Bharwa Lal Mirch Ka Achar (Stuffed Red Chilli Pickle) is a traditional hot, spicy, tangy North Indian pickle made using thick red chilies and Indian pickling spices. I am sharing my mom’s signature foolproof recipe to make this lal mirch ka bharwa achar (vegan).
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About Stuffed Red Chili Pickle
Bharwa means stuffed in Hindi. Bharwa Lal Mirch Ka Achar (Stuffed Red Chilli Pickle) is a UP or Rajasthan-style pickle made by stuffing large red chilies with a pickling spice mix.
This chili pickle will satiate your taste buds with its hot, spicy, and tangy flavors.
This stuffed red chilli pickle is made at the beginning of summer when the markets are flooded with red, fresh, and big red chillies.
My mom makes the best lal mirch ka achar, and whoever has tasted her pickle has always returned to ask for the recipe. This year I learned to make this pickle from her and noted the measurements correctly.
Although this chili pickle is available in markets, nothing can beat the homemade taste. It is also much more economical to make at home, and you are sure that there are no added preservatives or colors.
Do stick to the measurements to make sure your pickle turns out perfect.
There is no cooking required in this red chili pickle recipe. Mix the spices, stuff them in the red chilies, and keep the stuffed chilies in the sunlight. They will slow cook on their own when kept in the sun.
This recipe is vegan and can be easily doubled or tripled.
Homemade pickles are the best! If you want to try some more homemade pickle recipes, here are some of my favorites
- Green Chilli Pickle
- Kerala Style Instant Mango Pickle
- Vadu Mango Pickle
- Hing Ka Achar
- Nimbu Mirch Ka Achar
- Allam Avakaya
Ingredients
Red Chillies – Get your hands on the thick and large fresh red chilies available in the market during the beginning of summer.
These chillies are less spicy and have the perfect amount of heat required to make the pickle. Do not get the small spicy red ones; they are not good for pickling.
These red chilies are available only for a limited period in the markets, so make sure you buy a batch and make this yummy pickle at home.
You can make the same pickle with big green chilies too, but the taste of this red chilli pickle is just out of the world.
Oil – Use mustard oil to pickle red chilies, as it brings out the flavor. If you do not prefer mustard oil, you can choose any vegetable oil to make the achaar.
Others – To stuff these red chilies, make a spicy tangy masala that is prepared with salt, fennel seeds (saunf), fenugreek seeds (methi), Kashmiri red chili powder, turmeric powder, brown mustard seeds, nigella seeds (kalaunji) and dry mango powder (amchoor powder).
How To Make Lal Mirch Ka Achar
Add
- 2.8 oz (80 g) fennel seeds (saunf)
- 4.4 oz (125 g) fenugreek seeds (methi seeds)
- 1.4 oz (40 g) nigella seeds (kalaunji)
- 3.5 oz (100 g) brown mustard seeds (kali sarson)
- 3.5 oz (100 g) Kashmiri red chilli powder
- 3.5 oz (100 g) turmeric powder
- 8 oz (225 g) salt
- 1.4 oz (40 g) dry mango powder (amchoor powder)
to a grinder and grind to make a coarse powder.
Note – If your grinder is not large enough, powder the ingredients separately and mix them all later.
Transfer the powder to a large bowl.
Set aside.
Wash 3 pounds (1.5 kg) of large red chilies and wipe each of them using a kitchen towel.
Cut the top part of the chilies and make long slits in each of them using a sharp paring knife.
Tightly fill the masala powder that we made earlier inside the red chilies.
Put the stuffed chilies in a large, sterilized jar, preferably made of glass or any other non-reactive material. I used a 3-liter glass jar.
Keep pushing down the chillies as you go. There should be a minimum gap between the stuffed chilies in the jar.
Note – If there is some leftover masala, then add it to the jar over the chilies.
Add 1.5 liters of mustard oil to a pan and bring it to a boil over medium heat.
Remove the pan from heat and let the oil cool down completely.
Boiling the oil is important to remove any moisture in it and mellow down the pungent mustard flavor.
Pour the cooled oil over the stuffed chilies in the jar. The chilies must be covered with oil. If they are not covered, heat some more oil and add it to the jar.
Tie a piece of muslin cloth around the mouth of the jar and keep it in the strong sun for 3-4 days.
Covering the jar using a cloth will ensure moisture in the pickle evaporates and the pickle doesn’t get spoiled when stored for a long time.
Note – Move the jar to a shaded area at night and bring it back to the sun in the morning.
Now remove the cloth and secure the lid tightly. Keep it in the sun for another 10-12 days.
Once the red chilli pickle is ready, move the jar into your kitchen. Store this pickle for up to a year at room temperate in a cool and dry place.
Pro Tips By Neha
It is very important to measure the ingredients correctly to make the perfect red chilli pickle.
If you have sensitive skin, wear gloves while making the red chili pickle, because when you touch the seeds, it may make your hands burn for days, even after you wash.
There should be no moisture left in the chilies. After washing the chilies, wipe them dry properly with a kitchen towel.
All the ingredients should be moisture free, including the spices, so if the spices are not fresh, you can either dry them in the sun for some time or dry roast them before adding them to the pickle.
The knife, chopping board, and jar you will use to store the pickle should be properly cleaned and dried.
Use mustard oil for authentic tastes. It adds a pungent raw taste, which makes the pickle even more delicious.
Frequently Asked Questions
The fresh red chilies will become soft and easy to break with fingers once the pickle is ready. But pickle it for two or more days if it still has a little crunch left. Keep checking, and once the chilies are nice and soft, it is ready to eat.
Get your hands on the big fresh red chillies available only at the beginning of summer. They should be juicy, thick, bright red, and tender. Do not get the soft ones or one with black patches.
To make it without the sun, follow the same process until filing the chilies in the jar and pouring the oil above them. Now cover the jar with a cloth and keep it in a warm corner of your kitchen. The pickle will take at least 20-30 days to get ready without the sun. Make sure that the chilies are nicely covered with oil to prevent them from spoiling.
Serving Suggestions
This red chilli pickle tastes great with almost every Indian meal.
Serve it with Phulka, Tawa Paratha, or even a simple meal of dal rice, sambar rice, or rasam rice.
It tastes great with stuffed parathas such as Aloo Paratha, Paneer Paratha, Gobi Paratha, etc.
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Recipe Card
Bharwa Lal Mirch Ka Achar Recipe (Stuffed Red Chilli Pickle)
Ingredients
- 2.8 ounce fennel seeds (saunf) (80 g)
- 4.4 ounce fenugreek seeds (methi) (125 g)
- 1.4 ounce nigella seeds (kalaunji) (40 g)
- 3.5 ounce mustard seeds (sarson) (100 g)
- 3.5 ounce Kashmiri red chili powder (100 g)
- 3.5 ounce turmeric powder (100 g)
- 8 ounce salt (225 g)
- 1.5 ounce dry mango powder (amchoor powder) (40 g)
- 3 pounds thick red chilies (1.5 kg)
- 1 and ½ litres mustard oil
Instructions
- Add fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds, nigella seeds, mustard seeds, Kashmiri red chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt, and dry mango powder to a grinder and grind to make a coarse powder.
- Note – If your grinder is not large enough, then powder the ingredients separately and mix them all together later.
- Transfer the powder to a large bowl. Set aside.
- Wash the chilies and wipe each of them using a kitchen towel.
- Cut the top part of the chilies and make long slits in each of them using a sharp paring knife.
- Tightly fill the masalas powder that we made earlier inside the red chilies.
- Put the stuffed chilies in a large sterilized jar preferably made of glass or any other non-reactive material. I used a 3-liter glass jar.
- Keep pushing down the chillies as you go. There should be a minimum gap between the stuffed chilies in the jar.
- Note – If there is some leftover masala, then just add it in the jar over the chilies.
- Add mustard oil to a pan and bring it to a boil over medium heat.
- Remove the pan from heat and let the oil cool down completely.
- Boiling the oil is important to get rid of any moisture in it and also to mellow down the pungent mustard flavor.
- Pour the cooled oil over the stuffed chilies in the jar. The chilies must be covered with oil. If they are not covered, then heat some more oil and add it to the jar.
- Tie a piece of muslin cloth around the mouth of the jar and keep it in the strong sun for 3-4 days.
- Covering the jar using a cloth will make sure any moisture in the pickle evaporates and the pickle doesn’t get spoiled when stored for a long time.
- Note – Move the jar to a shaded area at night and bring it back to the sun in the morning.
- Now remove the cloth and secure the lid tightly. Keep it in the sun for another 10-12 days.
- Once the red chilli pickle is ready, move the jar into your kitchen. Store this pickle for up to a year at room temperate in a cool and dry place.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!