Kerala Dates Pickle

There’s something unexpected about a sweet pickle. Especially one that lives on the edge of spice and syrup, like Kerala’s own dates pickle. It doesn’t try to tone things down – it brings heat, depth, sweetness, and tang, all in one spoon. The moment it touches hot biriyani or fried rice, it changes the plate completely.

At the heart of it are soft, chopped dates – naturally sweet, but not overpowering. They melt slightly into the oil, absorbing all the flavours around them. Ginger and garlic give the base its warmth. Green chillies bring the sting. The sourness comes from vinegar, the balance from jaggery or sugar. But the real soul of the pickle is in the kaaya of the Kerala-style tempering – mustard seeds, curry leaves, red chillies – that unmistakable base that turns oil into memory.

The result is glossy, deep reddish-brown, and fragrant – not in the loud way of raw mango pickles, but something richer, more layered. You take just a little on the side, but by the end of the meal, you realise it’s disappeared spoon by spoon.

It’s a favourite for many with ghee rice, fried rice, biriyani – anything where the rice needs a burst of contrast. And like most Kerala pickles, it stores well and gets better with time. The heat mellows, the dates get softer, and the balance sharpens into something beautiful.

Kerala dates pickle is proof that pickles aren’t always about sharp sourness. Sometimes, they’re about richness, warmth, and a hint of sweetness that lingers long after the meal is done.

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Kerala Dates Pickle

Author: Ushadevi Cooking Method: Sauteing Cuisine: Kerala Courses: Pickles & Sauces, Vegetarian

Prep Time 15 mins Cook Time 20 mins Rest Time 24 hrs Total Time 24 hrs 35 mins

Best Season: Suitable throughout the year

Ingredients

Scale

1/2x 1x 2x 3x

• 1 ¹⁄₂ cup Dates - chopped
• ¹⁄₄ cup Jaggery
• ¹⁄₂ cup Tamarind Juice
• 2 tablespoon Gingelly oil
• 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon Fenugreek seeds
• 2 inch Ginger - chopped
• 6-7 Garlic cloves (chopped)
• 2-3 Green Chillies (chopped)
• 1 spring Curry leaves
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon Turmeric powder
• ¹⁄₁ teaspoon 1/1/2 Chilly powder
• ¹⁄₂ cup turmeric juice
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon Salt
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon Asafoetida

Instructions

1. Dates pickle is originated in Kerala, as Keralites are huge fan of pickles. As you know its sweet- spicy pickle and best with Fried rice or Biriyani
2. First we have to clean the dates. Deseed them and chop into small pices and keep aside
3. Next in a pan heat Gingelly oil, add Mustard seeds and wait till it start to spurts.
4. Add Fenugreek seeds and saute it till the colour of change to red
5. Next we will and Ginger chopped, Garlic chopped and saute it for some time
6. We will add Green chillies next. add Curry leaves too. Saute everything well
7. Now we will add Turmeric powder and Chilly powder. Mix well
8. Add Tamarind juice , enough salt and mix well
9. You can add some water if required.
10. It is the time to add Chopped Dates and Jaggery. (Before adding Jaggery you have test the taste. and add it as per your taste and preference)
11. Finally we add Asafoetida and still continuously till we reach the right consistency
12. Keep the Dates pickle in an air tight container and use it after 24 hour