Achaar is the catchall term coined for the most popular Indian cuisine. North Indians make with Mustard oil, and the South Indians make it with sesame oil to produce the tangy, taste and salty heat pickle. It is a great combination when pairing with rice, a layer of paratha, stews and several others. As far as people of India are concerned, they love to pair it with lots of dishes, and it never fails to take place in the household preparations. Since the early days, women in India make it with different ingredients like fruits, roots, vegetables, berries like mango, lotus stem, amla, carrots, lime, ginger, chillies, kere Sangli, and several other spices and herbs.
Know about the Indian pickles
Pickle is derived from the Dutch word “pekel” with the meaning brine. Commonly, there are three types of pickles: preserved in vinegar, preserved in brine or salt and the last one is pickle preserved in oil. There are a plethora of ingredients used for pickling throughout the country. It offers the acidic punch by the humble pickle clears the plate and adds a little touch of drama and complexity to the boring dish with little effort. Even people do not like the main dish, this adds more to it in taste and inviting people to prefer it. To keep this grand tradition intact even in the busy days of the modern people, several companies are working to produce the pickles. They work to maintain the exotic, authentic flavours to have a readily available recipe for the people.
List of popular Indian pickles
In India, each region is famous for different pickles and ingredients in it. These are based on the famous fruits or vegetables in the respective places. Further, they also prepare the pickles based on the seasons as well. Here is the common list of top pickles you can easily find in Indian homes.
(Source & Recipe: Aam ka achar)
You might have heard mango as the king of fruits in India. This king never fails to rule the pickle as well. When you are looking for the list of top fruits to prepare pickles, the mango comes at the top in the list. It bursts with flavours from carom, cumin, mustard seeds, fennel, onion seeds, all drenched with mustard along with some of the handpicked raw mango chunks. Now, leave it in the sun, and magic happens there. Store it in the tight jar to ensure longevity and seal the favours of the combination. Whenever you need it, you can enjoy the divine taste of the product.
(Source & Recipe: Instant Lemon Pickle)
It is another condiment dish made with lemons, ground species, slat and the optional ingredient, oil. Almost all the households will love to do these pickles during the summer reason every year. It is the perfect side dish for digestion and aids indigestion.
(Source & Recipe: Gujarati Chana Methi Keri Pickle)
When you get into Rajasthan and Gujarat, you cannot find a home that serves you food with the presence of chana methi pickle. It is made of fenugreek seeds, chickpeas and mango. It is ideally the Rajapuri variety of mango used for juicy tangy edges. The fenugreek and chickpeas are soaked overnight and allowed to dry. Later, some amount of chopped mango chunks are added to it with the turmeric powder, yellow mustard powder, red chilli powder, salt, asafetida, cooled using the mustard oil. They store in a sterilized jar, and you can use it for a year.
(Source & Recipe: Amla Pickle)
It is the spicy relish that stimulates the delicious sourness of the tangy Indian gooseberries. The whole amlas are brined and aged in spices as the chillies, garlic, and mustard to enhance the pickle flavour along with mouth watery taste. This pickle will go well with rice and a wide range of parathas.
(Source & Recipe: Aam ka chunda)
Unlike other spicy pickles, this mango murabba is the tangy, sweet and aromatic raw mango jam most suitable for vegan as it is Gluten-free. This Murabba is originated from Gujarat. It is one of the traditional Indian pickles made from raw and unripe mangoes. The dish is all about two ingredients mango and sugar. With the jaw consistency, it pairs up with lots of dishes.
(Source & Recipe: Chilli Pickle)
It is one of the authentic Andra flavours to hold a crucial place in the list of pickles. It is spicy and tangy and it is enjoyed with several Indian recipes like steamed rice, paratha, etc. It is not only a delightful side dish, but it works great with the nutrition content as well.
Why do pickles take a predominant position?
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Adds piquancy to the table: One of the common reasons because of which people love a certain food and hate some are due to the taste. This is the precise reason that hot steaming rice and the liberal dose of mango or tomato pickle or any other specialized food are mixed with perfection to taste. When you add a drop of ghee with it, this combination is what the culinary dreams are made of.
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Vitamin content: Keep taste aside, the proper vitamin content is also necessary for the body. These pickles are made of some fruit or vegetable that is rich in vitamin content. This helps in synthesizing the human body and produces more energy. For example, tomato, mango and Gongura pickles offer a part of connective tissue to heal the wounds. Further, it also helps in boosting immunity and prevents several diseases.
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Retaining nutrients: Fiber and vitamin in the vegetables will usually retain in the pickle. All these will benefit your health and it is probably the reason pickles were invented and they occupies the top place in Indian dishes.
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A substitute for the blank menu: Can you imagine how many times the pickle has served as the substitute when you cannot prepare a side dish? It may be breakfast, lunch or dinner. It gets easily paired with lots of dishes and complements the dish both in terms of taste and nutrition.
Visit JustHaat to taste such delicious pickles!
Are you missing the exact taste of such great Indian recipes in the UK? Do not worry! Visit JustHaat, and you can find the list of ingredients that are necessary for preparing such a dish. Else, you can also look for the readymade product with perfectly handpicked ingredients to produce the exact taste and nutrients of the Indian Pickles. Pickles are not only tasty, but it is also healthy as well. So, hereafter, you need not feel your dining menu is incomplete without the pickle, and we are here to deliver it to you. Place your order now, and JustHaat will responsibly deliver it shortly!
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