Ningro ko Achar (Fiddlehead Fern Pickle)
A tangy pickle-style salad of blanched wild fiddlehead ferns dressed with roasted sesame and mustard oil, foraged during Sikkim's monsoon season.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Total
- 25 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 90 kcal
Equipment
- •Pot for blanching
- •Mixing bowl
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 90 kcal
- fat
- 6 g
- carbs
- 8 g
- fibre
- 3 g
- protein
- 3 g
- calories
- 90 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Trim the fiddlehead ferns. Wash them thoroughly to remove all dirt from the curled tops.
- 2
Cook the ferns in boiling salted water for 3–4 minutes until bright green and just tender.
- 3
Drain the ferns and immediately rinse them under cold water. Pat them dry.
- 4
Grind the roasted sesame seeds, garlic and dried red chilli into a rough paste.
- 5
Toss the cooked ferns with the sesame-garlic paste.
- 6
Drizzle over the mustard oil and lemon juice.
- 7
Add salt and mix well. Let it rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Chef's tips
Use only fresh, tightly curled fern tips. Avoid older, opened fronds as they can be tough.
Ingredient substitutions
- fiddlehead ferns → blanched green beans as a non-seasonal alternative, though flavour differs
Storage
Refrigerate for up to 2 days in an airtight container.
Reheating
Best served cold or at room temperature.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Overcooking the ferns, which makes them mushy and dull in colour.
Serving suggestions
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