Relishes, Pickles & Ferments

Appears in
Lands of the Curry Leaf
Lands of the Curry Leaf

By Peter Kuruvita

Published 2018

  • About

When I go home to Sri Lanka or travel the subcontinent for work, or just for pure enjoyment, there is one thing I really look forward to: the pickles.

Pickles and relishes are fantastic, served on top of dhal, slathered on flaky flat breads, or with curries. There is nothing like their immediacy to liven the senses.

I remember my first taste of the Sinhalese pickle known as achcharu, a mix of all the vegetables and chillies found in the markets: upcountry carrots, green papaya, very small Bombay onions and super-hot green chillies, all pickled in a mixture of ground brown mustard seeds and coconut vinegar. It made my mouth come alive.