Sinhala achcharu (සිංහල අච්චාරු) is Sri Lanka's everyday mixed vegetable pickle. Small shallots, whole green chillies, strips of carrot and unripe papaya are briefly cooked in vinegar, then coated in a pungent paste of ground mustard, garlic, ginger and black pepper and left in a jar for a few days to mellow. The result is sharp, hot and crunchy, and a spoonful is served on the side of a rice and curry meal.
The word achcharu is related to achar, the South Asian word for pickle. The Sinhala style is built on vinegar and mustard rather than oil, which sets it apart from the oil-based pickles of India, and from the sweet Malay achcharu of Sri Lanka's Malay and Muslim communities, which is made with dates and sugar and is a favourite with biryani.
How to make Sinhala achcharu
- Makes about 800 g (1 large jar)
- Prep: 30 minutes (+ at least 2 days resting)
- Cook: 10 minutes
- Difficulty: Easy
For the vegetables
- 250 g shallots (small red onions), peeled and left whole
- 150 g small green chillies (about 20), slit lengthways with the stalks left on
- 200 g carrots, cut into thin 5 cm sticks
- 200 g green (unripe) papaya, peeled, seeded and cut into thin 5 cm sticks
- 200 ml vinegar (coconut vinegar or white vinegar), for blanching
- 1 tsp salt
For the mustard paste
- 2 tbsp black mustard seeds, or 2 tbsp mustard powder
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled
- 2.5 cm piece ginger, peeled
- 150 ml vinegar
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
- 2 tsp sugar (optional)
- 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
Method
- Make the paste. Grind the mustard seeds to a powder in a spice grinder or mortar. Add the garlic, ginger and 3 tbsp of the paste vinegar and grind to a smooth paste. Stir in the rest of the paste vinegar, the pepper, turmeric, sugar (if using) and salt.
- Heat the blanching vinegar. Bring the 200 ml blanching vinegar and 1 tsp salt to a simmer in a small saucepan over a medium heat.
- Blanch the shallots. Add the shallots and simmer for about 2 minutes, until the outer layer turns slightly translucent. Lift them out with a slotted spoon into a large glass or ceramic bowl.
- Blanch the other vegetables. Blanch the carrot, then the papaya, then the green chillies in the same vinegar, 30 to 60 seconds each, so they soften slightly but stay crunchy. Add each batch to the bowl.
- Combine. Let the blanching vinegar cool a little, then pour about half of it over the vegetables along with the mustard paste. Mix well until every piece is coated yellow.
- Jar it. Pack the achcharu into a clean, sterilised glass jar and press down so the vegetables are covered by the liquid; add a little of the remaining blanching vinegar if needed. Close tightly.
- Rest. Leave in a cool, dark place for at least 2 days, turning the jar over or giving it a stir once a day. The flavour is fuller after about a week.
Which vegetables go into achcharu?
Shallots and green chillies are the constant; almost every Sinhala achcharu has them. Carrot and green papaya are the most common partners, and some cooks use swede or turnip in place of papaya, or add a few cauliflower florets. Whatever you choose, cut firm vegetables into thin sticks of a similar size so they take up the paste evenly and keep their crunch. Soft, watery vegetables break down in the vinegar and are best left out.
What gives it its flavour?
The heat and sharpness come mainly from ground mustard seed, which turns pungent when it meets the vinegar, backed by Ceylon black pepper, garlic and ginger. Turmeric gives the familiar yellow colour. Many cooks use coconut vinegar, made from the sap of the coconut palm; white vinegar also works. A little sugar is optional, and some recipes leave out the garlic and ginger and use only mustard, vinegar and salt.
Is there another way to make it?
Yes. In an older home method the shallots, chillies and papaya are shallow-fried briefly in oil until pale instead of blanched in vinegar, then mixed with mustard powder, vinegar and salt. The pickle is packed into a clay pot or glass jar lined with a piece of banana leaf and left for 5 to 6 days, rolled over once a day, before eating.
How do you serve it?
Achcharu is a condiment, so a spoonful or two is enough. It goes on the side of rice and curry, where its sharpness cuts through coconut milk gravies and dhal curry. It can share the table with lunu dehi, the salt-pickled lime, which is sour and salty rather than mustardy.
How long does it keep?
Kept in a sealed glass jar with the vegetables covered by the vinegar, achcharu keeps for several weeks. Once opened, store it in the fridge and always serve with a clean, dry spoon. Do not let the pickle touch aluminium foil or a bare metal lid, as the vinegar reacts with them. The vegetables slowly soften over time.
