Bharwa Lal Mirch Ka Achar is a spicy, masala-stuffed red chilli pickle from North India. I am sharing all the secret tips and tricks to make classic mirch ka achar.
About Red Chilli Pickle
For a country obsessed with food, pickles are an integral part of our food culture. We have pickle recipes for every season, mood, and produce.
The bright and big red chillies are known as ‘lal mirch’ in Hindi. Hence, the name of the pickle – lal mirch ka achar. The red chilli pickle is spicy, tangy, sour, and mildly sweet. It is one of the most popular Indian pickles.
Lal Mirch Ka Achar takes 3 to 4 days under the warm sun rays to get ready for consumption and has a shelf life of 1 year.
Fun Fact: Like many other Indian pickles, this is a vegan and gluten-free pickle recipe.
The Red Chillies
This pickle recipe requires big, bright, blemish-free, mild to medium spicy fresh red chillies. In India, these red chillies are available only during the winter season, i.e. from November to March or early summer.
It is tough to get hold of big red chillies during the off-season. Hence, lal mirch ka achar is one of the best ways to preserve them.
Do not use small, spicy red chillies for making pickles.
Ingredients Required
Whole Spices: Black Mustard Seeds (rai), Yellow Mustard Seeds (sarson), Nigella Seeds (Kalonji), Fennel Seeds (saunf), Fenugreek Seeds (methi dana).
Spice Powders: Dry Mango Powder (amchur), Turmeric Powder, Asafoetida (hing).
Mustard Oil: This red chilli pickle has no substitute for mustard oil. It gives the pickle a sharp, spicy, pungent aroma and taste.
White Vinegar: It acts as a preservative. You can add lemon juice instead of vinegar.
How To Make
Step 1) Combine all the seeds and grind them to a powder using a mixer grinder (image 1).
Step 2) Transfer it to a bowl; add salt, mango powder, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, and asafoetida (image 2). Mix nicely. Taste, and if required, add more salt.
Step 3) Add vinegar and mix the masala (image 3). It is now ready for stuffing the red chillies.
Step 4) To prepare red chillies for the pickle, wash them and wipe them with a kitchen towel. Air dry the chillies to ensure they have no water after washing.
Step 5) Remove the crown of the chillies. Slit them lengthwise and scoop out white seeds and pith. Use a spoon for the purpose or wear gloves. Discard the seeds (images 1 & 2).
Step 6) Stuff each red chilli with the pickle masala (image 3). Use your fingers to stuff the masala inside the chillies.
Step 7) Once all red chillies are stuffed, transfer them to a sterilized jar. Make sure they are tightly packed in the jar (image 4).
Step 8) Heat mustard oil in a pan. Once the oil starts smoking, turn off the heat. Allow it to cool down to room temperature.
Step 9) Pour cooled-down mustard oil over the red chilli pickle.
Step 10) Seal the jar with a muslin or other breathable cloth. Place it under the warm sun for 3 to 4 days. Daily, shift the pickle jar as per the sun’s rays during different hours of the day and bring it inside after sunset. Shake lal mirch ka achar two to three times during these 4 days.
After 3 days, you can check the red chilli pickle for doneness.
Storage Suggestion
It is always best to use a clean, sterilized glass or ceramic jar with a tight-fitting lid to store pickles. Red Chilli Pickle has a shelf life of 1 year.
If you are lucky enough to get a warm, bright sun, keep the pickle jar in the sun once in a while. Bring it inside after 3 – 4 hours of sunlight. This practice increases the shelf life of the pickle.
Store lal mirch ka achar at room temperature. Or you can keep it in the refrigerator to increase its shelf life.
Use a clean, dry spoon to scoop out the pickle.
Serving Suggestion
Bharwa Lal Mirch Ka Achar tastes best with methi paratha, mathri, or namak ajwain poori. You can serve it with stuffed paratha or other Indian main course dishes.
FAQs Related To Red Chilli Pickle Recipe
Yes, it is. Sadly, you cannot make this red chilli pickle without warm sunlight.
Yes, you can if you like the sharp taste of the mustard oil.
No, I would not recommend using tiny, thin red chillies.
The red chilli pickle tastes best only when made with mustard oil. There is no alternative to mustard oil in this pickle recipe.
More Indian Pickle Recipes
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Bharwa Lal Mirch Ka Achar Recipe
- Blender
Ingredients
- 250 gram fresh red chilies
- 4 tablespoon black mustard seeds (rai)
- 4 tablespoon fennel seeds (saunf)
- 2 tablespoon Kashmiri red chilli powder
- 2 tablespoon dry mango powder (amchur)
- 2 tablespoon salt or to taste
- 1 tablespoon nigella seeds ( kalonji)
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds (sarson) nigella seeds
- 1 tablespoon turmeric powder
- ½ tablespoon fenugreek seeds (methi dana)
- 2 teaspoon hing (asafoetida)
- 2 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 Cup mustard oil (sarson oil)
Instructions
- Combine all the seeds and grind them to a powder using a mixer grinder.
- Transfer it to a bowl, add salt, mango powder, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, and asafoetida. Mix nicely. Taste, and if required, add more salt.
- Add vinegar and mix the masala. It is now ready for stuffing the red chillies.
- Start with cleaning and preparing red chillies for the pickle. Wash the red chillies and wipe them with a kitchen towel. Air dry the chillies to ensure they have no water after washing.
- Wear kitchen gloves if your skin is sensitive to chilies. With a sharp knife, cut off the crown of the chilli and slit it lengthwise halfway through, leaving it intact from the lower end.
- Scoop out white seeds and pith. Use a spoon for the purpose or wear gloves. Discard the seeds and white pith.
- Stuff each red chilli with the pickle masala. Use your fingers to stuff the masala inside the chillies.
- Once all red chillies are stuffed, transfer them to a sterilized jar. Make sure they are tightly packed in the jar.
- Heat mustard oil in a pan. Once the oil starts smoking, turn off the heat. Allow it to cool down to room temperature.
- Pour cooled-down mustard oil over the red chilli pickle.
- Seal the jar with a muslin or other breathable cloth. Place it under the warm sun for 3 to 4 days. Daily, shift the pickle jar as per the sun’s rays during different hours of the day and bring it inside after sunset. Shake lal mirch ka achar two to three times during these 4 days.
- After 3 days, you can check the red chilli pickle for doneness. If the skin of the red chillies has become thin, then the pickle is ready. Else, keep it under the sun for a few more days.
- Store lal mirch ka achar for one year at room temperature.
Recipe Notes:
- Always keep water away from pickles even a single droplet of water is enough to spoil the entire pickle.
- Safeguard it from all kinds of moisture, whether it is a wet spoon, water splashes, or a humid climate. Once the pickle comes in contact with water content, it will develop fungus.
- To check if the Red Chili Pickle is done, taste the red chillies. If there is crunchiness in the red chillies, then some more days will be needed for the pickle to mature. The skin of the red chillies should soften due to the heat from the sunlight.
- Once the pickle is matured, you can start serving it with your meals. You can also store it in the refrigerator or keep the jar in a cool dry place.
Jyothi Rajesh says
That’s one incredible looking pickle Hina
Ravish Mani says
Thanks 4 sharing its recipe. It’s my favourite 🙂
Jeena suraj says
Superb and extremely irresistible pickles. Wonderful clicks too.
FunFoodand Frolic says
Thanks 🙂
Saru Singhal says
Super tempting!
And stunning clicks.
Tara Nair says
Hi Hina! I so agree with the one-line “Pickling is an art which only few can master”. Gosh, it takes a lot of patience… For me you already are a master in cooking anything delicious and tempting. Will try out this recipe with my fingers crossed 🙂 Thanks for sharing the info 🙂