flipAamer achar — green mango pickle with panch phoron
Aamer achar — green mango pickle with panch phoron
Why this dish? Before refrigerators, Bengali families jarred the surplus of spring green mangoes to last the year. For Bibha Chowdhuri, an indefatigable traveler — from Calcutta to Sandakphu, from Manchester to Bombay then Ahmedabad — a pot of homemade achar was the taste of home that keeps and travels.
Thin slices of green mango sun-dried then confit in mustard oil with toasted and ground panch phoron: a sour, spicy, powerful condiment that keeps for months and enlivens a simple plate of rice and dal.
In spring, when the mango trees bend under the still-green fruit, not one is wasted. We slice them, salt them, and entrust them to the terrace sun for several days — you must watch for the monsoon, otherwise all is lost! Then mustard oil and the five spices do the rest, and the earthenware jar keeps the summer locked in. Wherever I set down my photographic plates, a little of this achar brought Calcutta back to me.
- •Sour green mangoes — several, sliced (sour base)
- •Salt — generously (preservation)
- •Turmeric — a spoonful (color and antiseptic)
- •Mustard oil — to cover (preservation and body)
- •Panch phoron, toasted and ground — generously (aromatic signature)
- •Dried red chili — to taste (heat)
- •Palm sugar (gur) — a little (balance)
Aamer achar — green mango pickle with panch phoron
Thin slices of green mango sun-dried then confit in mustard oil with toasted and ground panch phoron: a sour, spicy, powerful condiment that keeps for months and enlivens a simple plate of rice and dal.
Why this dish? Before refrigerators, Bengali families jarred the surplus of spring green mangoes to last the year. For Bibha Chowdhuri, an indefatigable traveler — from Calcutta to Sandakphu, from Manchester to Bombay then Ahmedabad — a pot of homemade achar was the taste of home that keeps and travels.
In spring, when the mango trees bend under the still-green fruit, not one is wasted. We slice them, salt them, and entrust them to the terrace sun for several days — you must watch for the monsoon, otherwise all is lost! Then mustard oil and the five spices do the rest, and the earthenware jar keeps the summer locked in. Wherever I set down my photographic plates, a little of this achar brought Calcutta back to me.
Ingredients (period version)
- Sour green mangoes — several, sliced (sour base)
- Salt — generously (preservation)
- Turmeric — a spoonful (color and antiseptic)
- Mustard oil — to cover (preservation and body)
- Panch phoron, toasted and ground — generously (aromatic signature)
- Dried red chili — to taste (heat)
- Palm sugar (gur) — a little (balance)
Ingredients
- Very firm green mangoes — 2 (sour base)
- Coarse salt — 2 tbsp (preservation)
- Turmeric — 1 tsp (color)
- Mustard oil — about 150 ml (preservation)
- Panch phoron — 2 tbsp (signature spice)
- Dried red chili — 2 (heat)
- Palm sugar (gur) or brown sugar — 1 tbsp (balance)
Method
- Slice mangoes (with skin) into thin strips, mix with salt and turmeric.
- Spread on a tray and sun-dry for 1-2 days (or in a very low oven with door ajar) until water is gone and flesh is pliable.
- Dry-toast panch phoron and chili, then coarsely grind.
- Heat mustard oil until it lightly smokes, let cool slightly, then mix in ground spices and palm sugar.
- Coat mango strips with the spiced oil and pack tightly into a clean sterilized jar.
- Cover with a finger of oil, seal, and let mature for a week in a dark place before tasting in small touches.
How it was made : Solar drying and a covering of mustard oil — naturally antimicrobial — allowed the pickle to keep for months without refrigeration. Each family guarded its spice blend, passed from mother to daughter.
The contemporary twist : Serve a quenelle of achar on a thick yogurt cracker as a sour amuse-bouche, a nod to the 'pickle' trend.
Sources : Chitrita Banerji, 'Life and Food in Bengal' (1991) · Bengali domestic preservation traditions (achar)
Bibha Chowdhuri · Charactorium
