Discovering Nepal’s “Achaar”
The first was a woman named Gunga who has the easiest laugh and a smile with a mouthful of teeth that lights up the nearby Himalayas. She built a fire in her kitchen to make some tea and when I queried about “achaar,” she shared with me her kimchi, which was quite sour with a nice kick of heat. Although language barriers prevented me from gettingthe exact recipe, I did ascertain that equal parts garlic, ginger and onion go into the making of it. She also uses tomato paste and something she buys in a store that she simply referred to as “kimchi sa
uce,” although when I pressed she was quick to clarify that it is not fish sauce. She makes kimchi in November of each year, so this batch I that I sampled was 10 months old which I’m sure added significantly to the sourness. She said it can last 2-3 years without problem (and without refrigeration).
what she referred to as “radish achaar.” I’m very excited as It adds a whole new twist to the veggie ferment game, that of partially drying the veggie prior to fermenting. I won’t say more yet as I want to get back to the states to flush out the recipe for myself before formally sharing here. I will say that it was delicious, however, and I’m eager to share it with you all.
I’d like to know how it keeps unrefrigerated – my kimchee turns to mush after a month or two. (there are great uses for that, but it’s not kimchee any more)
I keep mine refrigerated, but the woman who shared hers with me kept hers in a dark cool place. I think these things keep fine when unrefrigerated in general, but we still need to be cautious about mold spores landing on your kimchi and taking hold. If you keep your kimchi compressed so the liquid remains above the surface, and keep mold spores out, either through use of an airlock, fermenting crock or covered with good cloth, I would expect better longevity.
1.Can you ferment veggies in Kombucha tea ? 2.can kombucha leach mercury from teeth ?
Hi, Have you added an Achaar recipe here? Did not locate it.
Also on the ShivaKraut, haver you tried ginger both ways – fresh vs powdered? Much difference? Thanks!
I have not added an achaar recipe yet. Been meaning to, but haven’t fully perfected it yet.
As to ginger, I’m always a fan of fresh ginger as opposed to dried. Dried ginger doesn’t seem to have nearly the same rich flavor found in fresh ginger. Good luck!