Home-made pickles have been an integral part of my childhood. As a kid, my lunch to school, most days, was plain parantha with some kind of home-made pickle. It was always a home-made pickle. I had never eaten a store-bought pickle as a child, except in restaurants. Come to think of it, what a well behaved and fuss-free child I was to bring home an empty lunch box every single day even after getting the same food most days. Well, to be fair to my mom, she prepared lunch early morning for 4 kids (my siblings and cousins) and she packed some of the yummiest food the rest of the days. I lived just 5 minutes away from my school so my lunch used to be hot when I reached school. And not surprisingly, it used to get over before the classes even started. In India, food is shared among friends during lunch time unlike here. My friends would have their mothers call my mom for her pickle recipes. And my mom always said the same thing “I made it just like everyone else does. I don’t know what to tell.” Needless to say, no one believed her.
But I some how understand where she was coming from. It is the same ingredients, same process and yet every household’s pickle has a very different taste. I totally believe that pickle-making is a technique that takes time to master. Pickles in India, are an annual affair. Come summers and every house hold gets full use out of their terrace. Pieces of green mango drying in one corner and lemon in the other, Chilies for the dare-devils and Ker for the rustic ones. Moms, all over the country, diligently dry all kinds of stuff to make pickles out of them. Yet it is this pickle that tugs at the strings of my heart.
Can a pickle be healthy? Well this Mirchi ka Achaar is as healthy as any pickle can be. Green chilies are marinated (for the lack of a better word) in mustard flavored water for 2-3 days to get the most amazing pickle of all times. I literally have no count of the number of chilies I eat in a day because of this darned pickle. Tangy and spicy yet not too spicy, it is the perfect pickle in the history of all mankind. Did I mention, it takes minutes to make it? Shhh…..let’s not disclose that to all those people looking at you like you are a super -woman. This Mirchi ka Achaar is just an exception.
Ingredients
- 250-300 gms green Chilies (Thick, not too spicy)
- 6 3/4 cup Water
- 60 gms Mustard powder
- 1 1/2 tbsp. Salt (30 gms)
Instructions
- Cut each chili into one and half-inch long pieces. Remove the stem off the chili.
- In a pot, bring the water to a roaring boil. Add chilies in it. Give it 30 seconds before turning off the stove.
- Cover the pot and let it cool down to room temperature.
- Fill the chilies and water into big glass jar. Add salt and mustard powder to it. Stir well.
- Tie a muslin cloth on the bottle. Do not put the lid on. Keep it at room temperature.
- Stir the chilies and water 2-3 times a day and taste until it gets nice and tangy. Might take 1 1/2 -2 days.
- Once it tastes tangy, remove the muslin cloth and put the lid on. Refrigerate it to keep it fresh and good.
Notes
The amount of chilies is variable. You can use more or less as per your liking. The amount of mustard and salt to water is the key.
The Mustard seeds used here are very small reddish-black ones. Not the big black ones. Small ones provide great tang to pickles.
It is important to stir the water 2-3 times a day. The mustard powder tends to settle on the bottom. If not mixed, can ruin the pickle.
Covering with cloth instead of lid makes sure the pickle doesn't go bad before it gets tangy.
My pickle took 3 days to get to the point I liked it. If the weather is hotter, it might take half the time.
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So gooood.. Love this
Thank you Rita 🙂