The Best Achars(Pickles) You Have Eaten (Recipes And Photos Are Welcome)...

Chala jata hoon · Feb 28th, 2009, 13:05

Well, every body(almost) in and passing through India must have had some achar(pickles) at some point of time.

With meals or just for the fun of it. I remember stealing imli ka achar(pickled tamarind) and getting a thrashing

for my pains when i was a child. But the strangest i have had yet are pickled bamboo shoots...

so what are your favourites?

P.S. please help with the recipes...
photos would be an added bonus.

write your achar related stories too...

Gametotravel · Feb 28th, 2009, 14:29

My favourite would be gobi shalgam gajar ka achar. It's great to have with "matthi" as a snack!

skidmark · Feb 28th, 2009, 14:35

I learned to make muli and gajar achars on a roof top from a house wife. I tried it once back home but I ended up with a bunch of oily radish and carrots bits. It wasn’t anything like the tasty morsels which she had made. If any body could shed so light on the errors of my ways, you never know I might get a real pickle out of it.

Cut the daikon radish and carrots into pinkie finger sized pieces.
Let them sit in the sun, moving them around every once in a while so the lose their moisture evenly. This will allow the muli and gajar to absorb the oil and flavors.
Slice up some green chilis.
Mix in mustard seed, salt , am I missing something else?
With add to the mix mustard seed oil.
Then let that set, tuning it over every once in a while to keep the oil evenly coated. Let them set for a few days to let the flavors mingle. The last pickles of the batch were the best.

giripriya · Apr 16th, 2009, 01:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by skidmark

I learned to make muli and gajar achars on a roof top from a house wife. I tried it once back home but I ended up with a bunch of oily radish and carrots bits. It wasn’t anything like the tasty morsels which she had made. If any body could shed so light on the errors of my ways, you never know I might get a real pickle out of it.

Cut the daikon radish and carrots into pinkie finger sized pieces.
Let them sit in the sun, moving them around every once in a while so the lose their moisture evenly. This will allow the muli and gajar to absorb the oil and flavors.
Slice up some green chilis.
Mix in mustard seed, salt , am I missing something else?
With add to the mix mustard seed oil.
Then let that set, tuning it over every once in a while to keep the oil evenly coated. Let them set for a few days to let the flavors mingle. The last pickles of the batch were the best.

I made mula ko achar(Nepali style) last year - never thought of mixing gajar with it but that sounds yummy. Gajar ko achar is another one of my favorites. I remember I cut the daikon in long pieces and coated them with salt, let them sit for a while to 'sweat', pour off the water then mixed with ground black mustard seed, mustard oil, some other spices that I can't recall, then put them in sterilized canning jars and letting the achar sit in a warm spot for a couple of days before eating - it ferments a little and smells like kimchi - basically they are the same thing. Sounds like your achar didn't get to the fermentation stage maybe? I know I had a hit because I gave a jar to my friend whose husband is South Indian and she said he 'devoured' it.

skidmark · Apr 16th, 2009, 12:06

Sukriya Giripiya,

Ah, I hadn’t realized there would be some fermentation taking place as well. I can see how salting the bits during the sweating would help remove additional moisture. I’m preety sure I didn’t let them dry out enough. The drier they would be the easier they would absorb the spiced oil.

By the time we got to the end of the batch Sarita had made the muli was only distinguishable from the gajar in that the gajar had was just touch more firm than the muli and the whole thing had turned quite dark in color.

Mrinmoyee · Apr 16th, 2009, 12:23

I really like this pickled post

And I love pickle. As a child I would eat as little as possible for lunch and then after a boring meal would fill a katori of the "achaar of the day" and slowly savour it.

I agree bamboo shoot pickle is funny...a matter of getting used to I suppose - like an acquired taste.

My favorite pickle is Jalpai which a desi cousin of the Olive. The small towns of north bengal Jalpaiguri and New Jalpaiguri are apparently named after the fruit which is found there in abundance. It is a sour fruit and much larger than an olive. I don't know how to make it but could get you to recipe.

Although unless you're in Bengal I'm not sure if the fruit is available anywhere else in the country. If however there's a shop selling bengali spices and food stuff in your city then you might find it there. :-)

theyyamdancer · Apr 16th, 2009, 12:36

Banana flower pickle, a Bengali speciality, Mocchar Paturi, has to be an acquired taste. My husband adores it. I am not sure. My favourite is Lime Pickle.

The Jalpai one sounds very intriguing.

rsk11584 · Apr 16th, 2009, 22:54

i love hyderabadi pickes , gonkura, and avakka they are less salty and more of hot, and I love pickles a lot

especically aam ka achar, mirchi ka achar, mmmmmmm

my mom gets angry at me for finishing a bottle of pickle in weeks time with a daily intake of 4 - 5 pieces, but I am a pickle lover.

Kido · Apr 16th, 2009, 23:06

I like mirchi(chilli) ka achar (u know the big ones), and i also like aam(mango) & gajar(carrot).....my mom use to make so many different types inc garlic pickle..but now i have to buy some from Asian shop...

Mrinmoyee · Apr 16th, 2009, 23:45

Theyyamdancer I didn't know bongs could even pickle bananas! I'm forever amazed by how there's no part of the banana plant that bongs don't consume, some of the preparations are quite nice. I will go on a hunt for the mochaar paturi :-)

Yes jalpai is quite intriguing!

Feb 28th, 2009, 13:05	#1
Chala jata hoon spread the cheer around... Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: India Posts: 15	The Best Achars(Pickles) You Have Eaten (Recipes And Photos Are Welcome)... Well, every body(almost) in and passing through India must have had some achar(pickles) at some point of time. With meals or just for the fun of it. I remember stealing imli ka achar(pickled tamarind) and getting a thrashing for my pains when i was a child. But the strangest i have had yet are pickled bamboo shoots... so what are your favourites? P.S. please help with the recipes... photos would be an added bonus. write your achar related stories too... __________________ It takes years to find a good friend, but it takes seconds to lose one...

Apr 16th, 2009, 12:36	#7
theyyamdancer lost in Mechuka member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Crete Posts: 4,423	Banana flower pickle, a Bengali speciality, Mocchar Paturi, has to be an acquired taste. My husband adores it. I am not sure. My favourite is Lime Pickle. The Jalpai one sounds very intriguing. __________________ "Wandering seemed no more than the happiness of an anxious man." - Albert Camus

Apr 16th, 2009, 23:06	#9
Kido Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Granite City Posts: 83	I like mirchi(chilli) ka achar (u know the big ones), and i also like aam(mango) & gajar(carrot).....my mom use to make so many different types inc garlic pickle..but now i have to buy some from Asian shop... __________________ Don't Follow Me, I Am Already Lost...!!!

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
What's the strangest thing you have ever eaten?	blissjunkie	Indian Cooking and Cuisine	181	Feb 28th, 2009 15:37
woman's eye eaten by ant's in hospital	ananda2193	Chai and Chat	24	Nov 24th, 2005 10:35
Eaten alive?	RiAt	Packing Tips for India travel	24	Oct 2nd, 2005 18:18
Recipes	jenky	Indian Recipes	12	Oct 24th, 2004 01:01

Feb 28th, 2009, 14:29	#2
Gametotravel Maha Guru Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Chennai Posts: 757	My favourite would be gobi shalgam gajar ka achar. It's great to have with "matthi" as a snack!

Feb 28th, 2009, 14:35	#3
skidmark Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Seattle, USA Posts: 32	I learned to make muli and gajar achars on a roof top from a house wife. I tried it once back home but I ended up with a bunch of oily radish and carrots bits. It wasn’t anything like the tasty morsels which she had made. If any body could shed so light on the errors of my ways, you never know I might get a real pickle out of it. Cut the daikon radish and carrots into pinkie finger sized pieces. Let them sit in the sun, moving them around every once in a while so the lose their moisture evenly. This will allow the muli and gajar to absorb the oil and flavors. Slice up some green chilis. Mix in mustard seed, salt , am I missing something else? With add to the mix mustard seed oil. Then let that set, tuning it over every once in a while to keep the oil evenly coated. Let them set for a few days to let the flavors mingle. The last pickles of the batch were the best.

Apr 16th, 2009, 12:06	#5
skidmark Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Seattle, USA Posts: 32	Sukriya Giripiya, Ah, I hadn’t realized there would be some fermentation taking place as well. I can see how salting the bits during the sweating would help remove additional moisture. I’m preety sure I didn’t let them dry out enough. The drier they would be the easier they would absorb the spiced oil. By the time we got to the end of the batch Sarita had made the muli was only distinguishable from the gajar in that the gajar had was just touch more firm than the muli and the whole thing had turned quite dark in color.

Apr 16th, 2009, 12:23	#6
Mrinmoyee Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: New Delhi Posts: 17	I really like this pickled post And I love pickle. As a child I would eat as little as possible for lunch and then after a boring meal would fill a katori of the "achaar of the day" and slowly savour it. I agree bamboo shoot pickle is funny...a matter of getting used to I suppose - like an acquired taste. My favorite pickle is Jalpai which a desi cousin of the Olive. The small towns of north bengal Jalpaiguri and New Jalpaiguri are apparently named after the fruit which is found there in abundance. It is a sour fruit and much larger than an olive. I don't know how to make it but could get you to recipe. Although unless you're in Bengal I'm not sure if the fruit is available anywhere else in the country. If however there's a shop selling bengali spices and food stuff in your city then you might find it there. :-)

Apr 16th, 2009, 22:54	#8
rsk11584 CBCID ;-) Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: then Aurangabad / now Chennai Posts: 263	i love hyderabadi pickes , gonkura, and avakka they are less salty and more of hot, and I love pickles a lot especically aam ka achar, mirchi ka achar, mmmmmmm my mom gets angry at me for finishing a bottle of pickle in weeks time with a daily intake of 4 - 5 pieces, but I am a pickle lover.

Apr 16th, 2009, 23:45	#10
Mrinmoyee Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: New Delhi Posts: 17	Theyyamdancer I didn't know bongs could even pickle bananas! I'm forever amazed by how there's no part of the banana plant that bongs don't consume, some of the preparations are quite nice. I will go on a hunt for the mochaar paturi :-) Yes jalpai is quite intriguing!