Fermented white radish (sinki) dressed with mustard oil and fresh chilli — the underground-fermented preserved radish condiment unique to the Nepal-Sikkim mountain belt.
Ingredients
1/2 cup sinki (fermented dried radish — made by fermenting white radish in a clay pot buried underground for 1 to 2 months; available at Nepali stores; substitute with kimchi radish as a rough approximation)
2 green chillies — finely chopped
1 small onion — finely chopped
1 tbsp mustard oil
1 tsp lemon juice
Salt to taste only if needed
2 tbsp fresh coriander
Method
If sinki is very dry, soak in warm water for 10 to 15 minutes.
Squeeze firmly to remove all excess water. Finely chop.
In a bowl combine the chopped sinki with finely chopped green chillies, finely chopped onion, mustard oil and lemon juice.
Mix well. Taste before adding any salt — sinki is already significantly salty from the fermentation.
Add fresh coriander. Mix.
Serve as a condiment alongside rice and dal.
Use in small amounts — sinki is a condiment, not a main dish.