Spicy, tangy, salty, and with just the right hit of flavors, the Sri Lankan Malay Achcharu might just become your next favorite accompaniment.
Sri Lankan food is known for its bold, big flavors, and that’s not just limited to the curries. Take for example, the Sri Lankan Malay Achcharu- a pickle crafted with fresh veggies, which is spiced and then preserved in a mixture of dates and vinegar.
The flavors of this pickle are so on point, they’ll take your taste buds for a ride. And if that’s not enough, it is actually super healthy too- being packed with ingredients that go together so well.
Best of all, the pickle takes less than 30 minutes to put together- which is not a lot of effort for something that you can have with your meals almost every for months.
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Tempted enough to give the recipe a try? Scroll down and keep reading to discover all that you need to know about it.
Ingredients For the Recipe
You’ll need just a few simple ingredients to make the pickle.
- Dates: 6-7
- Vinegar: ½ cup
- Mustard paste: 2 tbsp
- Chili flakes: 2 tbsp
- Salt: 1 tbsp
- Carrots (batons): 1 cup
- Small onions: ½ cup
- Green chilies (slit): 8-10
Kitchen Tools Needed
How to Make the Sri Lankan Malay Achcharu
Once you have all the ingredients ready, here’s what you need to do to make the Sri Lankan Malay Achcharu .
Deseed the dates and blend them into a smooth paste using a little water.
Take the vinegar in a bowl and add the date paste.
Next, keep adding all the ingredients one by one.
Mix everything well.
Pickle is ready. Store it in an airtight glass container and enjoy it with your meals.
Frequently Asked Questions
While this recipe calls for the use of carrots and onions in specific, you can still add a lot more different veggies into the mix. Bell peppers are an excellent choice since they have a subtle flavor and lend a nice crunchy element. You can also add banana peppers if you don’t mind a bit of heat. Cucumbers are also great, but make sure you cut them in a size similar to the carrots.
If you have some cabbage, you can also grate them or roughly chop them before you add them to the date mixture. Remember that when you increase the quantity of veggies that you’re adding, you will need to balance it out by adding more dates, spices, and vinegar. 
While this recipe for the pickle already has the perfect balance of spices and flavors, you can still take it up a notch by adding some ginger or garlic or both into the mixture. Remember that adding raw ginger or garlic isn’t a great idea, so you might want to cook them with some vinegar and salt on a low flame for just a couple of minutes. Then, allow the mixture to cool down completely before you use it for the recipe.
If you prefer a sweeter taste to your pickle, you can also add some brown sugar or finely grated jaggery into the mixture. 
Storing the Sri Lankan Malay Achcharu is actually pretty easy. All you need to do is transfer it to a clean glass jar or container that has a tight lid, and refrigerate it. It can stay fresh in there for months- just remember to put the lid back on every time, and use a clean spoon to get the pickle out of the jar. This will help prevent the pickle from getting contaminated and reduce its risk of spoiling.
Tips to Make the Sri Lankan Malay Achcharu
Think you’re all set and ready to give the recipe a try? Keep these additional tips and tricks in mind to make sure you nail the recipe.
- If you don’t have mustard paste, you could use ground mustard seeds too. Just take 2 tablespoons of mustard seeds and process them in a food processor with a bit of water to get that fresh mustard paste.
- While synthetic viengar is the easiest choice for this recipe, if you can get your hands on coconut vinegar, use that instead. Coconut vinegar is actually a fermented vinegar that has a nice sharp acidic taste that cuts through the sweetness of the dates, just the way you would want it to.
- To increase the shelf life of the pickle, cut the veggies and allow them to air dry or pat them dry using paper towels before you combine them with the date mixture. Remember that the less the moisture that is introduced into the pickle mixture, the longer it is likely to last without spoilage.
- To increase the spice factor of the pickle, you can add some chopped green chillies or add a little more red chilly powder into the mixture.
- To make peeling the shallots easier, soak them in warm water for about 15 minutes and then remove the peel. Remember to allow them to dry before you use them for the pickle.
- Remember that the pickle might not taste great on the same day that you make it- but allow it 24 hours of refrigeration for all the flavors to mingle together and for the veggies to soften a bit, and then enjoy it.
- Want to lend a unique taste and flavor to your pickle and lend it that perfect Sri Lankan touch? Chop some roasted cashews and add them into the pickle too!
Serving Ideas & Suggestions
Your tangy and flavorful Sri Lankan Malay Achcharu tastes incredible when you pair it with any of your meals. You can serve it as an accompaniment with your biryani and any other rice dishes. You can also team it up with any curry and roti of your choice. And if you’re making a complete Sri Lankan feast, serve it with some pol roti, pol sambol, a flavorful curry like some sour chicken or pumpkin curry and some flavorful yellow rice or rotis.
Sri Lankan Malay Achcharu
Ingredients
- 6-7 pcs Dates
- ½ cup Vinegar
- 2 tsp Mustard paste
- 2 tsp Chili flakes
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 cup Carrots (batons)
- ½ cup Small onions
- 10 pcs Green chilies (slit)
Instructions
- Deseed the dates and blend them into a smooth paste using a little water.6-7 pcs Dates
- Take the vinegar in a bowl and add the date paste.½ cup Vinegar
- Next, keep adding all the ingredients one by one.2 tsp Mustard paste, 2 tsp Chili flakes, 1 tsp Salt, 1 cup Carrots, ½ cup Small onions, 10 pcs Green chilies
- Mix everything well.
- Pickle is ready. Store it in an airtight glass container and enjoy with your meals.
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