Adding a dollop or two of pickle is an Indian habit which
transcends regions and states. It is
part and parcel of the Indian diet and the simultaneous melding of sweet, sour
and spicy tastes add new flavor dimensions to any food.
It is a rarely known fact that pickling is a method of
preservation that can be traced back to India. It is believed to have
originated 4,000 to 5,000 years ago. The hot Indian summers meant water
scarcity and consequently food production went down during summers. This gave
rise to the need to preserve excess food grown in winter.
The art of making pickles, or achaar as it is called in
India, was traditionally passed down through families by word of mouth. These
days commercial pickles are readily available, but they almost never match up
to the taste of homemade pickles.
Indian pickles are made from any variety of vegetables such
as gherkin, bitter gourd, carrots, cauliflower, ginger, garlic, onion,
jack-fruit and much more. Mixed vegetable pickle is also very common and is one
of the most popular varieties in India. Apart from these, there are also several
un-ripened fruits which are pickled, including mango, gooseberry, tamarind and
lemon. Some regions also pickles leafy greens while other places pickle chicken,
fish, prawns and mutton too.
Unlike western
pickle, Indian pickle is not just ingredients preserved in brine. Indian
pickling requires the ingredients to be first sun-dried thoroughly. Often salt
is added to hasten the process of sun-drying. The sun-dried ingredients are then
rubbed with dry spices and chili and bottled. The bottled stuff is topped with
a lot of oil and then sun-dried some more
.
There are some pickle recipes which cook the spices and raw
ingredients together instead of following the sun drying method. In fact, most
commercial pickles are made by cooking. This saves a lot of time, but it
compromises on the taste. Sadly, due to time constraints, more and more
families rely on commercial pickles these days. But, if you do get a chance to
try out homemade Indian pickles, do not miss it. It’s a spice explosion that
will leave your taste buds tickling for days.
A word of caution though; pickles are high in oil and salt
and should be avoided by people who are diabetic, high blood pressure, acidity
and gastritis.
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