Achaar -- or "Indian pickle," as it's sometimes referred to -- is a popular Indian condiment made from local fruits or vegetables, spices, chili and oil. The flavor is spicy, sour, savory and sweet. You can think of it as the Indian equivalent of Sriracha, kimchi, or harissa. I grew up eating it mixed into rice and dal, in plain yogurt, or on sandwiches. It has so much flavor, you just need to add a bit to give your meal a pick-me-up! <br /> <br />My favorites that I bring back from India are green mango, thin-skinned lemon and gooseberry. I started making my own achaars from local produce I received in my farmshare when I realized I couldn't really find achaars with that homemade flavor available in stores in the US. I experimented with rhubarb, American gooseberries, garlic and heirloom tomatoes. I ended up serving up these achaars at my cooking classes and pop-up dinners. Seeing how popular they were, my fiancé Ben, who is a food packaging designer, encouraged me to launch my own line and he offered to design the labels. Thus, my Indian condiments line Brooklyn Delhi was born! <br /> <br />I've made my achaar recipes more versatile in flavor than traditional achaars -- which usually have more salt -- so you can use them in a variety of ways: on eggs, on a baguette with cheese, to flavor sautéed vegetables, on burgers and marinades, mixed into soups, or even in a Tarte à la Tomate: <br /> <br />I adapted my friend Brigitte's recipe for her famous Tarte à la Tomate and made it spicy with the addition of my handmade tomato achaar from Brooklyn Delhi.

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