Table of Contents
My nani (grandma) makes phenomenal achar! And whenever she visits someone, she would carry a jar of her prepared achar and would gift it as a simple expression of her love.
When we (me and my husband) moved to Germany, her pickle was one of the things we missed so much. We tried making it many times but failed badly. Finally, after so many failed attempts for many years, we successfully recreated my grandma’s recipe, so I thought to write the detailed recipe for you guys.
Homemade achar is a great condiment to pair with almost every meal. My husband who is a big achar lover takes this achar with almost every meal, even in breakfast with paratha. If you are a pickle lover like him, you are going to love this pickle.
Traditionally achar is prepared in summer as it is matured by exposing to sun for several days but we rarely have sunny days here in Germany. The best part of this recipe is that you don’t need to put it in the sun for several days that means you don’t need to wait for summer to make achar. With this easy recipe you can make it any time you want. It gets ready under 1 hour and a good thing is that it keeps well up to months when stored in cool and dry place.
It is so convenient to buy pickles from stores, but they are high in salt, oil and preservatives. There is no need to buy readymade pickles when you can easily prepare at home with this healthy recipe without any additives. Once you make it, there is no way going back to readymade pickles.
Nicely decorated bottle of pickle is a simple, yet eye-catching gift.
A combination of flavorful ingredients you’ll need to make this instant achar:
Vegetables:
Spices:
Storage Suggestions:
- Store your pickle in a sterilized airtight container made from either glass or ceramic and store in a cool, dry place. It can be used up to few months (ours never lasts more than 4 months even if it is a big batch).
- In the refrigerator, it will keep even longer (up to 8 moths).
Serving Suggestions:
Achar is a staple condiment in Pakistani households and is enjoyed with any desi (Pakistani/ Indian) dish. It is mostly paired with sabzi, curry, khichdi or daal dishes. This pickle can be the main or the only accompaniment to your paratha or puri and chai.
Recipe Notes:
- You can also add raw mangoes or more seasonal vegetables (like peas, amla, green beans, radish, turnips or even chickpeas) if you like.
- Avoid using stale or spotted vegetables.
- I use mustard seed oil, but you could use any oil of your choice.
- You can also use julienned ginger for extra flavor.
- I don’t use any artificial preservatives. Salt, turmeric, vinegar and oil helps preserving this pickle for extended period of time at room temperature.
- I prefer using Himalayan salt for most of my recipes.
- Adjust the spices to your liking.
- You can easily double or triple the recipe.
- This pickle can be served right away however, it will be more flavourful if it is let to soak overnight before serving. This ensures all the flavours are fully absorbed.
- If you have made a big batch, I’d suggest filling small glass jars for day-to-day consumption.
For longer shelf life:
- Be sure to dry the vegetables completely.
- Wash your hands thoroughly before cutting the vegetables (use kitchen gloves while cutting them, if possible).
- If you want to keep the achar for longer time on room temperature, I suggest steam cooking the vegetables for 25 to 30 minutes so that maximum water in the vegetables is evaporated.
- Store your pickle in a container made from either glass or ceramic.
- If stored in a sterilized jar, pickle will keep for long time.
- Use sterilized spoons and pan for cooking.
- In the refrigerator, it will keep even longer (up to 8 moths).
- Make sure to use clean and dry utensils, whenever you scoop pickle from the jar to avoid contaminating the inside of the jar with unwanted bacteria.
Detailed Video Instructions:
Let’s stay connected! Follow me on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest for the latest updates. Subscribe to my YouTube channel for video recipes.
Ingredients
- Carrots (washed, peeled, dried and cut into thick strips) – 1 cup
- Broccoli (washed, dried and cut into small florets) – 1 cup
- Cauliflower (washed, dried and cut into small florets) – 1 cup
- Garlic (peeled) – 1
- Green Chillies (washed, dried and cut into strips) – ½ cup
- Lemon (washed, dried and cut into wedges) – 1 large
- Cumin Seeds – 2 tablespoons
- Coriander Seeds – 1 tablespoon
- Fennel Seeds – 1 tablespoon
- Fenugreek Seeds – 1 tablespoon
- Nigella Seeds or Kalonji – 1 tablespoon
- Mustard Seeds – 1 tablespoon
- Mustard Oil – 1 cup
- Turmeric Powder – 1 tablespoon
- Red Chilli Powder – 1 teaspoon
- Red Chilli Flakes – 1 tablespoon
- Himalayan Salt – 2 tablespoons
- Vinegar - ½ cup
Instructions
Step by step recipe is given below:
- In a large pan, add carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, garlic and green chillies.
- Steam cook them for about 15 minutes on low to medium flame but don’t overcook them.
- Add lemon and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Spread the steamed vegetables on a clean absorbing cloth or kitchen towel and let them air dry overnight or for 4 – 5 hours at least (you can also put them under the fan for 1 or 2 hours, I often do this).
- Mix cumin seeds, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds, kalonji and mustard seeds in a bowl. Coarsely grind half of them and set the remaining half aside.
- Now heat mustard oil in a pan till its smoking point, remove it from heat and add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, red chilli flakes, ground spices and whole spices that we kept aside. Give them a good mix and set this mixture aside.
- Now put the vegetables in a bowl, rub them well with the vinegar and salt, pour the oil and spice mixture over them, give a good mix and the achar is ready.
- Once the pickle is cooled completely, transfer to a sterilized glass jar. Add some more oil to the achar jar after 2 to 3 days and store in a cool, dry place.
- It can be used upto few months (ours never last more than 4 months even if it is a big batch).
Enjoy with any sabzi, curry, khichdi, daal dishes, puri or paratha! And Remember ‘COOKING IS EASY’!
Notes
- Wash your hands thoroughly before cutting the vegetables.
- This pickle can be served right away however, it will be more flavourful if it is let to soak overnight before serving. This ensures all the flavours are fully absorbed.
- Store your pickle in a container made from either glass or ceramic.
- Make sure to use clean and dry utensils, whenever you scoop pickle from the jar to avoid contaminating the inside of the jar with unwanted bacteria.
