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Alu ka achar can bridge the gap between a vegetable and a pickle, writes Pushpesh Pant DRIVING
down from Shimla, one encounters many shops by the highway that
specialise in murg or meat ka achar — interesting stuff with
reasonably long shelf life. Vegetarians, too, can tickle their palate
with khumb ka achar. Imitation, it is said, is the best form of
flattery and enterprising people in Uttarakhand have set up stalls to
purvey similar stuff. Or, this is the impact of the Punjabi settlers
in the Terai region? We never forget to pick up bottles for home
whenever wayfaring in these parts. The only problem is that the
novelty soon wears off and what tasted great away from home is seldom
consumed as enthusiastically with everyday meal. The ‘pickle’ can’t
really compete with regular achar — pachranga, Priya or homemade. A
friend, sick of our grumbling, took up the challenge and recently
treated us to homemade alu ka achar — a hybrid if there ever
was one — that seeks to bridge the gap between a subzi and an The experience triggered a chain of old memories. Wasn’t it Marcel Proust, the great French novelist who observed that all of us spend our adult lives trying to recapture the lost sensations — alluring aromas and fleeting flavours — that seduced us in childhood? One remembered suddenly the wonderful alu ka achar mum used to prepare with the shelf life of just two days with kaccha sarson ka tel and mustard seeds — piquant not pungent. Sharp not stinging, sour slightly and spiced subtly. Alas the recipe has disappeared with her and the Nepali til wala alu ka achar, though interesting, falls far short. The appeal of all achari preparation, to our mind, is due to time-tested charm of pickling spices — traditional/regional tempered and tinkered by family recipes. Forget the bit about shelf life — go ahead and enjoy the achari alu as a snack, side dish or even main course for a light balanced meal. Don’t forget ever since the root/tuber made its long distance journey from the Andes, it has in many lands served as the staff of life.
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Ingredients