Inspiration behind cranberry achar
Cranberry is not a standard achar that you can buy at an Indian grocery store. The inspiration behind this pickle was to create a cranberry dish that I could serve at an Indian-inspired Thanksgiving. Traditionally a sweet cranberry sauce is served at an American Thanksgiving, but I wanted to use cranberries to create something more Indian-ish. The sourness and sweetness of the cranberries creates a delicious tart and spicy condiment that will have your mouth watering.
What is mustard oil?
This recipe calls for mustard oil, which you can find online or at your local Indian store. It is an oil that smells kind of like wasabi and adds a nutty and bitter flavor. When you find mustard oil in the store, you will see it marked for external use only. There are certain laws in the United States that require that this disclaimer be placed on the oil because of a type of fat that is found in mustard oil. I personally have grown up eating this oil so I feel comfortable using this for achar. However, you can substitute Indian sesame oil or use vegetable oil as a substitute.
