Galgal Ka Achar Recipe (Uttarakhand Special Khatte Ka Achar)
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Galgal Ka Achar (Khatte Ka Achar) is a Pahadi pickle recipe made using hill lemons (galgal, khatta), green chilies, jaggery, and spices such as turmeric powder, red chili powder, black salt, and fenugreek seeds, and carom seeds. It is very popular in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand. Here is how to make it.
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I love making pickles at home. While Gajar Gobhi Shalgam Achar, Green Chili Pickle, and Bharwan Red Chili Pickle are my all-time favorites, I also keep experimenting with new recipes.
I made Starfruit Pickle using the starfruit from my garden, and now this galgal ka achar from the hill lemons we got back from our trip to Almora.
This pickle has sweet, spicy, and tangy flavors and is quite popular in the Kumaoni region of Uttarakhand. It is made in almost every household.
Serve galangal green chili pickle on the side with your everyday meals, or serve it for breakfast with stuffed parathas.
Galgal Ka Achar will last about a year when stored properly in a closed container in a cool, dry place. To keep the pickle from spoiling, use a clean, dry spoon each time.
Ingredients
- Galgal – Also known as hill lemons, khatta, or pahadi nimbu, galgal is a large, pulpy, juicy lemon. You can find it in any grocery store in the Indian Hill region. You can also use any large-sized mild lemon to make this pickle if galgal is unavailable.
- Green Chilies – You can use spicy or non-spicy chilies; it’s up to you. I like mildly spiced chilies.
- Oil – This pickle is made in mustard oil.
- Jaggery – Adds a perfectly sweet taste that complements the tangy and spicy taste of other ingredients.
- Others – You will also need Kashmiri red chili powder, turmeric powder, asafetida (hing), carom seeds (ajwain), fenugreek seeds (methi dana), black salt (kala namak), and regular salt.
You can also add some grated ginger or radish to give the pickle a pungent flavor.
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Galgal Ka Achar Recipe (Uttarakhand Special Khatte Ka Achar)
Ingredients
- 2 kilogram hill lemons (galgal, khatta)
- 500 grams green chilies (spicy or mild)
- 200 milliliters mustard oil
- 2 tablespoons Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1 tablespoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon asafetida (hing)
- 2 tablespoons carom seeds (ajwain)
- 1 tablespoon fenugreek seeds (methi dana)
- 2 tablespoons black salt (kala namak)
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 200 grams jaggery (powdered)
Instructions
- Heat 5-6 cups of water in a large pot over high heat.
- When the water comes to a boil, add whole galgals to the pot and boil for 3-4 minutes.
- Tip – Boiling helps to remove the bitterness of galgal, so do not miss this step.
- Drain the water and wipe the lemon using a kitchen towel.
- Now cut them into 1-inch pieces. Discard as many seeds as you can.
- Wash the green chilies and wipe them well.
- Discard the stem and cut the chilies into 1-inch pieces.
- Heat mustard oil in a pan over medium-high heat until it is fuming hot.
- Remove the pan from heat and let the oil cool down for 10 minutes.
- Add red chili powder, turmeric powder, asafetida, carom seeds, fenugreek seeds, black salt, regular salt, and jaggery, and mix well.
- Add the lemons and chilies to the pan and mix well.
- Transfer the pickle to a clean and dry glass jar and keep it in the sun for 15-20 days until the pickle is darker in color and the lemons are softened a little.
- Serve it with your favorite meal.
I made it today but it didn’t say when to add jaggery. So I skipped the item and I will see how that turns out for me in couple of weeks.
Please add jaggery now otherwise the pickle will not turn out great. I have updated the post. Apologies for inconvenience.