Roselle Pickle

Ingredients

• 1 pound Fresh Roselle (Hibiscus) calyces (Originally '1 Sher'. Use large, fresh roselle.)
• 5 pounds Jaggery (Originally '5 Sher'. Pure refined jaggery is recommended.)
• 4 ounces Salt (Originally '0.25 Ratal' (approx 1/4 lb).)
• 1 1/4 ounces Dried red chilies (Originally '3 Tola'. Adjust to taste.)
• 1/2 ounce Green cardamom pods (Originally '1.5 Tola'. Use seeds only.)
• 1/3 ounce Cloves (Originally '1 Tola'.)
• 5 cups Strong vinegar (Originally '1.5 bottles'. Use a good quality strong vinegar (approx 1.2 liters).)

Instructions

1. 1Clean the fresh roselle and remove all petals (calyces). Mix the cleaned roselle with the salt. Place the mixture into a clean basket or colander. Cover with a washed and dried banana leaf (or parchment paper). Place a lid that fits snugly inside the basket on top of the leaves and place a heavy weight on the lid to press it down. Leave this setup for 24 hours.
2. 2After 24 hours, remove the roselle and spread it out in the sun. Dry until the pieces are slightly soft and wilted, but not completely dry or crisp like husks.
3. 3Remove the seeds from the cardamom pods. Coarsely grind the cardamom seeds and cloves together. Grind the dried red chilies into a paste using a small amount of the vinegar.
4. 4Crush the jaggery and dissolve it in the remaining vinegar. Strain this mixture into a non-reactive pot (stainless steel or enamel). Add the prepared roselle, the chili paste, and the ground spices to the pot. Cook over a slow fire, uncovered. Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon.
5. 5Continue cooking until the vinegar reduces and the pickle reaches a thick, syrupy consistency. It should be slightly loose when removed from heat, as it will thicken further upon cooling; do not let it become too hard. Allow to cool completely, then fill into sterilized jars. Cover the jars tightly.