Ludhiana Gobhi Gajar

Punjab has a winter ritual, and it smells of mustard and jaggery. When cauliflower and carrots are at their best, Punjabi kitchens fill jars with this sweet and sour achar and set them out in the winter sun. Ours comes from Ludhiana. It's crunchy, a little sweet, sharp with mustard, and made the way a Punjabi household would make it: generously. How it tastes: Crisp vegetables, a tangy bite, a mellow jaggery sweetness and the warm kick of mustard oil. Eat it with: Aloo paratha and white butter, rajma chawal, or straight from the jar with a cup of chai.