Achari Masala Recipe (Indian Pickle Spice Mix)
Achari Masala is an Indian spice mix that is used to make pickles. You can also use it to make achar-flavored curries or snacks. Here is my easy recipe for making it at home.
If you like homemade spice mixes, then do try these as well – Tikka Masala Spice Mix, Chai Ka Masala, Chaat Masala, Sambar Powder, and Kerala Style Garam Masala.
About Achari Masala
Making achar (pickle) is an Indian tradition, and most households have family recipes to make different varieties of pickles. To make Indian-style pickles, a spice blend known as Achari Masala is added to vegetables or other ingredients.
This spice mix is made using dry red chilies, a few seeds, and spice powders.
In this post, I am sharing my recipe to make this delicious spice mix. Use it to make Achari Chicken Curry, Achari Aloo, Achari Gobhi, Achari Turai, Achari Chole, or Achari Bhindi Masala.
Apart from using this spice mix to make pickles, you can add it to curries and snacks to give them a tangy, slightly bitter, and spicy pickle-like flavor.
This masala can also be used to make pickles like mango pickles, chili pickles, etc.
This recipe makes approximately 1 cup of masala. You can easily scale up or down the recipe as per your requirement.
Why Make This Spice Mix At Home
The best Achari Masala is made at home. Homemade masala tastes much better than the store-bought version.
You can use high-quality ingredients to make it. It is low in sodium and also free of chemical color or preservatives.
You can customize it as per your taste. Reduce the amount of chilies or skip adding asafetida to make it gluten-free.
Ingredients
All the ingredients to make this recipe are available in Indian grocery stores. Check the one that is nearest to you.
Dry Red Chilies – Try to use Kashmiri red chilies, as they give a lovely color to this masala without making it too spicy. If not, then use any dry red chilies.
Whole Spices – You will need coriander seeds, nigella seeds (kalonji), fennel seeds (saunf), brown mustard seeds (sarson), fenugreek seeds (methi dana), and cumin seeds (jeera).
Others – You will also need salt, turmeric powder, asafetida (hing), and dry mango powder (amchoor).
How To Make Achari Masala Powder Recipe – Step By Step
Step 1: Add the following ingredients to a pan.
- 16-18 Kashmiri dry red chilies (stalks removed)
- 2 tablespoon coriander seeds (dhaniya)
- 1 teaspoon nigella seeds (kalonji)
- 6 tablespoon fennel seeds (saunf)
- 4 tablespoon brown mustard seeds (sarson)
- 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds(methi dana)
- 6 tablespoon cumin seeds (jeera)
Step 2: Dry roast on medium-low heat until browned and fragrant (8-10 minutes), stirring continuously.
Step 3: Remove the pan from the heat and cool the ingredients completely.
Step 4: Add the roasted ingredients to a grinder or a food processor along with the following ingredients.
- 4 tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon asafetida (hing)
- 4 teaspoon dry mango powder (amchoor)
Step 5: Grind to make a slightly coarse powder.
Step 6: Store the achari masala in an airtight container at room temperature in a cool and dry place for up to 2 months. Use as required.
Pro Tips By Neha
The color of the achari masala depends on the variety of dry red chilies used to make it. I always use the best quality Kashmiri dry red chilies, which give it a lovely bright color.
Roast the spices on medium-low heat to release the flavors. Roasting them on high heat will burn them, and the taste of the spice mix will not be as good.
Fenugreek seeds and nigella seeds add bitterness to this masala. So, keep their quantity to a minimum.
Grind the masala to a slightly coarse powder for the best flavors and texture.
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Achari Masala Recipe
Ingredients
- 16-18 Kashmiri dry red chilies (stalks removed)
- 2 tablespoons coriander seeds (dhaniya)
- 1 teaspoon nigella seeds (kalonji)
- 6 tablespoons fennel seeds (saunf)
- 4 tablespoons brown mustard seeds( sarson)
- 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds (methi)
- 6 tablespoons cumin seeds (jeera)
- 4 tablespoons salt
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon asafetida (hing)
- 4 teaspoons dry mango powder (amchoor)
Instructions
- Add Kashmiri dry red chilies, coriander seeds, nigella seeds, fennel seeds, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds to a pan, and dry roast on medium-low heat until browned and fragrant (8-10 minutes), stirring continuously.
- Remove the pan from the heat and cool the ingredients completely.
- Add the roasted ingredients to a grinder or a food processor along with salt, turmeric powder, asafetida, and dry mango powder.
- Grind to make a slightly coarse powder.
- Store the achari masala in an airtight container at room temperature in a cool and dry place for up to 2 months. Use as required.
excellent
Hi there! just found your article when I was looking for making Achari masala recipe.
Thanks for sharing very well written and worth reading this article.
wish to see more in the coming days.
Awesome recipe I wil definitely try thank you so much 💕