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EveryMasala

Regional blends

Achari masala (pickle spice)

The pickle-spice blend of fennel, nigella, mustard and fenugreek used in curries and chutneys.

Achari means pickled in Hindi and Urdu. Achari masala takes the spice mix used in mango and lime pickle, which commonly combines fennel, mustard, nigella and fenugreek seeds, and uses it as a seasoning for vegetables and meat in a dish called achari.

What goes in

Fennel: 21%21%Mustard seed: 21%21%Nigella: 14%14%Fenugreek seed: 7%Cumin: 14%14%Turmeric: 7%Red chilli: 14%14%14parts

Parts by volume of the whole spice. The ring shows each part's share.

Made step by step

Each drawing shows the operation for that step. Ratios and timings differ from house to house; this is one traditional-style way.

  1. Step 1: Toast Dry roast the fennel, mustard, nigella, fenugreek and cumin.
  2. Step 2: Pound Cool and crush them coarsely.
  3. Step 3: Blend Mix in turmeric and chilli.
  4. Step 4: Temper Heat mustard oil until it just smokes, then cool it a little.
  5. Step 5: Bloom Stir the spice mix into the oil to make a pickle masala or curry base.
  6. Step 6: Store Store the dry blend in a jar.
  7. Fennel: 21%21%Mustard seed: 21%21%Nigella: 14%14%Fenugreek seed: 7%Cumin: 14%14%Turmeric: 7%Red chilli: 14%14%
    Finished Achari masala (pickle spice), by share.

Seeds and oil

In pickling, seeds are lightly crushed and mixed with mustard oil, salt, turmeric and chilli. The same flavour is borrowed for cooking, where the seeds are tempered in oil and often finished with a spoon of pickle brine or lemon.

Variation

Each region has its own pickles, and the masala changes with them. Kerala, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Punjab all have their own.

Where it is used

Mango pickleAchari paneerAchari chickenStuffed vegetables

The spices in it

Mustard seedPungent.Black cuminKalonji.FennelSweet.FenugreekThe cuboid seed of an annual legume, prized for its bitter warmth and maple aroma.CuminThe dried seed of a small parsley-family herb, used whole or ground in many world cuisines.TurmericThe dried rhizome of a tropical ginger relative, prized for its golden color and earthy bite.Chili pepperThe pungent berry of the Capsicum plant, used to add heat to dishes worldwide.

More on EveryMasala

🇮🇳 India and 5 moreMustard seed Tiny seeds from three Brassica plants that create pungent condiments and cooking oil.Seed · Hot and fiery · Sharp and pungent

Sources and further reading

About this page

Original text and drawings by the EveryMasala desk, written with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. The shares are an illustrative, traditional-style ratio, not a standard: every family and maker blends differently. If we have something wrong, tell us.

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

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