Atchara

Atchara

Atchara, also spelled as Achara or Atsara, is a Philippine condiment made from pickled unripe papaya. This dish is often served as a side dish for fried or grilled foods such as pork barbecue.

Preparation

The primary ingredient is grated unripe papaya. Carrot slices, julienned ginger, bell pepper, onion and garlic make up the other vegetable ingredients. Raisins or pineapple chunks may be added. Chilies, freshly ground black pepper, red pepper flakes, or whole peppercorns complete the mixture. These are then mixed in a solution of vinegar, sugar/syrup, and salt preserves. The mixture is placed in airtight jars where it will keep even without refrigeration. However, once opened, atchara is preferably stored in refrigeration to maintain its flavor.

Variants

• Sour Atchara - is prepared in the same way as normal Atchara except that no sugar is added.
• Bamboo Shoot Pickles - are prepared in the same way as Atchara, but use bamboo shoots instead of papaya.

See also

• Pickled cucumber
• Pickled onion
• Sauerkraut