Carrot Pickle Recipe (Indian Gajar Ka Achar)
This homemade carrot pickle (Gajar ka Achar) is super easy to make and tastes way better than any store-bought one! This is an instant version of pickle—unlike traditional ones that need days of sun to mature. A crunchy, spicy, slightly sweet, and tangy pickle with a perfect balance of flavors.
Servings 2 cups
Calories 73kcal
Ingredients
- 1 lb or 500 grams Carrots Cut into sticks **shown in above step by step photos
- 25 grams or 6 Green chilies slit and cut into 1 ½ inch pieces
- 25 grams or 2 inch piece Ginger cut into thin 1 ½ inch long sticks
- Water for cooking carrots
- 25 grams or 3 tablespoons Split mustard seeds (Rai na kuria)
- 25 grams or ¼ cups Red chili powder
- 25 grams or 2 tablespoons Salt
- 125 grams or ½ cup Sugar
- 25 grams or 2 tablespoons Tamarind pulp
- ¾ cup Oil use any of the following - corn, canola, vegetable oil
Instructions
Preparation:
- Wash the carrots, green chilies, and ginger really well. Pat dry completely.
- Peel the carrots and ginger. Now chop the carrots into 1 ½ inch long and medium thick sticks. Do not make too thin or too thick.
- To prepare green chilies, first, slit chili into half and then cut into 1 ½ inch long pieces.
- Make ginger sticks of the same length but keep them thinner than carrots since ginger has a strong flavor.
Making Carrot Pickle Recipe:
- Bring the water to a rolling boil in a saucepan on high heat. Once starts boiling, add carrots and cook for exactly 2 minutes. Drain the water immediately.
- Spread the carrot sticks on the clean kitchen towel and let it dry out completely. Means there should be no moisture on them to increase the shelf life. If you have access to the sun then you can keep in the direct sunlight for 1 hour. Or let them dry at room temperature on the kitchen counter for 1 day or overnight. If in a rush, pat dry with a paper towel.
- Now in a bowl, mix rai kuria, red chili powder, salt, and sugar.
- Add tamarind pulp, oil and mix everything.
- Add dried carrots, chilies and ginger and mix well.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest for 1 day in the refrigerator. Do stir once or twice. You will notice the green chilies will become darker in color.
- This carrot pickle tastes even better after a few days of resting. The flavors deepen, and the green chilies and ginger soften more over time, enhancing the overall taste.
- Always store the pickle in a clean, dry, airtight glass jar or container. Avoid using plastic or metal containers, as they can react with the acidic ingredients.
Notes
- I have used store-bough tamarind pulp (concentrate) which is easily available in Indian grocery stores or online at amazon.
- Adjust the amount of tamarind pulp according to how thick and concentrated yours it. If yours is really thick and concentrated vs mine (shown in above stepwise photo) then use less. The consistency of mine is similar to the thick tomato puree.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 73kcal | Carbohydrates: 5.9g | Protein: 0.5g | Fat: 5.6g | Saturated Fat: 0.7g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 458mg | Potassium: 79mg | Fiber: 0.9g | Sugar: 4.3g
