If you’re looking for a delicious yet easy-to-prepare pickle to add to your favorite meal, try Gundruk Bhatmas achar.
Gundruk ko achar
In Nepal, pickles are called “achar,” and they’re a beloved condiment, especially with rice.
One popular type is Gundruk ko achar, which often includes soybeans, or “bhatmas.”
This achar is made with gundruk (fermented leafy vegetables like mustard, radish, and turnip greens) and roasted soybeans.
The mix of spices, soybeans, and gundruk creates a unique flavor that’s a fantastic addition to any meal. Plus, you can easily tweak it to your liking.
Gundruk itself is a traditional Nepali food made by fermenting leafy greens, usually mustard greens or spinach.
The greens are wilted, packed tightly in a container, and left to ferment in the sun for 2-3 days. After fermenting, it’s dried and ready to use in curries or pickles.
Gundruk can be enjoyed in various dishes, like curry with soybeans, potatoes, dried fish, or even with an egg. Personally, I love it with everything!
Ingredients
Gundruk and Soybean: These two are the main ingredients of gundruk bhatmas ko achar. I am using white soybeans for this recipe. If you prefer, you can use black soybeans instead.
Onion, ginger, garlic, green chili and cilantro.
Seasoning: Salt, lemon, and sichuan pepper (Timur)
Spices: Turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, kashmiri chili powder, and fenugreek seed to add flavor.
Oil: Mustard oil. If not, use any vegetable oil.
Sesame: Black sesame roasted and powdered.
Water: Hot water and cold water.
Instructions
- Start by soaking the dried gundruk in water for 5-10 mins.
- Rinse the gundruk with cold water in order to remove any impurities, and then squeeze to remove excess water.
- Heat pan over a medium-high heat.
- Once hot, add the soybeans and roast until lightly brown. Once roasted, set them aside.
Note:
- If you wish, you can use oil for roasting.
- If you are using hot water, soak it for 5 minutes; if cold, soak it for 10 minutes until they are rehydrated and soft.
- Add gundruk, roasted soybean, onion, ginger, garlic, turmeric powder, sichuan pepper, lemon, and red chili Kashmiri powder to the bowl.
- Heat oil over medium heat. Once hot, add fenugreek seeds. Allow them to splutter for a minute.
- Add green chili, coriander powder, and cumin powder, and cook for one minute.
- Pour hot oil into a bowl and add sesame powder. Combine well.
- Finally, season with salt and cilantro and mix well until thoroughly combined, adding a teaspoon of water.
- Gundruk Bhatmas achar is now ready to be served.
Serving Suggestions
Serving
Gundruk bhatmas achar is best enjoyed with a steaming bowl of rice.
For an authentic Nepali experience, serve it with traditional accompaniments such as lentil soup (dal), rice(Bhat), and any curries you choose: chicken curry or aloo cauliflower curry.
You can serve gundruk bhatmas ko achar as a side dish with fried rice as well.
Storage
You can store this pickle in the fridge for up to 5 days in order to maintain optimal freshness.
Gundruk Bhatmas Achar’s storage duration can vary depending on the recipe and storage conditions.
When stored correctly, it can generally last several weeks to a few months. However, with this particular recipe, I recommend not storing it in the refrigerator for longer than five days.
Other Nepali Pickles
Here are a few more Nepali pickles or salads you might like:
Equipment
- Small frying pan
- Bowl
- Fork/Spoon
Ingredients
Gundruk
- 1½ cup gundruk
Soybean
- ⅓ cup white soybeans
Vegetables
- ⅓ cup finely chopped onion
- 1 tsp minced ginger
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 2 chopped green chili
Spices
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp Ground cumin
- ½ tsp Ground coriander
- ½ tsp red chili Kashmiri powder
- ½ tsp fenugreek seeds
Seasoning
- salt to taste
- ½ tbsp lemon juice
- ¼ tsp sichuan pepper (timmur) – optional
Oil
- 1 tbsp mustard oil
Garnishing
- 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
Sesame
- 3 tbsp black sesame roasted and powdered
Water
- 2 cup water (Soak gundruk)
- 1 tbsp water while mixing to reduce dryness
Instructions
- Soak gundruk in water for 5-10 minutes. Rinse it with cold water to remove any impurities, then squeeze to remove excess water.1½ cup gundruk, 2 cup water (Soak gundruk)
- Heat a pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add soybeans and roast until lightly browned. Set them aside once cooked.⅓ cup white soybeans
- Add roasted soybeans, gundruk, onion, ginger, garlic, turmeric powder, red chili powder, kashmiri powder, sichuan pepper, and lemon juice in a bowl.⅓ cup finely chopped onion, 1 tsp minced ginger, 1 tsp minced garlic, ½ tsp ground turmeric, ½ tsp red chili Kashmiri powder, 3 tbsp black sesame roasted and powdered, ¼ tsp sichuan pepper (timmur) – optional, ½ tbsp lemon juice
- Heat oil over medium heat.1 tbsp mustard oil
- Add fenugreek seeds and allow them to splutter for a minute. Stir in green chili, coriander powder, and cumin powder; cook for another minute.2 chopped green chili, ½ tsp Ground cumin, ½ tsp fenugreek seeds, ½ tsp Ground coriander
- Pour oil into the bowl and add sesame powder. Combine everything.
- Add salt and cilantro, and mix well until thoroughly combined. Finally, add water and mix it again. Gundruk Bhatmas Achar is ready to be served.salt to taste, 2 tbsp chopped cilantro, 1 tbsp water while mixing to reduce dryness
Notes
If you tried this recipe, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below. If you liked it, remember to rate the recipe. Your feedback helps other readers decide if they want to make this recipe. Thank you!
𝙳𝚒𝚜𝚌𝚕𝚊𝚒𝚖𝚎𝚛: 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚒𝚙𝚎𝚜 𝙸 𝚜𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚒𝚗𝚜𝚙𝚒𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚋𝚢 𝙽𝚎𝚙𝚊𝚕𝚒 𝚌𝚞𝚒𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚑𝚘𝚠 𝙸 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚖 𝚊𝚝 𝚑𝚘𝚖𝚎. 𝚂𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚖𝚊𝚢 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚋𝚎 𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚛𝚎𝚕𝚢 𝚊𝚞𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚌, 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚛𝚎𝚏𝚕𝚎𝚌𝚝 𝚖𝚢 𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚘𝚗𝚊𝚕 𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚊𝚌𝚑 𝚝𝚘 𝚌𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐. 𝙸 𝚑𝚘𝚙𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞’𝚕𝚕 𝚎𝚗𝚓𝚘𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚖 𝚊𝚜 𝚖𝚞𝚌𝚑 𝚊𝚜 𝙸 𝚍𝚘!