Best Atchara Recipes

QUICK-PICKLED RED CABBAGE (ATCHARA)

Steps:

• Toss cabbage with vinegar, sugar, coriander, pepper, and salt in a large bowl. Massage spices into cabbage using your hands. Adjust seasoning as desired with additional sugar or salt. Stir in Thai chile. Cover and chill until sugar and salt dissolve, at least 30 minutes.

ATCHARA

Steps:

• Mix the papaya, carrots, shallots, chilli, ginger and garlic with a good sprinkle of sea salt and allow to drain in a sieve for 10 mins. Rinse the vegetable mix and drain well.
• Meanwhile, bring the cider vinegar, caster sugar and 90ml water to the boil, then turn off the heat. Put the vegetables into two 330ml sterilised jars, or an airtight container, and pour over the pickling liquid. Serve with the chicken inasal (see 'goes well with', below). Will keep in the fridge for five days.

ATCHARA (GREEN PAPAYA PICKLE)

Steps:

• If desired, save some small slices of papaya, carrot, and bell pepper to make garnishes like flowers, stars, crescent moons, etc.
• Peel the papayas. Cut them open and scrape out the seeds. Shred or grate the papaya. Place the shredded papaya in a large bowl. Sprinkle over the 1/2 cup kosher salt and mix well, to thoroughly coat papaya. Allow to sit for at least an hour (longer is better; halfway through, mix well again).
• Meanwhile, prepare jars. Use six 1-pint jars or combination. Sterilize jars: In a large pot with a rack on the bottom, place clean jars right side up. Fill with water to cover jars by 1 inch. (If hard water, add a splash of vinegar so jars don't dry spotty.) Bring to the boil, then boil for 10 minutes and turn off. Put clean lids in the pot to get warm. Leave jars and lids in hot water until needed.
• Prepare the other vegetables. Shred or grate carrots. Slice tops of jalapenos and remove seeds. Thinly slice red onion, bell pepper, jalapenos, and garlic (mandoline is very useful here). Peel and julienne the ginger. Combine all vegetables in a large bowl. Add the raisins. Mix well to combine.
• Make the brine. Combine the kosher salt, sugar, and vinegar in a pot. Cook over medium heat, only long enough to dissolve the salt and sugar. Turn off heat and allow to cool a little, until it's still warm but you can touch it. (This makes a bit too much brine but otherwise it's not enough!).
• When papaya is ready, transfer it to a colander, and rinse it well under running water. Turn it onto a kitchen towel or cheesecloth, and squeeze tightly to get all the water out of it. Add to bowl with vegetable mixture. Pick the papaya apart so it doesn't clump. Mix well with other vegetables.
• Place a kitchen towel on the counter. Remove jars from hot water, drain, and place on towel, right side up. Carefully fill with mixture; pack a little tightly; leave about 1/2 inch at the top. Fill each jar with brine, leaving 1/4 inch space at the top. Gently tap each bottle on the counter, and stir with a chopstick to remove any air bubbles.
• If adding garnishes, use the chopstick to poke them down the sides of the jars.
• Wipe jar tops clean. Place lids on jars, and tighten. (If using canning lids, place lids and hand-tighten rings.) Allow to cool. Keep refrigerated.

MAMA WATRI`S ATCHARA (PERFECT TO GO WITH FRIED AND GRILLED FOODS)

Steps:

• Soak in salt for 30 minutes the following : 2 & 1/2 kilograms zucchini and or green papaya and or chayote. rinse and drain thoroughly.
• In pan, boil 2 cups vinegar and 1 & 1/2 cups white sugar. Once boiled, set aside for 15 minutes.
• Combine the drained zucchini and or green papaya and or chayote together with 1/4 kilograms carrots in strips or in rounds, 1 & 1/2 tbsp ginger in strips, 1/2 large red green bell pepper in strips, 1/2 large red bell pepper in strips, 1 cup small-sized red onions in your desired cut. Combine everything to the already finished boiled vinegar with sugar (that you set aside earlier), add 3 tbsp salt , simmer for 5 minutes and serve. =)
• The recipe has a tangysweet taste and a very good side dish with anything fried and grilled. The zucchini, papaya & chayote can be grated very thinly like that of my photo where it gives you softness in texture, but it can also be cut a little thicker to have that crisp bite ( this is my favorite version ). Papaya is a tropical fruit and Chayote is also known as christophene, vegetable pear, mirliton, choko (in Australia and New Zealand)., all of which you can buy at any grocery stores (walmart and oriental stores)