 Chilli pickle in India | |
| Alternative names | Achar, khatai, pacchadi, loncha, oorugai, avakaai |
|---|---|
| Type | Pickle |
| Course | Condiment |
| Place of origin | India,Bangladesh,Nepal,Pakistan,Sri Lanka,Myanmar |
| Region or state | Indian subcontinent |
| Main ingredients | Fruit (mango, plums), vegetables, or meat |
| Ingredients generally used | Oil, chili powder, spices, mustard seeds, fennel seeds |
| Variations | Acar,atchara |
South Asian pickles, known asachar among other names, arepickled and often highly-spicedcondiments made from a variety of vegetables and fruits preserved inbrine,vinegar,edible oils, andSouth Asian spices. The pickles are popular across South Asia, with many regional variants. They accompany many main dishes. Since theColumbian exchange, which broughtchili peppers to India, pickles have often been hotly-spiced.
InHindi and several other South Asian languages, pickles are known asāchār (आचार).[1] EarlySanskrit and Tamil literature uses the termsAvalehika, Upadamzam,Sandhita, andAvaleha.[2]
Āchār is aPersian loanword, from the time of theMughal Empire. However, pickles in India are quite unlike the vinegar-based pickles of the Middle East.[3] In Persian, the wordāchār is defined as "powdered or salted meats, pickles, or fruits, preserved in salt, vinegar, honey, or syrup".[1]
In the 18th century,Georg Eberhard Rumphius suggested that the Indian wordachar came from America,[4] specificallyArawakan (of theCaribbean)[5]axi, achi, "chili pepper", widely used in pickles.[4] The 1886 Anglo-Indian dictionaryHobson-Jobson suggests a derivation from Latinacetaria.[4]
Early pickle recipes inAyurvedic andSangam period texts mention several varieties of pickles, including the earliest known mention ofmango pickles.[2]Nalachampu, a Sanskrit epic written by Trivikrama Bhatta in 915 CE, describes pickles made from green mango,green peppercorns,long pepper, rawcardamom, lemon,lime,myrobalan,hog plum,stone apple, andfragrant manjack.[6] Earlymedieval cookbooks such asLokopakara (1025 CE),Manasollasa (1130 CE),Pakadarpana (1200 CE), andSoopa Shastra (1508 CE), andKshemakutuhala (1549 CE) mentions pickle recipes that use green mango, green peppercorns, longpepper, lemons and limes,turmeric root,mango-ginger root,ginger,radish,bitter gourd,cucumber,lotus root, andbamboo shoots. The religious textLingapurana by Gurulinga Desika (1594 CE) mentions more than fifty kinds of pickles.[7] Unique pickles made fromedible flowers are also mentioned in theNi'matnama (1500 CE) cookbook.[8]
Chili peppers were introduced to South Asia byPortuguese traders after theColumbian exchange (sometime after 1492) in ports controlled by theMughal Empire on the western coast ofGujarat. Before that, the milder spicesblack pepper,long pepper, andPiper chaba (in both fresh and dried forms) were the main source of heat in ancient and medieval Indian cuisine.[2][9][10]
Anglo-Indians during theBritish Raj greatly likedchutneys and pickles, and prepared many kinds. For the pickled varieties, vegetables such asaubergines andbell peppers may be packed with chilies, mustard seed, andturmeric to give them a strong flavour; these may be cooked in mustard oil or sesame oil. Some fruits are prepared by pickling, soakingmangoes andlimes in salty water in a pot which is left in the sun. For the sweet chutneys, fruits such as mango are cooked with sugar, vinegar, and spices. Uncooked chutneys use ingredients such as green coriander leaves and coconut, flavoured with chili, tamarind, and sugar; these are prepared afresh each day.[11]
In the 17th century, in the time of theEast India Company, British travellers to India noticed the manychutneys and pickles. Sailors found that the preserve-like varieties were useful accompaniments to their maritime diet ofsalt meat and dryship's biscuit. Quantities were brought home to Britain, whether by individual travellers or by merchants, soon to be copied by cooks and further modified from the Indian originals.[12]
One of those cooks,Hannah Glasse, described how "to make Paco-Lilla, or India Pickle" (piccalilli) in the 1758 edition of her bookThe Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy. Her recipe asked the cook to salt some ginger, long pepper, and garlic, and to spice vinegar with mustard seed and turmeric. She suggested that vegetables and fruits such as cabbage, cauliflower, cucumber, melon, apple, french beans, and plums could all be pickled in this way.[13]
In India, there are two main types of pickles: pickles made withsesame ormustard oil, and pickles made without oil. Pickles without oil use salt to draw out the moisture from green mangoes or lemons to create a brine. A mixture of lemon or lime juice with salt or traditionalganne ka sirka (sugarcane vinegar) may also be used as brine.[3] Some pickles such as those fromGujarat usejaggery sugar as the main preserve.[14]
Homemade pickles are prepared in the summer. They are matured through exposure to sunlight for up to two weeks.[15] The pickle is traditionally covered withmuslin while it is maturing.[16] Chili peppers are a distinguishing ingredient in South Asian pickles.[17]
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InBengali culture, pickles are known asAchar (Bengali: আচার) or Asar (Bengali: আসার). They are an integral part ofBengali cuisine, adding flavours to meals. They are made by preserving various fruits, vegetables, and even fish or meat in a mixture of spices, oil, and vinegar or lemon juice. The process involves marinating the chosen ingredient with a blend of spices such as mustard seeds, fenugreek, nigella seeds, and chili powder. The pickles are then left to mature in airtight jars, allowing the flavours to develop over time.[18]
Bengali pickles have tangy, spicy, and sometimes sweet taste profiles. They are often served as accompaniments to rice, bread, or curry. Popular varieties include mango, lime, mixed vegetable, and fish pickles. TheShatkoraachar ofSylhet andChui jhalachar ofKhulna are known even outside India and Bangladesh.[19]
Among the many regional variations in India, alotus stem pickle is made inKashmir;gongura leaves are used inAndhra Pradesh; prawns with garlic andcurry leaves are pickled in the southern coastal state ofKerala;bamboo shoots are fermented withmustard seeds and oil inAssam; wholelemons are pickled withasafoetida, mustard seed, andturmeric inMaharashtra; whole garlic cloves form the base of a pickle inKarnataka; andtomatoes are pickled with mustard seed, red chili, and curry leaves inTamil Nadu.[14]
The city ofPanipat inHaryana preparesachaar commercially, especiallypachranga andsatranga (literally "five/seven colours", prepared with that many vegetables). The vegetables are matured in mustard oil and whole spices with ingredients like raw mangoes,chickpeas, lotus stem,karonda,myrobalan, and limes. As of 2016, Panipat produced over₹500 million (equivalent to₹720 million or US$8.5 million in 2023) worth ofachaar every year, supplied to local markets and exported to the UK, US, and Middle East.[20][21][22]
TheBurmese word for pickle isthanat (Burmese:သနပ်). Mango pickle (သရက်သီးသနပ်) (thayet thi thanat) is the most prevalent variety. The pickle is made with green, ripe, or dried mangoes cured in vinegar, sugar, salt, chili powder,masala, garlic, fresh chilies, andmustard seeds.[23][24] Mango pickle is commonly used as a condiment alongside curries andbiryani inBurmese cuisine.[25] It is a mainstay ingredient in aBurmese curry,wet thanat hin (ဝက်သနပ်ဟင်း), that combines pork belly with the pickle.[26]
InNepal,achaar (Nepali:अचार) is commonly eaten with the stapledal-bhat-tarkari as well asmomo.[27] Manyachaar factories in Nepal are women-owned or operated by women.[28][29]
TheSindh province of modern-day Pakistan is noted for itsShikrarpuri andHyderabadi pickles. Both of theseachaar varieties are commonly eaten inPakistan and abroad.[30] Shikrarpuri pickle is believed to have originated during the 1600s in medieval India.[30] The most popular Shikarpuriachaar is a mixed pickle made of carrots,turnips, onions, cauliflower, chickpeas, garlic, green chillies, lime, and mango.[30] Another pickle is made fromfragrant manjack fruits.[31]
In Sri Lanka, green ginger, onion, and chilies are salted and flavoured with garlic, mustard seed, and vinegar. Other spices and sugar may be added. Either vegetables or fruits such as theCeylon olive (veralu) or thehog plum (amberalla) may be used.[32]
InSouth Africa andBotswana, Indian pickles are called atchar. They are made primarily from unripe mangoes and are sometimes eaten with bread.[36][37]
OnMauritius andRéunion a local variation is calledAchard de légumes in French orZasar legim inMauritian Creole. It is prepared with a mixture of vegetables like cabbage, carrots, green beans, chayote, palm heart and onions. This is spiced with cumin, turmeric, green chilies, red chilies, ginger, garlic, salt and vinegar.[38]
But in the Arab countries, Iran, and Afghanistan, grapes and palm are abundant, so vinegar is made out of them and the achaar in these countries is made by dipping onion, fruits etc. in vinegar.
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