Achard Legumes- Mauritian Pickled Vegetable
A crunchy, spicy and mildly tangy pickle consisting of a trio of vegetables preserved in a garlic and spice tempered oil.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cabbage (300 g)
- 2 carrots (120 g)
- large handful green beans (120 g)
- 3 cloves garlic, halved
- 120 ml vegetable oil (1/2 cup)
- 1½ tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp ground fenugreek seeds
- 2 tbsp coarsely ground mustard seeds
- 2 green chillies (optional)
- 1 tsp white vinegar
- ½ tsp salt, or more to taste
Instructions
- Clean some jars by rinsing with hot water or by dropping into a large pot of boiling water for a minute. Allow to dry.
- Prepare the vegetables. Thinly slice the cabbage. Peel and julienne or coarsely grate the carrots. Thinly slice the green beans and cut to 2-3 cm in length.
- Microwave the vegetables in batches. Place the vegetables in a thin layer on a microwave-safe plate and microwave carrots for 40 seconds and remaining vegetables for 1 minute (see note below).
- Pat the vegetables dry as much as possible using a clean cloth/ kitchen towels.
- Add the halved garlic and chillies to cold oil in a pan and and allow to heat up on medium heat. Prick the chillies first in order to prevent them from bursting open in the hot oil.
- Once the oil is hot, add in the turmeric, ground fenugreek seeds, ground mustard seeds, vinegar and salt and stir until combined. Immediately, take off the heat. (If cooked for too long, the ground spices burn and impart a bitter taste to the oil).
- Pack the pickles into the jars, leaving as little space as possible and store in the fridge.
- Enjoy in baguette, roti or wrap. The pickles can also be eaten as a side or a savoury snack.
Notes
Cooking times differ for each microwave. Look for a slightly wilted but still crunchy texture tot the vegetables.