Tetul Achar/ Tamarind Pickle (তেঁতুলের আচার)
Let us revisit an afternoon when we were still in our little laced and frilled frocks, running around without worrying about anything. All the elders are asleep, and we tiptoed to the kitchen or the store room where big white glass jars with a small piece of cloth tied on the mouth are. Making as little sound as possible, we pull open a jar, and the smell of homemade tamarind pulp mixed with other spices and condiments hits our senses. Trying hard not to salivate, we dip our four fingers in it and scoop out as much as possible. The satisfaction converts into a clicking sound with the tongue touching the palate. Mesmerising nostalgia!
Area of Procurement
South 24 Parganas, Purva Medinipur
Specifications
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Colour |
Tamarind pickle has a brownish caramel colour from the jaggery or sugar. |
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Flavour |
It gives off the tangy flavour of tamarind pulp with the smell of other spices. |
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Taste |
A small portion of this pickle in your mouth will take you on a roller coaster of tastes and flavours. A tangy and spicy kick with a little hint of sweetness and the overpowering sourness of tamarind pulp- you experience all of these. |
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How to store |
Any contact with air or moisture readily spoils pickles. It must be in an airtight container. As our mothers and grandmothers would say, any pickle is very ‘sensitive’. It grows fungus and moulds, etc. Keep the containers in a cool, dark place. |
What goes into it?
Pulp from the best quality tamarind is collected and strained. Spices including mustard seeds, chilli powder, fenugreek, panch phoron, etc., mix with the pulp. Aakher gur or Ekho Gur adds the right amount of sweetness. Next, we heat and simmer it until it reaches perfect viscosity. Let it cool and store it in airtight containers. Voila!
- MTA200G
