The whole business of pickling has developed strong links with the Petites et Moyennes Entreprises sector. You’ve got to be blind if you attend a SME fair and fail to see a single marchand zasar.
Pickles, however, have a very ancient history as one of the oldest methods of preserving food. It used to be common practice in every household but not seen as often in working families where cooking comprises a fried burger or a boiled mine appollo.
I was lucky to pick up the science of making indian pickles from my mum and auntie. I think my auntie makes the best I’ve known so far. With fruit trees in adundance around her house she can try different combinations at different times of the year, my favourite being achard fruit de cythère – also known as pomme or prune de cythère – or simply, fruit de cythère pickle.
I dunno if you get confused between the terms achard/zasar and kouchia as they are often used interchangably. Kouchia is commonly made from green mangoes or fruit de cythère where the pulp is removed, pounded and squeezed to remove most of the juice. It is then ready for pickling and can be stored for about a month.
Achard requires a lengthier procedure as the fruit has to be split in quarters along with the seed and sun dried for days before it is ready. The shelf live is comparatively longer; over a year in properly sterilised jars. Hope that was not too technical.
SPICES FOR ACHARD – STEP 1
Ingredients:
1/3 cup [20 g] mustard seeds
1 tsp fenugreek seeds/ methi, roasted
1/2 cup dried red chillies
1 bulb garlic, peeled and cut into pieces
1-2 tbs turmeric powder/haldi
Method:
- Grind mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds together into a fine powder. Add a little water and grind again into a fine paste.
- Grind garlic and dried chilies with a little water into a paste.
- Combine mustard paste, garlic-chilli paste and turmeric to get a thick paste that is uniformly yellow in colour.
The best way of preparing the spices paste is by manually grinding them on a roche carri or grinding stone. This traditional kitchen ‘equipment’ consists of a large stone slab and a smaller cylindrical one which is rolled over the slab such that the spices get ground between the two stone surfaces. It may not be as easy as operating an electric grinder but the end result is much more superior.
You can prepare your spices and store them in the fridge in advance. The same spice paste is used for the next 3 recipes.
ACHARD FRUIT DE CYTHèRE
Ingredients:
10 green Fruits de Cythère
5 green chillies, chopped
2-3 tbs spice paste, as above
1/2 tsp salt
3-4 tbs vegetable oil
Method:
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Peel fruits de cythère and cut flesh into large chunks. Use a sharp knife but be careful as you may have some difficulty to cut through the tough fibrous parts.
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Discard the core. Coarsely pound the chunks on your roche carri or in a large mortar with pestle.
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Collect it in a clean cotton cloth and squeeze to extract as much juice as you can. Some people like to leave this hanging and let the juice drip off.
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Your fruit de cythère is now ready for pickling.
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Heat oil in a frying pan and add spice paste and salt to it. Allow to cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
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Add fruit de cythère and chillies. Stir till well combined.
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Store in sterilised jars in fridge for upto 1 month.
APPLE & CARROT PICKLE
Ingredients:
3 Granny Smith apples, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
5-10 green chillies, chopped
2-3 tbs spice paste, as above
1/2 tsp salt
3-4 tbs vegetable oil
Method:
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Heat oil in a frying pan and add spice paste and salt to it. Allow to cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
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Add apples, carrots and chillies. Stir till well combined.
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Store in sterilised jars in fridge for upto 1 month.
PICKLED GREEN CHILLIES
Ingredients:
1 cup chopped green chillies
1 tbs tamarind paste
2-3 tbs spice paste, as above
1/2 tsp salt
3-4 tbs vegetable oil
Method:
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Heat oil in a frying pan and add spice paste and salt to it.
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Add tamarind and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
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Remove from heat and allow to cool.
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Add chopped chillies. Stir till well combined.
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Store in sterilised jars in fridge for upto 1 month.
In response to my friend Nema’s request, I’m also including the recipe for achard legumes/pickled vegetables here.
ACHARD LEGUMES
Ingredients:
2 medium carrots, cut into thin sticks
1 cup french beans, split lengthwise and cut into strips
1/2 of a medium sized cabbage, shredded
1 large bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 small cauliflower, cut into small florets
3 tbs spice paste, as above
1/2 tsp salt
4 tbs vegetable oil
Method:
- Bring water to boil in a large saucepan. Add 1 tsp salt.
- Dump carrots and french beans in boiling water for a minute.
- Remove with a slotted spoon. Place in a cotton cloth and allow excess water to drain.
- Blanching causes the veggies to soften slightly and lose their raw taste. Repeat for cabbage, pepper and cauliflower.
- Make sure they are all moderately dry before next step.
- Heat oil in a frying pan and add spice paste and salt to it.
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Allow to cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
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Remove from heat and allow to cool.
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Add vegetables and stir till well combined.
Use your homemade pickle to add extra punch to any Indian meal. Makes a great housewarming gift in an attractive package.
19 comments
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February 22, 2010 at 5:31 pm
cindy
aaaa, i miss these zasar!!
February 22, 2010 at 6:48 pm
Boodantek
very informative … 🙂 ..
February 24, 2010 at 7:45 am
Anju
Yummy! ah mauritian zasar, doesn’t get any better than this. love it. and koutia too. am adding you to my blogroll prerrna.
February 24, 2010 at 6:25 pm
prerrnamirchi
Thnx. Hope u dnt mind me adding u on my ‘Inspired By’ page under ‘Mauritian Bloggers’
April 20, 2010 at 7:40 pm
Cycling_Chef
Very interesting! Beautiful food photos. Thanks.
August 6, 2012 at 5:45 pm
Rajma Masala/ Kidney Beans Curry/ Carri Zarico Rouz « Heaven on a Spoon
[…] Rajma masala remains my all-time favourite vegetarian dish. The pungent aroma of spices, the ease of preparation and the variety of sides with which it can be served are all those characteristics that make it so dear to me. Originally from northern india, this tasty bean curry can be stirred into a pot of steamed white rice to create the famous rajma chawal though I know many who prefer it served with hot faratas along with a touffé de brèdes and achard fruit de cythère. […]
November 19, 2012 at 2:11 pm
Avecvi
Hi Prerna- i came across your blog when I was looking for an “achard legumes” recipe. Good recipe but why on earth do you call them “Indian”? I agree that the inspiration and original recipes certainly came from the Indian subcontinent but we (as in Mauritians) have adapted them so much that our achards are our own now. Try as you may you’ll never get an achard legume which is like ours in India- and they certainly aren’t eaten in the same way we do either (e.g stuffed in a baguette – yum!).
I hope you don’t mind! Cheers!
November 19, 2012 at 8:42 pm
prerrnamirchi
hi i did not really give it a thought when i put the post title as “indian pickle” but as u rightly pointed out it should have been our very own mauritian pickle. I’m gonna correct that stat. thnx for pointing it out 🙂
November 24, 2013 at 6:08 pm
Fafafafa
Nice
December 31, 2013 at 2:37 pm
Riaz
This is great! Thank you very much
April 7, 2014 at 2:14 pm
Pooja
Hi, your recipes inspire me a lot. It’s feels so good to know that pure Mauritian recipes can be found online. And I think you’re a great cook. 🙂
I wonder if it’s alright I make a request on any other pickle you might know, like piment crazer. Thank you for blogging. 🙂
April 10, 2014 at 6:12 pm
prerrnamirchi
hi pooja plz send me ur request and I will see if I can add it on the blog soon 🙂
October 30, 2014 at 10:05 am
Brinda Mungra
Hello, I & my family we live in Lausanne Switzerland, but here nothing Indian/Mauritian. Do You know how to make curry powder with the amount quantity of spices–do tell me the exact quantities of spices needed & the ingredients (.spices). Good day
November 10, 2014 at 7:55 pm
prerrnamirchi
hello brinda, I dnt usually make curry powder at home as it is easily available in all shops and supermarkets here. will send u a recipe as soon as I work out the exact amounts. cheers!
November 11, 2014 at 6:29 am
Brinda
Thanks & good day
September 9, 2016 at 10:10 pm
Marie
Love the recipe. Thanks for sharing. I’ve just made some on Thursday. It was my first attempt. Taste good probably not as good as my mother’s pickle.. I need to try it on my friends.
September 19, 2016 at 6:50 pm
prerrnamirchi
Thank you Marie! I’m sure your friends will be more than happy to taste your 1st attempt 🙂
September 10, 2017 at 12:59 am
Angie
Ha! Just accidentally came across your little gem of a blog while looking up the English word for fruit de Cythere(?). Anyway, i didnt find the English word but i did find your great receipes. Please keep them coming – other people of the world should really know how great, healthy and sustainable Mauritian cuisine really is, how it uses the best from Creole, Indian, Chinese and French and how much of a great balanced diet Mauritian cuisine is. Love it! Keep going couzin! If i may make one small request it would be for a receipe for chatini coco….. 🙂
September 10, 2017 at 4:00 pm
prerrnamirchi
Hello Angie. Thank you for taking time to share your appreciation and good wishes on my blog. Will definitely do a post on chatini coco just for you. In fact I like to have requests from my readers as it motivates me to come up with new posts and recipes 🙂