Indian Pickle Uses: 25 Ways to Eat Achar Every Day
Indian pickle, or achar, is a flavor booster you can spoon onto almost anything. Eat it with dal and rice, tuck it into a paratha, stir it into yogurt for a quick dip, or rub it on chicken before grilling. A little goes a long way, so start small and add more to taste. Here is how we use it at home, and how you can too.
TL;DR
Classic pairings: rice, curd rice, dal, khichdi, rotis, parathas and dosa.
Easy American uses: eggs, grilled cheese, soup, sandwiches, crackers and cheese.
Mix it into yogurt for a dip, or grind it into a paste for a marinade.
Start with a small spoonful. Balance extra salt or heat with yogurt, buttermilk or a pinch of sugar.
Keep the jar clean and dry, and use a dry spoon every time.
Table of Contents
What Indian pickle actually is
Achar is made from fruits and vegetables preserved in oil, spices and salt. Food Network describes achar as a tart, sweet, peppery or sour condiment, depending on the region it comes from. It is not the dill pickle you put on a burger. Think of it as a concentrated flavor, closer to a chutney or a hot sauce than to a crunchy snack.
Mint’s guide to the pickles of India sorts the flavors into three broad groups: khatoo (sour), mithoo (sweet) and tikhoo (spicy). Mint also notes that methods vary with climate, geography and eating habits, from natural fermentation and brining to oil preservation and heavy spicing.
That range is why one jar can play so many roles. A sweet mango pickle behaves very differently from a fiery chili pickle, so pick the jar for the job. If you want to go deeper on styles, our guide to 12 regional Indian pickles and where to use them covers each one.
The classic way: beside a simple Indian meal
In most Indian homes, pickle is not the main dish. It sits on the side of the plate, and you take a tiny bit with each bite. That is the easiest and most traditional use.
With rice, dal and khichdi
The Los Angeles Times interview with Usha Prabakaran lists the usual partners. They include plain rice, yogurt rice, rasam and rice, and dal. The same piece says South Indian pickles are often eaten with yogurt and rice.
Try this plate:
A scoop of warm rice or khichdi.
A ladle of dal.
A spoonful of yogurt on the side.
A small spoonful of mango or chili pickle.
Every bite is soft, creamy and then sharp. It is a comforting dinner that takes about as long as the rice does.
With rotis, parathas and dosa
Flatbreads are where pickle really shines. Prabakaran’s list includes rotis, chapatis, phulkas, naans and parathas. Food Network says a spoonful of achar can lift basmati rice or a potato-stuffed paratha. Mint also mentions dosa with a runny egg as a pairing.
Our favorite quick lunch: a warm paratha, a dollop of plain yogurt, and a bit of mango pickle on top. Tear, scoop, eat.
A pairing cheat sheet
Mint’s guide matches specific pickles to specific foods. Here is a quick reference built from it:
Pickle | Flavor | Goes well with |
Mango or chili pickle | Sour or hot | Dal chawal, khichdi |
Aam ka achar | Tangy mango | Aloo paratha |
Gajar gobi shalgam | Mixed winter vegetables | Makke ki roti and saag |
Gujarati chundo, gol keri | Sweet | Everyday Gujarati meals |
Khattu methiyu | Sour | Everyday Gujarati meals |
Sindhi gathri | Spicy and sour | Roti, paratha, Sindhi kokee |
Mint also says the oil and masala left in a Gujarati pickle jar can spice up dals and handvo. Which brings us to the next point: don’t throw out the oil.
Use it in everyday American food
This is where achar gets fun. You don’t need to cook Indian food to use it. Tasting Table’s piece on achar shares advice from cookbook author Chitra Agrawal: eggs, grilled-cheese sandwiches and soups are good places to start. She also uses it on pizza and in yogurt dips.
Food Network goes further and compares achar to hot sauce, ranch or ketchup. It is a flavor amplifier, not a rule-bound condiment. The Los Angeles Times mixed vegetable pickle recipe compares Indian pickle to salsa or chutney, both of which are now staples in American kitchens.
Breakfast and brunch
Scrambled eggs. Serve a small spoonful on the side. The LA Times recipe suggests this directly.
Egg salad. Chop a little pickle into the mix. It replaces relish and adds some heat.
Fried egg on toast. Add a bit of mango pickle on top for sweet-sour tang.
Sandwiches and snacks
Grilled cheese. Spread a thin layer inside before toasting. Mint also says pickle can liven up sandwiches.
Cheese board. Both the LA Times recipe and Mint suggest pairing pickle with cheese. Crackers and cheese with a spoonful of achar is an instant appetizer.
Pita and wraps. Add a smear along with hummus or yogurt.
Roasted chana. A handful of our roasted chana next to a bit of pickle is a crunchy, tangy snack plate.
Dinner
Steak. The LA Times recipe suggests serving the pickle as a relish with steak.
Mashed potatoes. The same recipe says the pickle oil can liven them up.
Soup. Tasting Table points to soup as an easy start. A small spoonful in a bowl of lentil or tomato soup adds depth.
Burger night. A little chopped mango pickle on a burger is a surprise. If you want more ideas for what to serve alongside, these quick burger side ideas are a fun starting point.
Turn pickle into dips, sauces and marinades
When you want more than a side spoonful, blend the pickle into something else.
Yogurt dips and raita-style sauces
Tasting Table reports that Agrawal mixes achar with creamy yogurt to make dips. Food Republic suggests blending carrot pickle with Greek yogurt and pickled shallots. It also suggests stirring mango pickle into yogurt or mayonnaise for a tartar-style sauce or a fried-fish sandwich spread.
A simple version:
Spoon half a cup of plain yogurt into a bowl.
Mash in one spoonful of pickle, oil included.
Taste, then add more pickle if you want it bolder.
Serve with chips, raw veggies or grilled meat.
Sauce for fish
The LA Times recipe says pickle oil mixed with mayonnaise makes a sauce for steamed fish. Simple and quick.
Marinade paste
Food Republic also reports on a chef who grinds mango and lime pickles into a paste. He rubs it on chicken and grills it on skewers. The pickle already has salt, acid, spice and oil, so it does a lot of the marinade’s work. Taste the paste first, and go easy on any extra salt.
Pizza sauce and tomato sauce
Tasting Table says Agrawal uses a roasted-garlic achar in tomato sauce for pizza. At home, you can stir a small spoonful of a mild pickle into a simple pasta sauce too.
Don’t waste the oil
The spiced oil at the bottom of the jar is full of flavor. Use it to start a pan of vegetables, drizzle it on rice, or whisk it into a dressing. If you like cooking with flavored oils, these seasoning oils for home cooking offer more ideas for keeping flavor in every spoonful.
How much pickle to use, and how to balance it
Achar is concentrated. The Los Angeles Times interview with Prabakaran points toward starting with a small amount and adding more to taste. Think of it like hot sauce: you can always add, never take away.
If a bite is too salty, hot or sharp, fix it three ways:
Yogurt or buttermilk. A mild dairy side calms heat and salt. Al Jazeera reports that aged pickles are sometimes diluted with buttermilk.
Sugar. The same Al Jazeera feature mentions serving pickle with a little sugar to cut the saltiness. The LA Times interview also says sugar balances salt and tartness.
Plain starch. Rice, roti, bread or potatoes soften every bite.
The LA Times interview also explains what each ingredient does. Salt draws out moisture, turmeric adds earthy richness, and chili and peppercorns bring the heat. Knowing that helps you choose a jar. If you love flavor but not fire, look at our mild pickle options.
Our take: why a jar of achar earns its shelf space
We grew up with a jar of pickle on the table. It was never the star of the meal. It was the thing that made everything else taste like home. That is how we think about it at DesiMunchiess. Our approach is handcrafted, small-batch food, traditional recipes and good ingredients, made to taste like something from a family kitchen. A jar of pickle is the easiest way to bring that feeling to a busy weeknight. Our advice is simple. Keep two or three styles on hand. One sweet and tangy, one hot, one mixed. Then a plain dinner of rice, eggs or a sandwich turns into something you look forward to. We have written about how to build a three-jar pickle spread if you want a plan. Start small, taste, and enjoy. That is really all there is to it. Shivam
Keep your jar fresh after opening
Good handling keeps the flavor right. The LA Times interview gives two simple rules: use clean, dry spoons and jars, and keep the pickle covered with oil. It says about two inches of oil standing over the pickle prevents oxidation.
A few habits that help:
Always use a dry spoon. Water is the enemy of a jar of pickle.
Press the pickle pieces down so they stay under the oil.
Close the lid firmly after every use.
Check the label for storage directions from the maker.
Fresh homemade pickle works differently. The LA Times mixed vegetable recipe says to refrigerate its pickle after 2 to 3 days of warm-window preparation, and eat it within 3 days. Follow the directions on whichever recipe or jar you use. If you are making your own, our guides to fermented Indian pickles and using mustard oil safely in pickles walk you through the steps. And if you are curious about how pickle fits into your diet, see are Indian pickles healthy.
One more thing. Achar and chutney are not the same. Chutney is usually fresh and quick, while achar is preserved and ages. Our piece on achar vs chutney explains when to reach for each.
Ready to try a few jars?
We make it easy to start. Our pickles come in 800 gram jars, ready to open at the table.
Mango Pickle 800Gm for dal, rice and parathas.
Mango Chilli Pickle 800Gm for grilled cheese, eggs and anything that needs heat.
Mixed Pickle 800Gm for khichdi, sandwiches and cheese boards.
Can’t pick one? The Pickle 3-Pack lets you taste a few styles.
You can also browse everything else, from roasted chana to sweets, on our full shop page.
FAQ
What do you eat Indian pickle with?
Most people eat it with rice, dal, khichdi, yogurt rice, rotis and parathas. It also works with eggs, sandwiches, grilled cheese, crackers and cheese. Take a small bite of pickle with each forkful, rather than piling it on.
Can I cook with Indian pickle?
Yes. You can stir it into yogurt for a dip, mix it with mayonnaise for a sandwich spread, or blend it into a paste to rub on chicken before grilling. The oil is useful too, for mashed potatoes or a sauce for steamed fish. Taste before adding any extra salt.
How do I make pickle less spicy or salty?
Pair it with yogurt, buttermilk, rice or bread. A pinch of sugar also helps balance salt and tartness. Use a smaller amount next time, and choose a milder jar if heat is a problem.
How should I store pickle once the jar is open?
Use a clean, dry spoon every time, and keep the pickle covered with oil. Close the lid tightly. Follow any storage directions on the jar.
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