Fermented foods are  probiotic powerhouses  boosting the good bacteria in your gut and helping with overall health and immunity

“Achar” is a form of fermented food in the Indian subcontinent and essentially is a pickling process. It is one of the oldest methods of food preservation, sustaining communities through changing climate and seasons where the life of the crop could be extended by preserving it. The use of mustard oil if thought to create optimum environment for fermenting by reducing the formation of mold and yeast.

Kashmir, with it’s cold winters is very conducive to pickling a variety of vegetables such as kohlrabi, carrots, radish,  peppers etc. There is no vinegar in these pickles. Mustard oil is the main carrier in which fermenting agents like mustard and carom seeds are added. Once this this pickle will be exploding with flavors, hot, sour and salty and will last a long while on your shelves.

The basic recipe was for Monji Achar ( Kohlrabi pickle) from which I strayed a bit and added the crunchy turnips and carrots. The Kohlrabi leaves were also chopped and added them.

The key would be to dry out the cut vegetables in the sun for a day or so just to reduce the moisture.

Here are some more Kashmiri Recipes

• Bamchount – Kashmiri curried apples
• Nunar – Purslane Kashmiri Style
• Pumpkin Rogan Josh – Kashmiri
• Kashmiri Achar
• Gogji Nadir ( Lotus Stem with Turnips)
• Shalgam Sabzi ( Turnips)
• Haakh – Kashmiri Collard Greens
• Gand Chetin – Kashmiri Onion Chutney
• Kashmiri Phool Yakhni – Cauliflower in Yogurt sauce
• Kashmiri Chutney – Dodh AL ( Bottle Gourd in Yoghurt)