South Asian pickle: Difference between revisions

South Asian pickle
	Gujarati-style mango pickle
Alternative names	Achar, pacchadi, loncha, oorugai, avakaai
Type	Pickle
Course	Condiment
Place of origin	India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka
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, Atchar
	Media: South Asian pickle;

Browse history interactively

← Previous edit Next edit →

Content deleted Content added

VisualWikitext

Inline

Revision as of 09:25, 12 March 2023

South Asian pickles, also known as avalehikā, pachchadi, achaar (sometimes spelled as aachaar or achar), athaanu, loncha, oorugaai, or aavakaai, is a pickled food made from a variety of vegetables and fruits preserved in brine, vinegar, edible oils, and various South Asian spices. The pickles are popular across the South Asian subcontinent, with many regional variants.

Etymology

Etymology for pickles in South Asia varies regionally. The pickles are known as uppinakaayi in Kannada, avakaya in Telugu, oorugaai in Tamil, uppillittuthu in Malayalam, loncha in Marathi, athanu in Gujarati, and achaar in Hindustani (Hindi-Urdu), Nepali and Bengali.^[1] Early Sanskrit and Tamil literature uses the terms avalehika, upadamzam, sandhita, and avaleha for pickles.^[2]

Āchār, a loanword of Persian origin, entered popular use as the Hindustani term for pickles under the Mughal Empire.^[3] In Persian, the word āchār is defined as "powdered or salted meats, pickles, or fruits, preserved in salt, vinegar, honey, or syrup."^[4]

History

Early pickle recipes in Ayurvedic and Sangam period texts mention several varieties of pickles, including the earliest known mention of mango pickles.^[2] Nalachampu, a Sanskrit epic written by Trivikrama Bhatta in 915 CE, describes pickles made from green mango, green peppercorns, long pepper, raw cardamom, lemon, lime, myrobalan, hog plum, stone apple, and fragrant manjack.^[5] Early medieval cookbooks such as Lokopakara (1025 CE), Manasollasa (1130 AD), Pakadarpana (1200 AD), and Soopa Shastra (1508 AD), Kshemakutuhala (1549 AD) 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, and bamboo shoots. The religious text Lingapurana by Gurulinga Desika (1594 CE) mentions more than fifty kinds of pickles.^[6] Unique pickles made from edible flowers are also mentioned in the Ni'matnama (1500 CE) cookbook.^[7]

Chili peppers were introduced to South Asia by Portuguese traders in ports controlled by the Mughal Empire on the western coast of Gujarat. It is unclear when red chili peppers came to be used in pickles as they are today, since medieval texts do not mention their use in pickles.^[2] Before the introduction of chili peppers by the Portuguese, black pepper, long pepper, and Piper chaba (in both fresh and dried forms) were the main source of heat in ancient and medieval pickles.

Ingredients

Indian mixed pickle, containing lotus root, lemon, carrot, green mango, green chilis, and other ingredients

Achar gosht, a meat curry cooked with flavors borrowed and amalgamated from pickle

Chili peppers are the decisive ingredient in South Asian pickles,^[8] though other ingredients vary by region within the Indian subcontinent. Some commonly used ingredients are limes, lemons, mangoes, ginger, and eggplants.

In India, there are two main types of pickles: pickles made with sesame or mustard 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 traditional ganne ka sirka (sugarcane vinegar) may also be used as brine.^[3] In some pickles from Gujarat and Rajasthan, jaggery is used as the main preserve.

Homemade pickles are prepared in the summer. They are matured through exposure to sunlight for up to two weeks.^[9] The pickle is tradtionally covered with muslin while it is maturing.^[10]

Regional variations

Bangladesh

In Bangladesh Bengali achar are also known as Asar in local accents. Shatkora Achar is a Achar of Shatkora. Shatkora achar is native to Sylhet. Chui jhal achar is a Achar made of Chui jhal. Chui jhal achar is native to Khulna. Othe Bengali achar such as chaltar achar, Amer achar (Bengali mango pickle), boroiyer achar (plum pickle), jolpai achar (olive pickle), Amrar achar (hog plum pickle), Amer jhuri achar ( ramshackle mango pickle) are popular too. paanchmishali achar are Bengali pickles are 5 in 1 some unique way of making Bengali achar/Asar. Achar in bengali culture are usually consumed with meals. The pickles which are consumed usually as snack and not with meals are called mauri achar. Mauri achar are usually sweet or a mix in between sweet, sour and spicy. In Bengali culture these type of achar are called tok-jhal-mishti achar (meaning sour/tangy, spicy and sweet pickle).The one ingredient which is must for making Bengali achar is Shorishar tel. Some dishes which are made with Bengali achar are achari begun (Bengali pickled eggplant curry) and achari Mangsho (Bengali pickle meat curry) which is usually made of mutton or beef.

India

Despite using the same main ingredients, differences in preparation techniques and spices have led to wide variation in Indian pickles. A mango pickle from South India tastes very different from one made in North India, as the southern states prefer sesame oil and tend to produce spicier pickles, while the northern states prefer mustard oil.

The city of Panipat in Haryana is well-known as a hub for commercial achaar, and is particularly famous for pachranga (literally "five colors," prepared with five vegetables) and satranga (literally "seven colors," prepared with seven vegetables). Pachranga and satranga achaar are matured in mustard oil and whole spices with ingredients like raw mangoes, chickpeas, lotus stem, karonda, myrobalan, and limes. Pachranga achaar was first created in 1930 by Murli Dhar Dhingra in Kaloorkot, a village in the Mianwali District of what is now Pakistan. Dhingra's descendants brought the pickle to India in 1943. As of 2016, Panipat produced over ₹500 million (equivalent to ₹720 million or US$8.6 million in 2023) worth of achaar every year, supplied to local markets as well as exported to the UK, USA, and Middle East.^[11]^[12]^[13]

In South India, most vegetables are sun-dried with spices, taking advantage of the immensely hot and sunny climate in the region. The sun-drying process naturally preserves the vegetables, along with spices such as mustard, fenugreek seeds, chili powder, salt, asafoetida, and turmeric. To speed up the process, vegetables may be cooked before drying.

The states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh are particularly well-known for their spicy pickles. Unripe mango with garlic and ginger (āvakāya in Telugu) and unripe tamarind with green chilies (cintakāya in Telugu) and red chillies (korivi kāram in Telugu) are a staple with everyday meals. Gooseberry (usirikāya in Telugu) and lemon (nimmakāya in Telugu) pickles are widely eaten as well.

In the state of Tamil Nadu, the mango pickle māvaḍu is a staple condiment. Māvaḍu is usually made early in the summer season, when mangoes are barely an inch long. The preservation process uses castor oil, giving the pickle a unique taste. Tamil Nadu is also known for the nārttaṅgai, which consists of unripe citrons cut into spirals and stuffed with salt, and for mōr miḷagai, which consists of sun-dried chillies stuffed with salted yogurt.

In the state of Karnataka, the tender whole mango pickle māvina uppinakāyi is made by dehydrating tender whole mangoes with salt.

South Indians living in the coastal areas also pickle fish and meats. In Tamil Nadu, karuvāḍu is made by salting and sun-drying fish. Nettili karuvāḍu, made from anchovies, is among the more popular varieties of karuvāḍu. In Kerala, tuna and sardines are finely chopped, marinated in spices, and cooked on the stove top to make in mīn acār. While fish and shrimp pickles are eaten in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, they are not as popular as lamb and chicken pickles.

Unripe mangoes, lemon, green chilis, gundā (Cordia dichotoma), and kerda are commonly used as key ingredients in Gujarati pickles. Common Gujarati pickles include salted mango pickle made with groundnut oil and spiced with fenugreek seeds and red chili powder; hot and sweet mango pickle made with groundnut oil and jaggery, fennel seeds, dry dates (khārēk), mustard, and red chili powder; and hot and sweet mango pickle made with sugar syrup, cumin, and chili powder.

Myanmar (Burma)

The Burmese word for pickle is thanat (Template:Lang-my). 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, and mustard seeds.^[14]^[15] Mango pickle is commonly used as a condiment alongside curries and biryani in Burmese cuisine.^[16] It is also a mainstay ingredient in a traditional Burmese curry called wet thanat hin (ဝက်သနပ်ဟင်း).^[17]

Nepal

In Nepal, achaar (Template:Lang-ne) is commonly eaten with the staple Dal-Bhat-Tarkari.^[18] Many achaar factories in Nepal are women-owned or operated by women.^[19]^[20] Nepalese achaar is made with spices such as mustard seeds, timur (Sichuan pepper), cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, and chili powder. Some of the popular varieties of achar eaten in Nepal are:

Lapsi achaar - Hog plum pickle (can be sweet, savoury, or both)
Khalpi achaar - Ripe cucumber preserved with mustard seed, oil, and spices
Dalle khursani achaar - Nepali round chili pickle
Tama achaar - Fermented bamboo pickle
Gundruk achaar - Fermented mustard leaves pickle
Mula ko achaar - Sun-dried radish and daikon preserved in oil and spices
Karkalo achaar - Pickled stems of Colocasisa
Kinema achaar - Fermented soybean pickle
Buff achaar - Pickled buffalo meat
Chicken achaar - Pickled chicken
Aanp ko achaar - Unripe mango pickle (can be sweet, savoury, or both)
Kagati ko achaar - Lemon pickle
Timur ko chop - Powdered Sichuan pepper with spices
Jhinge machha achaar - Freshwater shrimp pickle

Pakistan

The Sindh province of modern-day Pakistan is noted for Shikrarpuri achaar and Hyderabadi achaar. Both of these achaar varieties are commonly eaten in Pakistan and abroad.^[21] Shikrarpuri achaar is believed to have originated during the 1600s in medieval India.^[21] The most popular of variety of Shikarpuri achaar is a mixed pickle comprising carrots, turnips, onions, cauliflower, chickpeas, garlic, green chillies, lime, and mango.^[21]

Sri Lanka

Pickles are known as acharu in Sinhala or oorugai in Tamil.^[22]

Africa

In South Africa and Botswana, Indian pickles are called atchar. They are made primarily from unripe mangoes and are sometimes eaten with bread.^[23]^[24]

References

^ A Brief History Of The Humble Indian Pickle https://theculturetrip.com/asia/india/articles/a-brief-history-of-the-humble-indian-pickle/
^ ^a ^b ^c The Story of Our Food by K.T. Achaya (2003)
^ ^a ^b Mohsen Saeidi Madani (1993). Impact of Hindu Culture on Muslims. M.D. Publications Pvt. Ltd. pp. 153–. ISBN 978-81-85880-15-0.
^ "A Brief History Of The Humble Indian Pickle". Culture Trip. 28 November 2016. Retrieved 1 January 2019.
^ Social Life in Medieval Karnāṭaka, pg7, Jyotsna K. Kamat · 1980
^ Culinary Traditions of Medieval Karnatak The Soopa Shastra of Mangarasa III By Maṅgarasa. N. P. Bhat, Nerupama Y. Modwel, Es. En Kr̥ṣṇajōyis (2012)
^ From night jasmine to banana blossoms: India’s centuries-old love affair with edible flowers by Priyadarshini Chatterjee Jul 13, 2018 https://scroll.in/magazine/881094/from-night-jasmine-to-banana-blossoms-indias-centuries-old-love-affair-with-edible-flowers
^ Jean Andrews (2005). The Peppers Cookbook: 200 Recipes from the Pepper Lady's Kitchen. University of North Texas Press. pp. 26–. ISBN 978-1-57441-193-5.
^ "Pickling in the hot sun". Archived from the original on 2014-02-17. Retrieved 2014-02-17.
^ Mango pickle recipe
^ Our desi drive-ins
^ Spice of life: Surrender to Panipat pickle!, The Tribune, June 2016
^ The road to Kashmir through Haryana
^ "သရက်သီးသနပ် (Spicy Green Mango Pickle)". Food Magazine Myanmar (in Burmese). Retrieved 2019-07-11.
^ "သရက်သီးသနပ် (အခြောက်) (Spicy Dry Mango Pickle)". Food Magazine Myanmar (in Burmese). Retrieved 2019-07-11.
^ "အလှူ မင်္ဂလာဆောင်တို့ရဲ့ ဇာတ်လိုက်ကျော် ဒံပေါက်". MyFood Myanmar (in Burmese). 10 May 2016. Retrieved 2019-07-11.
^ "ဝက်သားဟင်း ၄ မျိုး". We Media (in Burmese). Retrieved 2019-07-11.
^ Rai, Sikuma. "The mother of all pickles". Retrieved 2022-02-24.
^ "Nepali pickle makers come into their own". kathmandupost.com. Retrieved 2022-02-24.
^ "Navaras: Pickles". ECS NEPAL. Retrieved 2022-02-24.
^ ^a ^b ^c "All you need to know about Shikarpur's pickle". Daily Times. 1 October 2017. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
^ Sri Lankan Achcharu Recipe, retrieved 2021-05-19
^ "Pickled Vegetables" (PDF). Practical Action - The Schumacher Centre for Technology and Development. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-12-21. Retrieved 2019-07-11.
^ "Pickled Vegetables" (PDF). Practical Action. 2011. Retrieved 29 November 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

@@ Line 37: / Line 37: @@
 [[File:Mango_Pickle_(17280922024).jpg|220x124px|thumb|right|Bengali mango pickle]]
 [[File:Khichuri_platter.jpg|220x124px|thumb|right|Achar with [[khichdi|Khichuri]]]]
-[[File:Panta_Ilish.jpg|220x124px|thumb|right|[[Panta]] [[ilish]] ([[Pohela Boishakh|Bengali New Year meal]]) served with [[Bharta|Vorta]] and achar]]
+[[File:Panta_Ilish.jpg|220x124px|thumb|right|[[Panta bhaat|Panta]] [[ilish]] ([[Pohela Boishakh|Bengali New Year meal]]) served with [[Bharta|Vorta]] and achar]]
 ===India===