Pickles & Condiments
Mula ko Achar (Radish Pickle)
मूलाको अचार
Mula ko achar is a sun-dried, mustard-heavy radish pickle that ferments slowly in the jar until it turns sour, pungent and addictively crunchy. Nepali households make it in bulk when winter radishes flood the markets, dry the batons on the roof for a day or two, then let the jar sit in the sun for a fortnight. It is a staple accompaniment to dal-bhat and one of the best-loved achars in the hills.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Serves
- 12
- Difficulty
- Medium
At the stove
Method
Wash, trim and peel the radishes, then cut them into batons roughly the thickness of a finger.
Toss the batons with the salt and turmeric and leave for an hour or two; they will weep a surprising amount of water.
Squeeze out the liquid and spread the radish in a single layer on a tray or cloth to dry in strong sun for a day, or two if the weather is weak. They should end up leathery and pliable, not brittle.
Dry-roast the fenugreek seeds until dark brown and fragrant, then grind them to a powder.
Heat the mustard oil until it smokes lightly, then let it cool to warm — this removes the raw bite.
In a large bowl mix the dried radish with the ground mustard, fenugreek powder, chilli powder, broken chillies, timur and lemon juice, then pour over the warm oil and rub everything through with your hands.
Pack tightly into the sterilised jar, pressing down so no air pockets remain and the oil covers the surface.
Stand the jar in the sun for about two weeks, shaking it gently every day or two. It is ready when it smells sharply sour and the radish has softened but still snaps. Keeps for months in a cool place.
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