Green Chilli Pickle Recipe (Hari Mirch Ka Achar)
Spicy, tangy, and loaded with flavor, Green Chilli Pickle (Hari Mirch ka Achar) is a delicious North Indian style pickle recipe where fresh green chilies are pickled with mustard seeds and lime juice. Here is my mother's recipe.
Servings: 3 cups
Ingredients
- 500 grams green chilies
- ½ cup black mustard seeds
- ¼ cup salt
- 2 teaspoons turmeric powder
- ½ cup lime juice
- 2 cups mustard oil
Instructions
- Wash chilies and wipe each using a cotton cloth. You can also spread the washed chilies on a kitchen towel and air-dry for 3-4 hours. Cut the chilies into ½-inch long pieces and discard the stalks. Wear gloves if your hands burn while handling chilies.
- Grind mustard seeds in a grinder to make a coarse powder.
- Mix ground mustard seeds, salt, turmeric powder, and ½ cup mustard oil in a bowl.
- Add chilies and lime juice to the bowl and mix well.
- Transfer the pickle to a clean glass jar. Press them down gently.
- Cover the jar with a cotton cloth and secure it with a rubber band or twine. Keep the jar on the kitchen counter. Leave the pickle in the jar for 2-3 days to allow the excess moisture to evaporate.
- Heat 1 and ½ cups of mustard oil in a pan over high heat until it fumes. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
- Pour the oil into the jar over the pickle, covering it completely.
- Secure the jar lid. Keep the jar in strong sunlight for 3-4 days. Bring the jar inside at night and put it back in the sun during the day.
- The pickle is now ready to use. You can store it in a cool and dry place for up to a year.
Removing every trace of moisture is critical. Any water left in the jar will spoil the pickle. This is the single most important step.
Coarse texture gives this pickle its characteristic bite.
Do not use plastic containers. The acidity in lime juice reacts with plastic over time.
Heating the oil kills the raw, sharp smell of mustard oil and makes the pickle taste smoother. Skip this step if you love the pungent kick of raw mustard oil.
Shake it once every day for the first 3-4 days. This redistributes the oil, ensuring every chili is pickled evenly.
The flavor continues to deepen over the following weeks. Most people find it best at the 3–4 week mark.
Video
Notes
Use clean and dry hands, knives, and bowls to make the pickle. Any moisture is not good for its shelf life.
Use a clean, dry spoon to remove the pickle.
Shaking the pickle once for the first 5-6 days is important for proper pickling. Do not skip it.
The approximate nutritional information is for the entire lot of the pickle.
Nutrition
Calories: 4465kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 467g | Saturated Fat: 52g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 101g | Monounsaturated Fat: 277g | Sodium: 29973mg | Potassium: 876mg | Fiber: 28g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 87IU | Vitamin C: 103mg | Calcium: 268mg | Iron: 10mg
