Indian Pickling 🇮🇳🍋
A not so successful attempt at making Achaar
I know very (very) little about Indian pickling except that I enjoy this condiment (Achaar) when eating at Indian restaurants. Atlas Obscura (one of my favorite sources of online classes) offered The Art of Indian Pickling taught by Chitra Agrawal, author of Vibrant India and creator of Brooklyn Delhi recipes and products, so I signed up and eagerly watched Chitra chop, mix, and make one of her delicious recipes.
Chitra’s set-up (which I tried to copy) looked amazing!
I took notes throughout the class and prepared my limes, salt, turmeric, and jars. My set-up (below left) didn’t look quite as good. The photo on the right shows my mason jar ready to be sealed on August 1st. Chitra advised that the jars sit for at least three weeks and be stirred every few days.
After 3 weeks, I opened a jar and ate one of the limes. The rind had softened enough for me to eat a whole piece easily. It wasn’t bad, but I decided it needed to sit some more.
The September 12th photo shows what my pickle looked like in the jar and out. I am fairly certain I did something wrong. It tasted the same as it did weeks ago, but I decided to try it as Chitra suggested, and that was with a bowl of rice.
Although I enjoyed the sauce/juice with the rice, the pickles themselves were still a little tough to eat - especially in larger quantities. Honestly, after a few forkfuls, I started feeling a little queasy. This was definitely not one of my more successful “50 Things”, so I think it’s time to crack open Chitra’s cookbook, Vibrant India, and follow the directions more closely.
Have you made Indian Pickles? If so, any idea where I went wrong?
Brooklyn Delhi Blog and Recipes
Try one of Chitra’s recipes! (See Links of the Week to get started). If you try something, I’d love to hear about it!
If you are not yet subscribed yourself, you can do that below and start receiving 50 Things in your inbox every Friday!
Thanks for reading! If you like this newsletter, please “like” this post by clicking on the heart button at the top or the bottom of this email. Have a great week! - Linda