Ginger - Medium size (About the size of 2 garlic cloves)
Mustard seeds - 50g
Sugar - 50g
Dried red chili - 30g
Vinegar - 300ml
Salt - As you want
Instructions
Peel the shallots and get ready with all other ingredients as above.
Firstly, wash all the vegetables. Then cut the carrot, banana pepper, and butter bonchi. Also, cut the tail part of green chilies. Put everything along with the onions on a flat surface and dry them for one or two hours. We usually dry them under the sunlight. If that’s hard dry them under the fan.
Grind mustard seeds, dried red chilies, ginger, garlic, 50g of dates, and vinegar to a paste. (You don’t need to grind them to a smooth paste) Then, add sugar and salt to it. Mix them well.
So now you have the ground paste, 150g of dates, and dried vegetables.
Put everything in a large container and mix them well until all are combined.
Once done, leave them in the same container for four to five hours. Then, again give a good mix and put them in an air-tight glass bottle for everyday use.
This is how to make onion achcharu in Jaffna style. Serve and enjoy this best onion achcharu with rice/pittu/string hoppers and curries.
Notes
1. You can increase or reduce the vegetables as your wish. 2. If you are not a spicy lover, reduce the amount of dried red chilies and green chilies. 3. Dry the vegetables and onions under the sunlight or fan, so that you can use the achcharu for at least two months. 4. I grind and add a quarter portion of dates which makes the Achcharu thicken. 5. Always use the glass bottle to store this onion Achcharu.
Recipe by Top Sri Lankan Recipe at https://www.topsrilankanrecipe.com/how-to-make-onion-achcharu-jaffna-best-simple/