Delicious Non-Vegetarian Pickles From Our Regional Cuisines

The first reaction when someone talks about non-vegetarian pickles is of surprise. We have become so accustomed to eating pickles made from seasonal fruits and vegetables that we do not usually associate pickles with meats. However, there are many regions within India, that enjoy eating non-vegetarian pickles. Did you know that within the Andhra cuisine, chicken, prawn and mutton are pickled and eaten along with regular meals? The chicken pickle of Andhra cuisine is called as Kodi Chutney in Telugu. The shelf life of non-vegetarian pickles isn’t that bad. The Andhran chicken pickle can be kept in the fridge and consumed for up to 3 months. Ask a foodie hailing from Andhra Pradesh and s/he will tell you that an omelette, rice, curd and Kodi Pachadi is a popular comfort meal that’s relished by the Telugus. Similarly, North-East India is a treasure trove of delicious non-vegetarian pickles. From Nagaland to Assam, there’s a recipe for meat pickles of various kinds. Let’s check out some delectable non-vegetarian pickles from across India: 

1) Kerala Chicken Pickle 

Otherwise known as the Kozhi achaar, the Kerala Chicken Pickle is a delicious pickle made from mixing chicken with some desi spices. Vinegar and oil are added to the pickle to improve shelf life. The Kerala Chicken Pickle is relished along with parota, rice and curries. Spicy and savoury in taste, this pickle can be commonly found in every other household in the villages of Kerala. You can order this pickle online and opt for a boneless version. On a day when you’re not in the mood to cook up a feast, this Kerala Chicken Pickle will be a life saver, adding a lot of flavour to a plain parota or puri. 

You remember when you were little and went on train journeys to your relatives’ house during summer vacations? The usual food that everyone had during those train commutes was achaar and puri. This Keema Chilly Pickle that hails from the cuisine of Andhra Pradesh is one such condiment that will remind you of that nostalgic time. The pickle can simply be relished by foodies along with chapathi and puris. The pickle is made from lamb meat and various spices including chilli powder. As mutton is a good source of protein, eating this pickle along with your meals can help you to fulfil nutritional deficiencies. If store bought, the pickle has a shelf life of up to a month. As is the case with store bought pickles, preservatives help to prolong shelf life. If this is made at home with no preservatives, the shelf life will be no longer than a week. 

Hailing from the Manipuri cuisine, fish pickle is a condiment that’s used in making tarkari (curry) and pickle. Poirei fish is used in making this pickle. The fish is smoked, marinated in spices and pickled. You can also find other fresh water fish pickles in Manipuri cuisine. Ngari is another fish that’s frequently pickled in the Manipur. While making a fish achaar, many fishes before being pickled are sun dried and cleaned and then stuffed in to an earthen pot on top of each other in a way that air pockets are sealed. They are then left to ferment. Fish pickle is also spooned sometimes in to a bun or a bread roll and enjoyed by Manipuris.

The Prawn Pickle comes from the cuisine of Kerala. This shouldn’t be so surprising as Kerala is a coastal region and the seafood is extremely fresh here. The Prawn Pickle is a flavour burst in your mouth. To make this pickle, prawns are de-veined, cleaned and then marinated in spices. They are set on a strainer so that the excess water they contain could drain away. Remember that water is not an ideal ingredient for pickles, especially non-vegetarians pickles. Small prawns are used to make this pickle. Interestingly, a prawn pickle recipe exists in the cuisine of Nagaland too. The dry shrimp pickle of Nagaland is similar to ‘Balachaung,’ which is a Mayasian and Singaporean form of condiment made from fermented and compressed prawns.