Chilli Pickle 1, With Ginger and Garlic
Mirch, Adrak aur Lahsun ka Aachar
Mamta Gupta
As green chillies are available all the year around, there is no need to make large supplies of this pickle. It will however last for a year or longer, if you follow the sterilizing techniques properly. How hot the pickle is depends upon the chillies you are using. If your chillies are not hot enough, add a teaspoon of red chilli powder. You can add 35% ginger and 15% garlic for a different flavour. I usually look for the thin, long green chillies, which are hotter. They are easily found in Indian grocery stores everywhere. Here in pictures, I have used larger ones. Makes 16 jars of 250 gm each. Edited March 2023
Ingredients
1 kg. hot green chillies of any type
350-500 gm. ginger (optional)
100-200 gm.garlic (optional)
2-3 tablespoons salt
1 1/2 tablespoons turmeric powder (too much will make it bitter)
2 tbsp. fennel seeds, coarsely ground
4 tablespoons black mustard seeds (rai), coarsely ground
300 ml. mustard oil (heated to smoking and then cooled, to reduces its pungent smell)
600 ml. malt vinegar (or other paler vinegar)
Instructions
Wash chillies and remove stems.
Peel the ginger.
Chop/slice the chillies and ginger finely.
Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
Transfer to sterilised, airtight jars.
Make additional pickling liquid (mustard oil, vinegar, turmeric, salt and mustard seeds) to top up jars, if needed. The liquid should cover the chillies.
Once sealed, the jars should be left on a warm, sunny windowsill for a couple of weeks and turned upside down once every few days.
Notes
Sterilising jars and lids: Place jars minus lids on a tray and put in the centre of the oven. Heat the oven to 350F/180C/Gas 4. Any higher may break the glass. Leave for 15-20 minutes. When filling cold preserves like this one, allow jars to cool or they will crack. To sterilise the lids, boil them for about 10 minutes, place on a towel and allow them to dry. They will dry quickly because they are hot.
You can sterilise jars and lids by washing them in a dishwasher too.