作法
- 蔬菜分別汆燙以保持各自質地：紅蘿蔔90秒、長豆60秒、洋蔥30秒。每樣立即浸冰水以鎖色。
- 瀝乾蔬菜——必須完全乾燥，否則醃汁會被稀釋。
- 厚底鍋中倒入醋、棕櫚糖、芥末粉、薑黃粉、鹽、辣椒粉與胡蘆巴粉，攪勻後以中小火煮至微滾。醃汁應滑順黃亮，看似稀但冷卻後會略稠。
- 下薑、蒜與辣椒煮4分鐘至軟。
- 汆燙後的蔬菜分層裝入乾淨玻璃罐，再倒入熱醃汁，務必淹過所有蔬菜。如有需要，再添些醋。
- 降至室溫後冷藏至少24小時再食用。最佳食用時機從第3天起。冷藏可保存2個月；放越久風味越融合。
Common questions
Can 斯里蘭卡蔬菜醃漬（Achcharu） be made ahead?
斯里蘭卡蔬菜醃漬（Achcharu） is best made and eaten the same day, but the components can be prepped earlier — chop and measure the ingredients up to a day ahead, refrigerated separately. Final cooking takes about 15 minutes.
Is 斯里蘭卡蔬菜醃漬（Achcharu） spicy?
斯里蘭卡蔬菜醃漬（Achcharu） as written is mild to mildly warming — the heat comes from aromatics rather than chili. Add fresh sliced chili or chili oil at the end if you'd like to push it spicier.
Is 斯里蘭卡蔬菜醃漬（Achcharu） vegetarian or gluten-free?
斯里蘭卡蔬菜醃漬（Achcharu） is suitable for vegetarian (and vegan if dairy is omitted) diets.
How hard is 斯里蘭卡蔬菜醃漬（Achcharu） to make at home?
斯里蘭卡蔬菜醃漬（Achcharu） is approachable for a home cook with basic stove skills — total time about 40 minutes, no special technique required.
Can 斯里蘭卡蔬菜醃漬（Achcharu） be scaled up or down?
This recipe is written for 8 servings. To scale, multiply each ingredient proportionally; the cooking times stay the same up to about double the volume. Beyond that, expect to cook in batches because of pan size and heat distribution.
文化背景
Achcharu是斯里蘭卡的醃菜——家家戶戶冰箱裡都備有一罐，作為飯—咖哩拼盤的酸味鋒利劑。這道菜源自印度與葡萄牙的影響，但其特定的香料組合（芥末、薑黃、胡蘆巴、辣椒）與蔬菜搭配是斯里蘭卡式的。它也常出現在斯里蘭卡式比里亞尼（buriyani）拼盤、lamprais與聖誕餐桌上。泰米爾穆斯林版用更多辣椒；僧伽羅家庭偏甜；Burgher家庭會加葡萄乾與芒果。
