ACHAR of TAMARIND

Ingredients

• 500 grams ripe tamarinds (Choose fully ripe tamarinds with dark, soft pods. You will shell and remove the outer husks.)
• 2 teaspoons salt (Use to coat the shelled tamarinds before sun-drying. Adjust to taste.)
• 4 tablespoons mustard oil (Use enough to coat all the tamarinds well. Mustard oil gives the pickle its characteristic pungent flavour.)
• 1 teaspoon chilli powder (Ground dried chillies. Adjust quantity to your preferred heat level.)
• 1 teaspoon mustard powder (Finely ground mustard seeds. Adds a sharp, pungent flavour.)
• 1 teaspoon aniseed powder (Finely ground aniseed (saunf). Adds a mild, sweet, liquorice-like note.)

Instructions

1. 1Break open the outer shells of the ripe tamarinds by hand and peel them away. Remove and discard the hard outer pods. Pull away any fibrous strings running along the sides of the tamarind flesh. You should be left with the sticky, dark brown tamarind pulp with seeds still inside — do not remove the seeds at this stage. Work over a clean bowl to collect all the shelled tamarinds.
2. 2Place the shelled tamarinds into a large, clean bowl. Sprinkle the salt evenly over them and mix well with your hands or a spoon until the tamarinds are thoroughly coated. Spread the salted tamarinds out in a single layer on a large flat tray or plate. Place the tray outdoors in direct, strong sunlight. Leave them to dry completely in the sun — this may take 2 to 4 days depending on how intense the sunlight is. Bring the tray indoors each evening and return it to the sun each morning. The tamarinds are ready when they feel noticeably drier and firmer to the touch.
3. 3Transfer the sun-dried salted tamarinds into a large clean bowl. Pour the mustard oil over them — use enough so that all the tamarinds are well coated and glistening. Add the chilli powder, mustard powder, and aniseed powder. Using a clean spoon or your hands (wearing gloves if you prefer), mix everything together thoroughly so that every piece of tamarind is evenly coated in the oil and all the spice powders.
4. 4Transfer the spiced, oiled tamarinds into a clean earthen pot (a clay pot with a lid). An earthen pot is traditional and helps the pickle mature well, but a sterilised glass jar can be used if an earthen pot is not available. Pack the tamarinds in firmly, pressing them down gently. Cover the pot with its lid for now.
5. 5Place the earthen pot outdoors in direct sunlight every 2 to 3 days. Each time you put it in the sun, remove the lid completely and leave it open so that the sunbeams fall directly into the pot and onto the tamarind pickle. Leave it in the sun for several hours each time, then replace the lid and bring it back indoors. Continue this process over several weeks, sun-exposing the pot every 2 to 3 days. The pickle is ready when the tamarinds have deepened in colour and the flavours have melded and intensified. Taste a small piece after the first week to monitor the progress.