Vegetable achards, a vegetarian recipe

Name: Vegetable achards
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Réunion
Ingredients: 3 carrots; 200 g green beans; 250 g white cabbage; 1 onion; 1 tbsp ground turmeric; 4 cm piece fresh ginger; 3 garlic cloves; 120 ml sunflower oil; 3 tbsp white vinegar; 2 tsp salt

Method

Cut the carrots into fine julienne, the beans into 3 cm lengths and the cabbage into narrow ribbons.
Blanch each vegetable separately in boiling salted water, 2 minutes for carrot and bean, 1 minute for cabbage.
Chill them at once in iced water, then spread on a tea towel and let them dry for 15 minutes.
Warm the oil gently with the crushed garlic and grated ginger for 3 minutes, without letting them colour.
Take the pan off the heat, stir in the turmeric and leave it 2 minutes, until the oil turns deep orange.
Pour the scented oil over the vegetables, add the salt and vinegar and toss. Marinate for 4 hours in the fridge.

The short blanch sets the colour and takes off the raw edge without softening the fibres, which is why achards stay crisp for a week in the fridge. Drying matters just as much: leftover water thins the oil and turns the marinade within days. Turmeric goes into the oil off the heat, since it turns bitter when scorched.

The techniques this recipe uses

Sweat the aromatics
Medium heat, no browning: the onion should turn translucent and sweet, not toasted.

Frequently asked questions

Which oil works best for the marinade?

A neutral one such as sunflower, because it lets the turmeric and ginger come through. Olive oil clouds and sets solid in the fridge, and its own flavour buries the infusion. Pick an oil you will not need to warm up again before serving.

Can I use other vegetables?

Yes, as long as you match the blanching time to each one. Cauliflower florets or cut long beans need roughly two minutes like the carrot, while anything leafy needs only one. Always blanch separately, or the timings blur and some vegetables collapse.

Can fresh turmeric replace the powder?

Yes, use about three centimetres of grated rhizome. Unlike the powder, which goes in off the heat, fresh turmeric infuses from the start alongside the garlic and ginger. The colour comes out yellower and the flavour is noticeably earthier.

Vegetable achards

Method

The techniques this recipe uses

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Nutrition per serving

Frequently asked questions

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