper sunlight hence I have just allowed to rest them for an hour before making the pickle.
Monsoon season is not supposed to be good for making and preserving pickles. But what to do if you have the urge to eat just make and eat right 🙂 Try to maintain the cleanliness while making pickle like use clean, dry bottle for storage, use clean spoons to make. Sterilized bottled and spoons are a convenient and healthy way to make and preserve pickles.
For increasing the life shelf for pickles covers the pickle with oil. The more oil the more your pickle would last. Once your pickle is made after 10-12 days store them in the fridge for longer preservation. You could place pickles in earthen – wares, glass jars etc. I stored mine in a glass bottle gifted by my aunt. So if you don’t have one ask someone to gift you one 😉
How to make Tendli Pickle Recipe:
1. Wash, wipe the gourds (tendli) lengthways into six pieces. Rub salt and leave in the sun for 1 hour or 2 hour. Discard if any water is there.
2. Grind red chilies, garlic, ginger, fenugreek seed, turmeric, peppercorn, cloves, sugar or jaggery, vinegar and salt. Ground until uniform and smooth paste is formed. Add little water if required.
3. Combine the paste with the tendlis. Marinate them for an hour more.
4. Heat oil in a large pan once hot add mustard seed, curry leaves and asafoetida. Once they crackle add the marinated tendlis with salt. Alternatively you could just saute the grounded paste for 2-3 mins then add the tendlis. I don’t have a pic for this one
5. Cook the tendlis for five mins on low heat or cook until just about tender. Please don’t overcook the tendlis. Allow to cool, once cools down store them into tight bottle jars at a cool place. Cover the pickle with the rest of oil and vinegar. Place out for 8-10Â days then keep in the fridge for longer life.
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If you are looking for more goan recipes then do check  goan fry prawns, goan shark fry,  goan pomfret recheado, raw banana fry,  dry shrimp curry with raw mango, mandeli curry, mandeli fry, dry clams, shark fry, fish ambotik curry, fresh bombay duck curry and crab curry.
 Tendli Pickle Recipe cart below:
- 1kg tender tendlis (washed, chopped lengthwise into six pieces)
- 35 dry kashmiri red chilies or 25 dry red chilies ( I used kashmiri)
- 2 tbsp turmeric powder
- 60 garlic cloves
- 4 inch ginger
- 40 peppercorn
- 30 cloves
- 2 t/s cumin seed
- 1 inch cinnamon
- 6-7 tbsp sugar or jaggery powder
- a pinch of fenugreek seed
- 7-8 curry leaves (optional)
- 1 tsp mustard seed
- ½ tsp asafoetida (hing)
- 1 cup vinegar or as required
- 2 tbsp oil for tempering + 2 cups oil (use as required)
- salt as required
- Wash, wipe the gourds (tendli) lengthways into six pieces. Rub salt and leave in the sun for 1 hour or 2 hour. Discard if any water is there.
- Grind red chilies, garlic, ginger, fenugreek seed, turmeric, peppercorn, cloves, sugar or jaggery, vinegar and salt. Ground until uniform and smooth paste is formed. Add little water if required.
- Combine the paste with the tendlis. Marinate them for an hour more.
- Heat oil in a large pan once hot add mustard seed, curry leaves and asofoetida. Once they crackle add the marinated tendlis.
- Cook the tendlis for five mins on low heat or cook until just about tender. Please don't overcook the tendlis.
- Allow to cool, once cools down store them into tight bottle jars at a cool place. Cover the pickle with the rest of oil and vinegar. Place out for 8-10 days then keep in the fridge for longer life.
2. Use oil and vinegar upto your discretion and preference.
3. Avoid overcooking the tendlis else it would spoil the taste of the pickle.
4. Kashmiri red chilies gives a nice vibrant color but if you don't have them use dry red chilies.
5. Instead of marinating you could just saute the grounded paste for 2 mins then add the sliced tendlis.
Dipali says
My pickle is cooking and it smells so authentic and tempting. Just can’t wait to taste it.
It’s one of my favorites and i never knew preparing it myself could be so easy and haslefree.
Thank you so much Maria. Keep up the good work.
God bless you.
maria says
Very pleased to know this Dipali 🙂 thansk for your kind words. Hope you had a great Diwali! and you are always welcome. Tendli pickle tastes yum.
Chandana says
Hi Maria can u post all the goan vegetarian recipes like planner xacuti , potato peas chops etc etc
maria says
Chandana check these links for mushroom xacuti recipe and potato peas chops recipe.
Jane says
Will try this recipe soon. But like some of the other commentators was wondering if you could share your carrot pickle recipe as this is my mum’s favourite
maria says
Thanks jane will post the carrot pickle recipe, allow some time to post the same.
Jennifer says
I made this tendlee pickle it turned out good.. Thanks for sharing your receipe. if we do not get the goan vinegar which is the best vinegar to use. Jen
maria says
Thankyou Jennifer 🙂 instead of goan vinegar you could use normal white vinegar or even try with apple cider vinegar. Hope this information helps you.
Gladis says
Can we use this recipe for preparing Carrot and Tendli mix pickle…if No can u post one for the same.
maria says
Yes Gladis you could try with carrot and tendli mix pickle.
ella says
Your pickle look yummy will try this weekend
maria says
surely Ella do try 🙂 and let me know thanks.
Maureen says
pls give me goan beef pickle thanks
maria says
Maureen we don’t eat beef since childhood hence don’t make any recipe from beef if there is any other recipe you are looking for let me know 🙂 thanks.
Eugene says
Hi Maria thanks for the tendli recipe as mine didn’t come so good.
Thanks for sharing.
maria says
Eugene do try this recipe and lemme know how was it?? also you are always welcome 🙂
Ophelia Dcruz says
Hi mariei all ur recepies are very delicious. Please give me ur receipe for beetroot pickle and green masala for fish fry.
Have a nice dayv
maria says
Sure Ophelia give me some time 🙂 would post soon.
ophelia says
Thanks Maria,
also please give your receipe for Papaya pickle.
God bless.
ophelia
maria says
Ophelia surely would update you but give me some time 🙂
linette says
hi maria
thanks for the recipe
can v use carrots the same method to make carrot pickle
also pls gv the recipe for goan green chillies pickle wth yellow masala and goan bringjal pickle.
my mother in law wld make them so yummy.
thanks and god bless u
dulcie nair says
I too want brinjal pickle
maria says
sure dulcie have taken your request for the brinjal pickle on our file.
linette says
thanks maria for this recipe finally, i had asked u for it.
i also had requested u for goan green chilly yellow masala pickle. pls get this recipe too.
my mother n law used to mk it so yummy.
thanks agn , lin.
maria says
You are welcome Linette 🙂 sure I would soon update you for the goan green chili pickle and brinjal pickle till then take care and have a great day. Thanks for writing back 🙂
linette says
hi maria\hp ur doing gud.
can v try the same recipe 4 carrot pickle also ?
thanks
linette
maria says
I am good was out on a small travel. Yeah you could try on carrot too but carrot pickle recipe is different.