Carrots are a great nibble .It is full of vitamin A. You can pickle them, make a halwa,or have them with hummus. If you like curries mix and match them with veggies to make vegetable korma. They go great with cauliflower or cabbage in a curry. You can even make a curry or soup out of it. There is another great recipe from carrots. The low oil vegetable pickle or gajar gobhi shalgam achar. You can mix any vegetable to make this mixed vegetable pickle.
Another such mix vegetable achar recipe is the pachranga achar. Vegetable pickle recipes has a fan-following too as there is something for everyone in it. Be it carrots, onions, cauliflowers, turnips or chillies. Indian mixed pickle is tangy. Something you will never stop having.
Jump to:
Gajaru jo achar/ gajar ka achar recipe is one such homemade achar recipe which is great in taste too. It is easy to make and can be made on a regular basis. All you need is some sunshine. If you have some carrots to spare, you will enjoy this nibble. Good thing is unlike mangoes, carrots come in all seasons and colors. Be it orange, purple or red. So lets pickle while it shines hot and bright!
Ingredients
- carrot cut into thick stripes
- radish cut into thick stripes
- florets of cauliflower
- green chillies slit length-wise (optional)
- turmeric powder
- red chili powder
- mustard seeds (coarsely powdered ,preferably yellow for good color)
- mustard oil or any other vegetable oil
- Salt to taste
Refer to recipe card for details.
Instructions
- Heat water in a pan, once it starts boiling, turn off the gas. Add the cauliflower pieces,let it stay in warm water for 10 minutes, remove the cauliflower pieces.
- Optionally, add other vegetables and let it stay in hot water for few minutes (5 minutes).Drain the excess water.
- Once the excess water has been drained, move the vegetables to a bowl. Add the spices including the powdered mustard seeds.
- Add mustard oil to it.
- Mix well.
- Transfer the contents to a clean jar
- Keep the jar in sunlight or a warm place for 3-4 days (longer in winter).Lightly shake the vegetable achar once a day.
The pickle is ready to be consumed when the carrot turns slightly sour. If not sour, keep in the sun for a few more days. Once ready ,store your vegetable achaar in refrigerator as it has no preservatives.
FAQ
Mustard oil and sesame oil.
Pickling is also a great way of adding fermented food to your gut. This helps you improve your gut by adding good bacteria to it. So what if you did not like kombucha? Pickle will come to your rescue.
Variations
Many people cannot have their meal without dips and pickles. However, the oil in these commercial made pickles adds to sodium and fat in body.The alternative to these pickles are making small batches of vegetable achar which would be free of commercial preservatives. They are vegan and can be made gluten-free. To make a gluten-free batch, do not add asafoetida/heeng to it.
Related links
Need interesting pickle ideas?
Storage
Store in a clean dry jar in the refrigerator.
Top tip
If there is moisture in the jar, pickle will spoil. Always use a dry spoon to take it out for consumption.
Low oil Vegetable Pickle
Store this into the fridge and finish in a few weeks.
Equipment
- glass jar
- steamer
- Food processor
Ingredients
- 1 medium carrot cut into thick stripes
- 1 medium radish cut into thick tripes
- Few florets of cauliflower
- 2 green chilies slit length-wise,optional
- 1 tsp. turmeric powder
- ½ tsp. red chilli powder
- ¼ cup coarsely powdered mustard seeds preferably yellow for good color. ¼ cup mustard seeds for 500gms vegetables
- ¼ cup mustard oil ¼ cup oil for 500gms vegetables
- Salt to taste you can use 2 tsp. salt for 500 grams of vegetables, adjust as per taste
Instructions
- Heat water in a pan, once it starts boiling, turn off the gas. Add the cauliflower pieces,let it stay in warm water for 10 minutes, remove the cauliflower pieces.
- Similarly, add other vegetables and let it stay in hot water for few minutes (5 minutes).Drain the excess water.
- Once the excess water has been drained, move the vegetables to a bowl. Add the spices including the powdered mustard seeds.
- Transfer the contents to a clean jar
- Keep the jar in sunlight or a warm place for 3-4 days (longer in winter).
- Lightly shake the vegetables once a day.
- The pickle is ready to be consumed when the carrot turns slightly sour. If not sour, keep in the sun for a few more days. It took me 8-10 days during the winter season.
- Once ready ,store your vegetable achaar in refrigerator as it has no preservatives.
Notes
Food safety
- Always keep kitchen well ventilated while cooking.
- Use a chimney or exhaust to ensure no fumes.
- Never leave a cooking food unattended
- Always use a clean dry spoon to take out your pickle.
Conclusion: Pickled vegetables is a great way to up your probiotics.
Please share your inputs..