Article | Cooking Atchara With My Mom

 By Eurielle 

Written on January 6, 2022

Please do not copy or post to another site. Thank you. Enjoy reading.

Atsara

  I watched a Christmas Eve vlog a couple of days ago, and the content creator mentioned they have atsara. I began looking for the recipe online two to three days ago.

     Today, my parents decided to go grocery shopping. I think my ma was thinking of going to Costco, but I mentioned several groceries that they couldn't definitely find in that particular supermarket - mainly my Lucky Me Pancit Canton and Nissin Top Ramen. They decided to go to Seafood City instead, where most Filipino and other Asian products are sold.

    Before the left, my pa asked me to create a grocery list. Of course, I mentioned the first two above, then I remembered we didn't have eggs left. We didn't have vegetables as well. I really wanted potatoes, lettuce, and so on.

We still have a lot of other food in the pantry from the last time they went to Costco, so I only have those in my list. Then I remembered atchara. 

    Atchara, or atsara/achara, is a well-known pickled unripe papaya side dish, or main dish, in the Philippines. The dish has an explosive combination of sweeet, sour, and spicy, and it's a great partner to grilled meat like Filipino barbecue. 

    Atchara is sweet because it's cooked in sugar, and the raisin (dried grapes) and red bell pepper also added to the sweetness. The spiciness is probably the lesser taste because only the ginger root gives off such taste. Lastly, the sour taste from the vinegar overpowers the sweet and spicy flavors. Because it's a pickled dish, vinegar is a must. After boiling vinegar, sugar, and ginger all together, put the grated unripe papaya, raisins, and sliced carrots, and mix it for about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it cool before putting in the refrigerator. 

Atsara

    Usually, like pickled food, we put atchara in a jar, but truly, if we don't have it, we can use glass Tupperware with a good cover.

    Another reason why I want to have an atchara at hand is that the dish has a lot of health benefits. Lainey from Simply Bakings goes over these health benefits in this article. I think, for someone like me who has a high cholesterol, this is a great food to eat, especially when I feel hungry and want a snack. It's healthy and refreshing, and it tastes so good.   

    The only con while making atchara is the preparation, especially grating the unripe papaya. I hurt myself while doing so. I recommend using electronic grater, or something. Or, I suggest looking for the best body position when grating. Make sure that the bowl and grater is lower than your shoulder for a foot or foot and a half. This way, the gravity will help you when you push down the papaya over the grater.

Recipe:

2 small unripe papaya (young), grated (4 cups in total)

2-3 medium-sized carrots, julliened

2 small red bell pepper, julliened

1 knob ginger root, cut into small strips

1/4 cup salt to dehydrate papaya (we didn't really measure it... just "enough")

2 cups white vinegar

1 1/3 cups granulated sugar

1-2 cups raisins 

Instructions:

1. Put the grated papaya in a large bowl and sprinkle 1/4 cup salt. Mix evenly. Leave it for an hour. 

2. Heat 2 cups white vinegar with 1 1/3 granulated sugar and sliced ginger root. Bring to boil.

3. Wash grated papaya very well. 

4. Put grated papaya, julliened carrots and red bell pepper, and raisins in the boiling pot. Put to medium heat. Stir evenly for 2 minutes.

5. Turn off the stove and leave it to cool.

6. Put in a jar or glass Tupperware. Store in the refrigerator. Wait for a day to eat, or 5-7 days for the expected taste. 

NOTE: This is the recipe for the atsara in the picture. You might find a different recipe from other Filipino food blogs. I only shared the recipe my Ma and I cooked.