Punjabi Achaar

Mustard-oil mixed vegetable pickle — raw mango, carrot, turnip, cauliflower, and green chilli cut into chunks and sun-dried, then packed in jars with a masala of mustard seeds, fennel, nigella, fenugreek, turmeric, red chilli, and enough mustard oil to fully submerge the vegetables. Left to cure in the sun for several weeks until the vegetables soften and absorb the sharp, pungent masala. Every Punjabi household has its own achaar recipe; the winter batch made from tender baby mangoes and the summer batch using raw mango are considered the two most important seasonal food events in the Punjabi kitchen.