Suki's pickles is bound to intrigue anyone who hears what they've got to offer. Which is chicken and prawn pickle in jars.
The name 'Suki's Pickles' is a good play on the founder's name, Vasuki. After having studied in India, Vasuki decided to bring down to Sri Lanka, an Indian approach to making home made pickles.
The Process
The whole process of making the pickle plus packaging takes around 5 hours. The meat is marinated well and it is then set out to dry.
Following that – and this is what really makes the jars steal the spotlight – is the addition of key ingredients like: oil, chili, turmeric, tamarind, garlic, ginger and vinegar.
The Pickle
*Note: We tried these on their own first instead of adding them to dishes so we'd have a fully raw experience.
From the first scoop of the Chicken Pickle (Rs.500) the texture made it feel like I was digging into a bottle of chili paste.
The spiciness definitely kicked in from the first bite which gives you that slight rush of excitement(at least for me it did).
The meat was well marinated and it was nice biting into chunky chicken cubes that are heavily infused with local spices.
Ever wondered what that distinct taste of crustacean shells was called? Well I don't know it either but this Prawn Pickle (Rs.650) had an overload of that flavour and I loved it (almost like having a thick prawn purée)!
When I did sometimes bite an actual chunk of prawn, I felt ecstatic. I definitely tasted the freshness of the prawns, and together with the zesty, fiery element of the spice-combination, it's the perfect side to crackers or roast paan.
Note that these aren't in any way sour or salty. It's basically very flavourful and thick chicken/prawn gravy in a jar. You also get to store these much longer than your average homemade hodhi.
Delivery or Pick-Up
As of now, all of Suki's fans pick up the jars from her place located in the heart of Colombo at No.33, 5th Lane Kollupitiya, but she does deliver within Colombo during weekends for a mere charge of Rs.50.
Plus, if you order 3 bottles or more, delivery is free within Colombo!
Conclusion
All in all, we are glad that Vasuki introduced us to this killer home-made pickle and we are sure that we'll be getting an inventory of her pickles for our homes and office.
