When it comes to traditional Indian pickles, there is no substitute for mustard oil. For generations, families throughout South Asia have been using this pungent yellow oil in crafting their pickles to help with flavor, longevity, and nutritional benefits. So what is it about mustard oil that has pre-eminently made it the go-to oil for pickling? Let’s dive into its unique properties, health benefits, and some common examples that explain why mustard oil continues to be the oil of choice for pickle lovers.
Why Use Mustard Oil for Pickles?
Mustard oil, obtained from mustard seeds, has an overpowering smell, spicy taste, and antimicrobial properties. Because of these qualities, mustard oil can serve as an excellent base for pickling vegetables, fruits, and meats.
Mustard oil is favored for many reasons as a pickling solution:
Natural Preservative: Mustard oil contains chemical compounds like, allyl isothiocyanate, with strong antibacterial and antifungal aspects. These will prevent spoiling, enhancing shelf life, it is also effective in humid and warm climates.
Enhances flavor: Its sharpness enlivens ingredients; as it steeps it amplifies flavors, but after a couple of weeks, the sharpness mellows and adds flavor complexity and depth.
Heat stability: Mustard oil contains a high smoking point (approximately 250°C or 480°F), so it will hold up during the heat of some pickling techniques.
Contains healthy components: It has high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin E, antioxidants, and healthy fats.
Traditionally requires mustard oil: In many regions such as much of North and East India, this is required for authentic taste and texture.
How to Prepare Mustard Oil for Pickling
While mustard oil is potent raw, most recipes call for it to be heated until it reaches its smoking point, which:
- Removes the sharp bitterness.
- Makes the oil more palatable.
- Enhances its preservation qualities.
- Steps to prepare mustard oil for pickling:
- Pour the required amount into a heavy-bottomed pan.
Heat on medium-high until the oil starts to smoke and changes color slightly.
- Turn off the heat and let it cool to room temperature.
- Once cooled, mix it with the rest of your pickle ingredients.
Health Benefits of Mustard Oil in Pickles
Most individuals are turned off by mustard oil because of its intense flavor; however, in moderation and especially when used in pickles, there are numerous advantages:
Aids digestion: Mustard oil is always listed as beneficial for digestion by medical systems such as Ayurveda. Using mustard oil in pickles can help stimulate appetite and gut health.
Improves circulation: Selenium and magnesium, two beneficial minerals in mustard oil, are also believed to help improve blood flow.
Healthy fats: Like olive oil, mustard oil is made up of those good fats, Omega-3 and Omega-6. Omega-6 is an atopic anti-inflammatory, a nutrient deficient in people suffering from chronic inflammation, allergies and auto-immune disorders. Omega-3 has many beneficial effects on cardiovascular health.
Antioxident properties: Vitamin E in mustard oil protects cells from oxidative stress.
Antimicrobial: This property helps inhibit the growth of bacteria and decreases the likelihood of bacterial contamination, which is also significant in preserving food long-term.
One of the most famous and loved pickles made from mustard oil is Aam ka Achaar (raw mango pickle). It is a sweet and spicy pickle in which large pieces of unripe mango are mixed with salt, turmeric, red chili powder, and a few other spices (including fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds and a few other spices). The pickle is preserved in smoked mustard oil. Mustard oil has a pungent flavor that adds to the taste of the pickle and prevents spoilage of the pickle during long-term (and often uninterrupted) storage. A more commonly prepared pickle is Lal Mirch ka Achaar (red chili pickle), which is often made my stuffing the chilies (sometimes whole) with the spices and soaking the chilies in mustard oil. Don’t be misled by mustard oil’s heat. Just as hot oil will heat the chili, in other ways, when mustard oil meets whole chilies, the oil adapts to the pure heat of the chilies and accentuates the flavors. Gobi-Gajar-Shalgam Achaar (pickle made from cauliflower, carrot, and turnip) is a common seasonal pickle in North India, especially during the winter. Here, the vegetables are blanched, sun-dried, combined with jaggery, vinegar and various spices, before being submerged and preserved in mustard oil. With deep flavor, the sweet, sour and spicy pickle has a longer shelf life. Most of the noted examples describe how mustard oil enhances flavor and plays a significant role in the natural preservation of the ingredients.
Caution: Always heat mustard oil until it reaches its smoking point to reduce bitterness before using it in pickles. Ensure all ingredients and jars are completely dry, as even a small amount of moisture can cause spoilage or mold growth.
Conclusion
Mustard oil is not only a medium for cooking with; it’s a culture, and when it comes to making pickles, it’s the culinary game-changer. No other oil brings the flavor, preservation, and health attributes than mustard oil when making traditional achaar in India. Sweet mango pickle, or hot chili achaar, there is no flavor that is better than when made with mustard oil.
If you have never made pickles with mustard oil before or are unsure, now is the best time. Pick your favorite seasonal vegetable, grab your spices, heat that mustard oil, and let the ferments do their thing!
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