ATCHARA

Every time we dig in to our well-loved grilled or fried foods, we tend to look for a side dish to liven up its savory taste– a pickle made from unripe papaya is for sure a perfect match! Recreate this at home to complement our everyday dishes!

Serves 5 to 10.

For the Pinoy Atchara:

INGREDIENTS:

Set A:

• 6 cups shredded green papaya
• 1 piece carrot, shredded
• 2 tablespoons rock salt
• 1 piece red bell pepper, cut into strips
• 1 piece medium-sized ginger, cut into strips
• 1 cup raisins
• 5 cloves garlic, sliced
• 2 pieces red onion, cut into strips

Set B (Pickling solution):

• 3 cups white vinegar
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons whole peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder

For the Quick Pickled Vegetables:

INGREDIENTS:

Set A:

• 1 cup thinly sliced singkamas
• ½ small carrots, sliced thinly
• 1 cup ampalaya seeded and sliced thinly, salted and excess juices squeezed out
• 1 piece red bell pepper sliced thinly

Set B:

• 3 tablespoons fish sauce
• ½ cup vinegar
• ¼ cup white sugar

For the Asian Pickled Vegetables:

INGREDIENTS:

Set A:

• 2 cups radish, julienned
• 1 cup carrots julienned
• 1 cup cucumbers, seeded and julienned
• 1 tablespoon salt

Set B:

• 1 cup cane vinegar
• ¾ cup white sugar
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced thinly

Chef Tatung’s Tips:

•     You can play around with different vegetables with different cuts. If using watery vegetables make sure you brine and squeeze out excess liquid so the vegetables’ moisture does not dilute the pickling solution. The lesser the acid content of your pickle, the faster it will spoil.
•     Sterilize your bottles before using to make sure that they are clean to prevent spoilage.
•     Pickles always taste better with time. Make a lot and just keep them stored away until you need them.