This is a particularly versatile sauce that can be vegan, vegetarian, or made with meat. Some people add a little yoghurt to the sauce before serving, for this version I keep it plain as I like to really taste the spicy, sweet, and sour flavours together. Plus it has that neon orange takeaway look. It also happens to be extremely easy. Achar is the Hindi/Urdu word for pickle, and the main flavours of this recipe come from pickles, mango and lime in this case, and a tablespoon of Panch Phoron which you can also substitute with any curry powder or garam masala. Panch Phoron is a spice mix that originates from Bangladesh and Southern Nepal. It can be found online and in your local Asian supermarket, it translates to 'Five spices' which are cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, fennel seeds, mustard seeds, and kalongi or nigella seeds. Unlike a lot of spice mixes in India it is not ground but kept whole. Most pickles contain the above seeds which means you can substitute the panch phoron, and you could always add a little more of what you do have. And you can always make your own by combining the above seeds in equal measure.
INGREDIENTS:
-500g of any meat and/or vegetables. This works well with mushrooms, aubergine, carrots, radish, potatoes, green beans, peas, cauliflower, and paneer. For meat use diced chicken, lamb, or beef. -Three onions, white or red, finely chopped -A heaped tablespoon of ginger garlic paste, or 5 cloves of garlic cloves crushed and chopped, and an inch of grated ginger -One tin of tomatoes -One tablespoon of mango chutney, chop any big bits -One tablespoon of lime pickle, chop up any big bits -One tablespoon of panch phoron, or curry powder, or garam masala, or a teaspoon each of black pepper, cumin, garam masala, ground coriander, turmeric, fenugreek, and garam masala each -Salt and pepper to taste
Optional: One bay leaf, yoghurt stirred in just before serving, chopped coriander for garnish
METHOD:
-Heat up a little oil in to a pan, add your whole spices and toast for a minute, stirring frequently so that they don't burn -Add in your onions and ginger garlic. Cook until they start to soften -Add in your meat and cook for five to ten minutes, or vegetables and cook until almost done but still tender, if you are cooking both together brown your meat first -Add in chopped tomatoes and chutneys, add two teaspoons of salt and a touch of ground pepper -Simmer for twenty minutes, adding only a touch of water if needed. Keep cooking until your ingredients are cooked through/you have the consistency you desire -If using yoghurt, lower the heat first then stir in. Garnish with chopped coriander if you have it -Enjoy!
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