Spicy green chili pickles. Mango pickles infused with fenugreek and cardamom. Bright yellow cauliflower pickles with turmeric. Indian achars are almost too good to be called condiments.
In fact, achars are a singularly versatile kind of pickle. They can be made from fruits or vegetables, and be made sweet, spicy, or sour depending on the spices and flavorings used. A small amount of gingery pickle might balance the flavors in a spicy curry while a sour one can serve as an appetizer with papadum. An achar can also be mixed with fresh vegetables to make a quick salad. No matter how they're used, these pickles are intended to enhance a dish and add new dimensions of flavor.
Unlike the vinegar based pickles common in the United States, these Indian pickles are usually made with oil. The high concentrations of salt and preserving spices like turmeric keep the pickles safe to eat for long periods of time, even without refrigeration. Traditionally, families in India make achar during the summer to serve with meals in the coming months.
Indian markets carry a wide range of commercially produced achar, but it's also very easy to make them at home:
• MangoThokku - Mango Pickle from Show Me The Curry
• Cauliflower Pickle from Indian Relish
• Gajar Achaar - Carrot Pickle from Khana Pakana
• Mirchi-Ka-Achar - Green Chili Pickle from My Creative Flavors
• Limbu Ka Achar - Lemon Pickle from PtitChef
Are you familiar with this Indian condiment? Do you have a favorite kind?
Related: Quick Weeknight Meal: Make-Ahead Indian Dal
(Image: Flickr member RMT licensed under Creative Commons)
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Oh yes! Rice, simple dal and Indian pickle is the ultimate comfort food. Have been smitten with achaars since I was a child. Nothing beats their spicy, salty goodness.
My favourites are (my mom's) raw mango pickle, chilli pickle and tomato and garlic pickle. You get great versions of the latter two in Indian stores. Bedekar and Priya are brands you can't go wrong with.
I also like raw mango pickle. I make lime pickle every year too.
I've got chapati, pickle and eggplant for my lunch today. My favorite is a pickle made from a lime bird--not really a bird. It's more like a cross between an olive and a berry. Hard to explain. But you can find it in Indian grocery stores. My mom also makes an amazing raw mango pickle!
indian pickles are my absolute favorite kind of pickles! I make them a lot, and get VERY excited by them. nothing better than chipati, pickle and raita! you can find some of my indian pickle recipes at www.tigressinapickle.blogspot.com
My mom makes awesome pickles all the time, (mango and lime, mostly) but my favorite that she makes is a shrimp pickle and a fish pickle. They're tiny, tiny shrimp or small pieces of dried fish and they are totally packed with crazy flavor. I also love sweet and sour eggplant or brinjal pickle (store-bought)!