Atchara
Atchara, is a pickle made from grated unripe papaya popular in the Philippines. This dish is often served as a side dish for fried or grilled foods such as pork barbecue.History
Atchara originated from Indian achar, which was transmitted to the Philippines via the acar of the Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei.Preparation
The primary ingredient is grated unripe papaya. Carrot slices, julienned ginger, bell pepper, onion and garlic make up the other vegetables. Raisins or pineapple chunks may be added, and chilis, freshly ground black pepper, red pepper flakes, or whole peppercorns complete the mixture. These are then mixed in a solution of vinegar, sugar/syrup, and salt preserves.
The mixture is placed in airtight jars where it will keep without refrigeration, however once opened it is preferably kept chilled to maintain its flavour.Variants
- Atcharang maasim - is prepared in the same way as normal Atchara except that no sugar is added.
- Atcharang labóng - are prepared in the same way as Atchara, but use bamboo shoots instead of papaya.
- Atcharang dampalit - made from Sesuvium portulacastrum, called dampalit in Tagalog.
- Atcharang ubod - made from palm hearts, called ubod in Tagalog.
- Atcharang sayote - made from chayote, bell pepper, carrots, and ginger.
