On hot days, a sour and spicy dish revives the appetite better than heavy or fiery food. With achari begun on the plate alongside rice, even an ordinary meal can become a real pleasure.

Made with mustard, various spices and the flavour of pickle, the dish is tasty and easy to make at home. Here is a simple recipe to brighten a summer lunch.

First wash the potatoes and aubergines well and cut them into small, even cubes. Heat mustard oil in a pan and lightly fry chopped onion. When the onion begins to soften, add turmeric powder, chilli powder, panch phoron, cumin and ginger-garlic paste and stir well. Add a little water and fry the spices for a while so that they do not burn.

When the oil begins to separate from the spices, add the potato pieces. When the potatoes are partly cooked, add tomatoes, then the aubergines, and cook everything together. When the potatoes and aubergines are well cooked, sprinkle roasted cumin powder over the top. Finally take it off the heat and serve the achari begun hot.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.