For many households across India, the love for pickles is straight up lit! 🔥 From grandmas' secret recipes passed down through generations to regional pickle varieties that have achieved cult status - India's pickle madness is so extra, it's iconic! 💯
At the heart of this pickle mania lies a delicious marriage of spices, oils, and the crunchiest of veggies or fruits. Pickles are more than just a side piece - they are the flavor bombs 💣 that can make or break a meal. A humble Indian thali is simply incomplete without at least two or three pickle varieties flexing on the plate.
The Pickle Pantheon
While every Indian region boasts of its signature pickle, some legendary varieties are the real MVPs in the pickle pantheon:
Achaar From the North:
The piquant Kashmiri Aachar made with tomatoes, garlic, and potent Kashmiri chilies 🥵 The tangy-mustard Punjabi Achar. The mixed vegetable Gujarati Athanu. And of course, the quintessential new bride's test in many homes - the perfect Nimbu ka Achaar (lemon pickle) 🍋
Pachhadis of the West:
The fiery Laal Chaameli ki Pachhadi made with bright red chameli buds 🌺 The iconic Bharit made with cumin-fried veggies from Maharashtra. Not to mention the Kairichi Pachhadi unique to the Pathare Prabhu community.
Ruchis, Oorugais & Uppilichchi of the South:
The versatile gongura/sorrel leaves pickle 🍃 The treasured Moor Milagai Oorugai made with hot chillies and garlic from Tamil Nadu 🌶️ The iconic mango and lime variants from Andhra. And of course, the multitude of coconut-based ruchis from Kerala. 🥥
Achar Ghar of the East:
The tongue-tickling Kancha Aamer Talkaa from Bengal 🍋 The baarakoli/mustard stem pickle from Odisha. And the unmatched Sattu Achar with roasted chickpea powder from Bihar.
It's no wonder then that some of the biggest jars and maturkas are reserved specially for pickles in most Indian kitchens! They add that tangy, spicy, umami punch to every humble meal. So go ahead and indulge your pickle obsession - after all, a little achaar atop rice or roti is the very essence of desi comfort food! 😋