Achard

Ingredients

Vegetables

• 1 kgmixed: carrot, cabbage, green beans, cauliflower, chayote, green papaya
• 2 tbspsalt, for drawing

Spice paste

• 3 tbspmustard seeds, ground
• 1 tbspground turmeric
• 6 clovesgarlic
• 3cm ginger
• 3red chillies
• 1 tspcumin seed

Also

• 250 mlmustard oil or vegetable oil
• 3 tbspwhite vinegar
• 1 tspsugar
• salt

To serve

• with bread, dholl puri or roti
• alongside curry or a rougaille

Directions

1. Cut everything into fine even matchsticks, about five centimetres long. Cut them uniformly, since this is eaten in forkfuls and mixed textures spoil it.
2. Take the time over this, since it is most of the work in the recipe. Now the blanching, which needs care. Toss the drained vegetables with salt and leave them in a colander for thirty minutes. Now squeeze them and dry them thoroughly with a cloth.
3. Grind the mustard seeds fresh, which gives far more pungency than ready-ground mustard powder. Mustard is the dominant flavour in achard and it should be assertive.
4. Heat mustard oil until it just smokes, then let it cool before using. Blend or pound the garlic, ginger, chillies and cumin into a paste. Fry the paste in a little of the oil for three or four minutes until the raw smell goes. Add the turmeric and ground mustard and cook for one minute only.
5. Take it off quickly once the turmeric goes in, since turmeric burns and turns bitter within a minute. Let the mixture cool completely. Combine the dried vegetables with the cooled spice mixture, the remaining oil and the vinegar.
6. Mix with your hands so every strand is coated in yellow. Add the vinegar and a little sugar, which balances the sharpness. Taste and adjust the salt, since it will taste less salty once it has stood. Pack it into a clean dry jar and press it down so the vegetables are submerged in oil. That layer of oil on top keeps air off and is what stops the pickle spoiling quickly.
7. Use a scrupulously clean, dry spoon each time you take some out. It is edible immediately and it is considerably better after twenty-four hours, once the flavours have penetrated. Serve it with bread, with dholl puri, or alongside a curry.

Technique

• It is a quick pickle rather than a long-cured one.
• Blanch the vegetables for seconds only, since they must stay crisp.
• They must be dried thoroughly or the pickle goes slimy.

Substitutions

• Vegetable oil in place of mustard oil.
• Any crisp vegetables in the same fine cut.

Variations

• Achard de palmiste, made with heart of palm, which is a delicacy.
• Made with green mango, which is common.
• Made hotter, with more chilli.

History

Vegetables blanched and cured in mustard oil and turmeric, an Indo-Portuguese pickle carried into the Indian Ocean by trade.

Frequently asked questions

What is Achard?

Achard is a sauce & condiment from Mauritius: mustard-dressed pickled vegetables eaten with bread. Vegetables blanched and cured in mustard oil and turmeric, an Indo-Portuguese pickle carried into the Indian Ocean by trade.

How long does Achard take to make?

Achard takes 30 min of preparation and 15 min of cooking. The recipe makes 1 large jar. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Achard?

Yes, within limits. Vegetable oil in place of mustard oil. Any crisp vegetables in the same fine cut.

What is the most important thing to get right in Achard?

Blanch the vegetables for seconds only, since they must stay crisp.