Kachnar ka Achar or Bauhinia bud pickle

Kachnar ka achaar is a Himachali special, typically made using the buds of the Bauhinia variegata/Mantharai/Kanchanar tree. Here, I’ve substituted variegata for purpurea, the red mantharai or red kachnar buds, with similarly delicious results.

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Ingredients

1-1½ cups of kachnar flowers, of the variegata or purpurea variety
¼ cup mustard oil, plus more to top the pickle jar
1 teaspoon red chilli powder
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds, lightly roasted and powdered
¾ teaspoon dhania powder
¾ teaspoon jeera powder
½ teaspoon saunf or fennel
½ teaspoon ajwain
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
Juice of 3 limes

Instructions

Clean the buds by pinching them off the stalks. Do not use any that are in partial bloom.
Bring a saucepan of water to boil, add the buds and cook for 3-4 minutes or until the buds feel soft and can be cut easily with a knife.
Drain the cooked buds well and spread on a clean tea towel to air dry (in shade) for 2-3 hours.
Once the buds are fully dry, heat the mustard oil in a kadhai. Once it’s hot, lower the heat to low and add all the spices and powders, including salt.
Mix well and add the lime juice—the mixture will splutter a bit, so be careful. Let this come to a gentle boil, as though you’re frying masalas for a vegetable dish.
Now add all the dried buds, mix again, and switch off the heat.
Adjust salt, if needed.
Transfer the achaar into a clean jar, preferably one that’s been washed in hot water, dried and a little vinegar swished on its walls and drained.
Top the achar with mustard oil so that there’s a protective oil layer on top.
Leave this on the kitchen counter for a day or two, after which it is ready to use. Consume it within a week or keep it in the fridge to use over a longer period of time.