What a Pickle!

Salty, sour, crunchy and of the most vibrant yellow hue, haldar-amba-haldar is by far my favourite pickle yet! It comprises of just four ingredients - salt, lime juice, tender turmeric (haldar) and mango ginger (amba-haldar).

Fresh turmeric and mango ginger are rhizomes, a type of underground stem, that are available predominantly in the winter. Unpeeled they both look like regular ginger, but if you gently scrape the thin skin off with a spoon or your finger nail the colour and fragrance of the flesh will tell another story. While turmeric has a sharp flavour mango ginger is a delicate mix of galangal and raw mango.

This pickle is a staple in the winter months in most Gujarati households, and a little heap of it will always feature on the plate at each meal. Like almost any old traditional food, there is logic behind the consumption of this pickle every winter, and it’s not just because turmeric and mango ginger are harvested between December and March. Both these rhizomes are known for their immunity boosting qualities. Mango ginger is effective in combating colds and coughs, while turmeric is known for its antibacterial strength as the staple cure for ‘most anything! And of course, limejuice is a fabulous source of vitamin-C. In the harsh winters of Gujarat these are valued qualities.

That said, even in the hot, humid, so-called winters of Bombay, Gujarati households still eat haldar-amba-haldar each winter. I grew up eating it in my paternal grandparents house every year, and even today I love to crunch on it like a salad, alongside my meal!