When I say the word “pickle”, chances are, you’ll think of briney slices of cucumber. But in India, the word conjures up a whole different variety of images, flavors and memories for us. Depending on what part of India you’re in, pickles (or “achar”, as they are called in Hindi), can consist of different ingredients soaked in oil, spices and salt. Our newest collaborator and bestselling cookbook author Nik Sharma, like me, grew up in Mumbai. Between him and me, our families made pickles featuring everything from raw mango, lemons, chillies, carrots, dried shrimp, and dried meats. Fermentation is having its big moment in the West but achar has been one of the most common fermented dishes in India for thousands of years. Our brand new Achari Masala, created in collaboration with Nik, bottles up those complex flavors and years of history and collective memory into a truly lip-smacking spice blend!
Nik remembers a phase during his childhood in Mumbai when his father bought a book on pickles and began pickling just about everything. “We would have all these glass jars sitting at our window until the spices and acid broke down the fruits or vegetables, making them soft and tender,” he tells me. When we began talking about a collab masala four years ago, an Indian pickle blend felt like an apt choice for its sheer versatility. Yes, we all love garam masala and tandoori, but there’s so much to Indian cooking beyond that. Achari Masala is great for pickles, but it also adds such an intense, well-rounded mix of acid and spice to braises, curries and vegetables. Think of it as your portal to unlock a whole new depth of flavors in Indian food!
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Nik’s Achari Masala features strong and aromatic spices like fennel, fenugreek, cumin, coriander and nigella seeds, bright floral notes from our bestselling Pragati Turmeric, a hint of fruitiness and tang from amchur (dried green mango powder), pungent notes of asafoetida and a balanced smokiness from Byadgi Chillies. If you’re using it in a meat or seafood curry, expect a beautiful smokiness followed by that signature tang enveloping the sides of your tongue. If you’re using it to begin experimenting with Indian pickles, the best part is that the blend will interact differently with the different fruits or vegetables you choose to pickle. So, every new pickle is a fresh experiment in flavor and fermentation!
Over the past four years, Nik has used it to pickle lemons from his lemon tree, as well as a variety of mangoes. Nik, Asha and I have also tested countless batches of achari baked potatoes and squash to get the flavor just right; and we’ve added it into lamb, chicken and fish curries to be absolutely 100% sure that this blend works for everything (recipes coming your way very soon!). We’re so excited to finally bring Achari Masala to you. It’s time to make anything you can imagine achari!
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P.S. We asked Nik for his favorite Diaspora Spice Co spices to create a very special bundle that's now available at a 15% discount until the end of October! This six-pack of spices includes Achari Masala, Chai Masala, Aranya Black Pepper, Pahadi Pink Garlic, Pragati Turmeric and Hariyali Fennel. Grab 'em at the discounted price while you can!
P.P.S. To celebrate the launch, Nik will also be hosting a cooking class on livestream with Milk Street! He'll give you a crash course on using Indian spices and also teach you how to make Achari Chicken, Aloo Gobi, and Shahi Tukda Bread Pudding. Sign up here to get cookin' with Nik (and for an exclusive discount on our spices 👀).
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We have one last lil' surprise for you! Diwali is right around the corner and we couldn't leave you without some festive bundles for all your Diwali cooking. Get the Diwali Sweet Trio for a neat pack of the star ingredients of all Indian desserts, or the Diwali Savory Trio to level up your Diwali feast. Happy Diwali, happy cooking and (most importantly) happy feasting in advance! |
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Diaspora Co. 6631 Saroni Drive Oakland, California 94611 |
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