Atchara

Atchara (Filipino Pickled Green Papaya)

A classic Filipino relish of shredded green papaya and vegetables preserved in a sweet-sour vinegar brine. It keeps for weeks refrigerated and is the perfect counterpoint to fried or grilled dishes.

Prep

45 min

Cook

15 min

Total

60 min

Serves

about 1 litre (1 quart)

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •1 medium (about 800 g) (1 medium (about 1¾ lb)) green (unripe) papaya, firm, mostly green skin; not ripe or orange-fleshed
• •1 medium (about 150 g) (1 medium (about 5 oz)) carrot, peeled
• •1 small (about 100 g) (1 small (about 3½ oz)) red bell pepper, seeds removed
• •1 small onion, red or white, thinly sliced
• •4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• •30 g (1 oz) fresh ginger, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
• •1 small handful fresh red chilli, sliced, optional
• •240 ml (1 cup) white vinegar, cane vinegar (sukang maasim) preferred; distilled white vinegar works
• •160 g (¾ cup) white sugar, adjust to taste
• •1 tsp salt, plus extra for salting the papaya
• •1 tsp whole black peppercorns, optional
• •1 tbsp salt (for drawing out water), for salting the shredded papaya

Steps

1. 1 Peel the green papaya, halve it and scoop out any seeds. Shred the flesh on the coarse side of a box grater or with a julienne peeler.
2. 2 Place the shredded papaya in a bowl, sprinkle with 1 tbsp salt, toss to coat, and let stand 20–30 minutes. This draws out excess water and keeps the atchara crunchy.
3. 3 Rinse the salted papaya thoroughly under cold running water, then squeeze it firmly in handfuls (or press in a clean tea towel) until quite dry. Set aside.
4. 4 Julienne the carrot and red bell pepper into thin matchsticks; thinly slice the onion and garlic; cut the ginger into fine matchsticks.
5. 5 In a saucepan, combine the vinegar, sugar, 1 tsp salt and peppercorns. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Simmer 2 minutes, then remove from heat and let cool slightly.
6. 6 Pack the papaya, carrot, bell pepper, onion, garlic, ginger and chilli (if using) into a very clean, dry jar or container.
7. 7 Pour the warm (not boiling-hot) vinegar brine over the vegetables until completely submerged. Tap the jar to release air bubbles.
8. 8 Let cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate. The atchara is ready to eat after 24 hours and keeps 3–4 weeks refrigerated; always use a clean fork to serve.