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Malay achcharu
මැලේ අච්චාරු (Malay achcharu): sweet, sour and hot pickle of carrots, shallots, green chillies and dates in mustard and vinegar
Sri Lanka's Malay community, whose ancestors came from Java and the Malay peninsula under Dutch rule, gave the island this vivid pickle, and today no Eid biryani in Colombo's Slave Island or Hambantota is served without a bowl of it beside the plate. Carrot sticks, whole shallots and green chillies are blanched in vinegar, then coated in a thick, mustard-yellow paste of ground mustard seed, garlic, ginger, chilli and sugar, with soft dates stirred through for sweetness. It is crunchy, sharp and sweet all at once, a perfect foil for rich rice dishes and fried food. Rushing it to the table is the error most people make; the pickle needs at least a day in the jar for the mustard to mellow and the dates to melt into the sauce. Chef's tip: soak the mustard seeds in vinegar for an hour before grinding, which softens them and gives a smoother, creamier paste.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
For the vegetables
- 1 ¼ cups white vinegardivided
- 9 oz carrotscut into 5 cm batons
- 7 oz small shallotspeeled, left whole
- 10 green chilliesslit lengthways, seeds left in
- 3 ½ oz soft datespitted and halved
For the mustard paste
- 3 tbsp yellow or black mustard seedssoaked 1 hour in some of the vinegar
- 6 cloves garlic
- 4 cm piece fresh gingerpeeled
- 2 tsp red chilli powder
- 1 /2 tsp ground turmeric
- 3 ½ oz sugar
- 1 ½ tsp salt
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Pour 50 ml of 3 ½ tbsp white vinegar over 3 tbsp yellow or black mustard seeds in a small bowl and leave to soak for 1 hour.
Step 2: Bring half of ¾ cup white vinegar and an equal amount of water to the boil in a pan. Add 9 oz carrots, 7 oz small shallots and 10 green chillies and blanch for 1–2 minutes until just bright. Drain and spread on a clean cloth to dry.
3 minStep 3: Grind the soaked mustard with its vinegar, 6 cloves garlic and 4 cm piece fresh ginger to a smooth paste in a mortar or small blender.
Step 4: Put the paste in a pan with the remaining ½ cup white vinegar, 2 tsp red chilli powder, 1 /2 tsp ground turmeric, 3 ½ oz sugar and 1 ½ tsp salt and simmer over a low heat for 4–5 minutes, stirring, until the sugar dissolves and the sauce thickens slightly. Cool.
5 minStep 5: Toss the dry vegetables and 3 ½ oz soft dates in the sauce until well coated.
Step 6: Pack into a clean jar, cover and leave in the fridge for at least 24 hours before eating. It keeps for 2 weeks.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 140 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 24 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
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Good to know
- How long does malay achcharu take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of white vinegar?
- Cider vinegar or rice vinegar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of carrots?
- Parsnip or sweet potato, same weight.
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