Sri Lankan Malay pickle is also known as Malay achcharu.
A Srilankan speciality, a meal is not complete without a spoonful of this tasty, sweet and spicy pickle.
The achcharu finds its way on many rice and curry menus and adds that much-needed sweet, spicy and sourness in one pickle.

What is Malay pickle(achchaaru).

It’s one of the many Sri Lankan foods that are unique to the country. And as the name suggests, a real, authentic Sri Lankan recipe from the Malays of this country.
It is a pickle also known as acharu in Sinhalese, where you soak the shallots, dates and green chillies soaked(24 hours) in vinegar, mustard, ginger, and sugar vinaigrette, which has been cooked and cooled

Menu for Sri Lankan Malay pickle.

You can serve this tasty date and onion achaar with the following menus.

• Sri Lankan Menu 1
• Sri Lankan Menu 2
• Sri Lankan Menu 3
• Sri Lankan Menu 4 
• Sri Lankan Menu 5

• Rice dishes to serve with Malay achcharu.
  • How to cook rice on the stove.
  • Sri Lankan Yellow Rice(turmeric rice)
  • Indian fragrant ghee rice(nei choru).
  • Chicken kabsa(Saudi chicken and rice recipe)
  • egg biryani (one-pot rice dish/stove-top)

• Vegetarian curries to serve with Malay pickle.
  • Sri Lankan Potato curry(ala kiri hodi).
  • spicy green beans stir-fry(bonchi thel dala).
• Beef, chicken, and seafood curries to go pair with the Malay pickle.
  • beef korma curry(slow-cooked Indian beef curry).
  • Slow-cooked beef curry(like my grandmother makes).
  • Sri Lankan chicken curry.

Tips and questions on making Malay pickle.

• When choosing shallots, choose ones that are big, smaller ones are really difficult to clean and time-consuming.
• You’ll be spending some time with your hands soaked in water, removing onion skin. This leads to pruney or wrinkled fingers.
  If you are worried about this, then please do wear disposable gloves.
• I am using green chillies, you’ll find sliced capsicums or large green peppers are most commonly used. especially at a Muslim wedding, the Malay pickle is made using banana peppers.
• A tip I learned from my mother-in-law is to add the capsicums only to a bowl of Malay achcharu(scooped from the bottle), as the capsicums let out water after a few hours.
• DO NOT ADD THE SHALLOTS, DATES, AND GREEN CHILLIES WHILE THE PICKLING SAUCE IS HOT. It should be cool.
• The vinaigrette is sour and slightly bitter at the beginning, but after 24 hours, the pickle will come to its real, authentic taste.
• You can adjust the sweetness with sugar and the level of spiciness with the red chilli powder.
• Avoid adding more vinegar, but dilute and thin the pickle sauce with a tablespoon of water

More pickle recipes.

• Sri Lankan wambatu moju(eggplant/brinjal pickle).
• How to make pickled Garlic (DIY recipe)

What you will need in the kitchen.

• A cooking pan to make the achchaaru sauce.
• Chopping board and knife.
• A large non-corrosive cooking pan to hold and make the Malay pickle.
• Wooden spoon.
• A dry glass jar or container to store the pickle.

Storage and freezing guide.

Storing.
Once you’ve made the Malay pickle, store it in a large glass container and refrigerate.
You can store the sweet date and onion pickle for almost a month if it lasts that long. Make sure to always use a dry spoon.
Freezing.
Malay pickle can be refrigerated. No freezing is required.

RECIPE DIFFICULT-LITTLE CARE NEEDED.

Ingredients to make the Malay achcharu.

• Main key ingredients.
  • Red shallots are small onions that are big in flavour.
  • Dates with seeds removed– this gives the Malay achchaaru its sweet flavour.
  • Green chillies– adds a much-needed spiciness and crunch to the acchaaru. You can also use banana peppers.
• To make the pickle sauce.
  • Ground mustard seeds– you can use black mustard powder or grind some at home, which adds sourness to the sauce.
  • Red chilli powder– add heat to the sauce.
  • Minced ginger adds flavour to the sauce.
  • A few tablespoons of Sugar– adds sweetness to the sauce.
  • Natural white vinegar helps to give the final flavour to the sauce and the pickle as the ingredients soak in the pickle sauce.
  • Salt to season.

Step-by-step photo tutorial.

Prep work to make the Malay pickle.

Soak the shallots in water for 15 minutes and then remove the skin. 

Wash the skinned shallots and green chillies.
Remove the seeds from the dates.
These will be the three main ingredients to make the Malay pickle/chutney.
Set them aside on a platter.

How to make Malay achchaaru.

Place a cooking pan over a stove.
Pour in the white vinegar and gently heat it for a few seconds.
Add ground black mustard seeds, red chilli powder and sugar.
Mix the sauce for a few minutes.
Add the minced ginger, season with salt. Continue to mix.
Bring the pickling sauce to a boil for 60 seconds, then remove the sauce from the stove.
Let the pickling sauce cool for 1 hour or until completely cool.

Once the pickling sauce has cooled,
Add the shallots, dates and green chillies to the sauce.
Do not worry about the dates being hard at this point. The dates will dissolve as the ingredients soak in the pickling sauce.
Combine all the main ingredients with the sweet and spicy pickling sauce.

Cover and set the Malay pickle aside.
Combine all ingredients with a wooden spoon every two hours throughout the day.

Avoid refrigerating for 24 hours; leave it in a cool place in your kitchen pantry.
As the dates dissolhis will help the Malay pickle achieve its perfect consistency. This will happen as the dates dissolve and shallots and green chillies soak in the pickling flavours.
For best results. Do not consume for at least 24 hours, but let it rest for this period. 

Store the Malay pickle in a dry airtight container, refrigerate and use as needed.

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Sri lankan Malay pickle.

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Additional Time: 1 day

Total Time: 1 day 1 hour

Sri Lankan Malay pickle.

A Srilankan speciality, a meal is not complete without a spoonful of this tasty, sweet and spicy pickle made with chillies, Dates, Shallots, pickled in a mustard vinaigrette.

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Ingredients

• 500g of red Shallots, cleaned
• 350g of dates(about 1 and 1/2 cup of Dates)
• 100g green chillies
• 1 tablespoon finely ground mustard seeds
• 1 and 1/2 tablespoon of chilli powder
• 2 tablespoons of minced ginger
• 4 tablespoons of sugar
• 1 and 1/4 cup natural coconut vinegar
• Salt to taste.

Instructions

Prep work to make the Malay pickle.

1. Soak the shallots in water for 15 minutes and then remove the skin.
2. Wash the skinned shallots and green chillies.
3. Remove the seeds from the dates.
4. These will be the three main ingredients to make the Malay pickle/chutney. Set them aside on a platter.

How to make Malay achchaaru.

1. Place a cooking pan over a stove.
2. Pour in the white vinegar and gently heat it for a few seconds.
3. Add ground black mustard seeds, red chilli powder and sugar.
4. Mix the sauce for a few minutes. Add the minced ginger, season with salt. Continue to mix.
5. Bring the pickling sauce to a boil for 60 seconds, then remove the sauce from the stove.
6. Let the pickling sauce cool for 1 hour or until completely cool.
7. Once the pickling sauce has cooled,
8. Add the shallots, dates and green chillies to the sauce.
9. Do not worry about the dates being hard at this point. The dates will dissolve as the ingredients soak in the pickling sauce.
10. Combine all the main ingredients with the sweet and spicy pickling sauce.
11. Cover and set the Malay pickle aside. Combine all ingredients with a wooden spoon every two hours throughout the day.
12. Avoid refrigerating for 24 hours; leave it in a cool place in your kitchen pantry.
13. As the dates dissolhis will help the Malay pickle achieve its perfect consistency.
14. This will happen as the dates dissolve and shallots and green chillies soak in the pickling flavours.
15. For best results. Do not consume for at least 24 hours, but let it rest for this period. Store the Malay pickle in a dry airtight container, refrigerate and use as needed.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 424Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 207mgCarbohydrates: 103gFiber: 12gSugar: 80gProtein: 6g

Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietitian for special diet advice.

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