Add a spoonful of carrot pickles (gajar ka achar in Hindi) to a simple Indian meal of dal and rice and taste the transformation! It's easy to make and a batch will last you through many meals.
Spicy carrot pickles
If you enjoy a good Indian pickle you will fall in love with this vegan carrot pickle.
Indian pickles are alluring because they pack in so much flavor. While most Indians nowadays buy commercially made pickles, there is nothing more rewarding than making your own, fresh homemade pickles with no preservatives added.
This carrot pickles is my one of my favorite pickles, alongside lime pickle and mango thokku. It is super easy to make and it amplifies the natural flavor and healthfulness of carrots. It tastes so good, you might be tempted to eat it by the spoonful!
Recipe card
Carrot Pickle (Gajar ka Achar)
Equipment you'll need
- Grater or food processor
- Skillet
- Spice grinder or blender
- 2 32-oz mason jars
Ingredients
- 2 pounds carrots (Use organic carrots. No need to peel, but wash the carrot to remove any dirt and debris and dry them thoroughly)
- ¼ pound ginger (use organic ginger. If using organic ginger you don't need to peel but wash and dry thoroughly)
- 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds or methi seeds (methi dana)
- 1 tablespoon nigella seeds (kalonji)
- 1 tbsp fennel seeds (saunf)
- 2 heaping tbsp cayenne (use less if sensitive to heat, more for spicier pickles. I find two is just right for me and isn't too spicy)
- 1 tablespoon turmeric (haldi)
- 1½ cups oil (use one with a high smoking point)
- 2 tablespoon mustard seeds (rai)
- 1 teaspoon asafetida or hing (hing)
- ¼ to ½ cup salt (preferably Himalayan pink salt, sea salt or kosher salt. Add ¼ cup first and add more if you want a saltier pickle)
Instructions
- Grate the carrots and ginger using the large holes on the grater. Place in a large bowl.
- Place the fennel seeds, nigella seeds and fenugreek seeds in a skillet and toast them for 3-5 minutes, over medium heat, until very fragrant.
- Remove the seeds to a plate and when they have cooled place them in a blender or coffee grinder with the turmeric and cayenne. Blend into a powder. Add to the bowl with the carrots and ginger.
- Heat the oil and add the mustard seeds along with the asafetida. As soon as the mustard seeds sputter take it off the stove and carefully pour the hot oil mixture into the bowl with the carrots and ginger. Stir in the salt and mix well.
- Once the pickle has cooled down, pack it into sterilized mason jars making sure the carrots are submerged under a thin layer of oil on top. If the oil doesn't rise to the top, pour some more into the jar until the carrots are submerged. This will keep the carrots from getting moldy. I filled one mason jar within an inch to the top, and a second about ¾ths full.
- Let the mason jars stand on the countertop for a week. Stir them every other day with a clean, sterilized spoon, always making sure you pack them under the layer of oil.
- After a week the pickles should have softened and will look darker. Serve them and store the remaining pickles in the fridge.
Notes
- Nutrition information for sodium is for ¼ cup salt. If you use more, the sodium content will increase.
- With any cured or fermented food, there is a chance of mold developing. Make sure you dry the carrots thoroughly after washing them and sterilize all the equipment used to make the pickle (except the skillet). Also make sure you don't cut down on the amount of oil--it might seem a lot, but remember, each jar of pickles has at least 40-50 servings. If the pickle develops mold or smells moldy, discard it immediately.
Nutrition Information
How to make carrot pickle
- Grate the carrots and ginger and place in a large bowl.
- Place the fennel seeds, nigella seeds and fenugreek seeds in a skillet and toast them for 3-5 minutes, over medium heat, until very fragrant.
- Remove the seeds to a plate and when they have cooled place them in a blender or coffee grinder with the turmeric and cayenne. Blend into a powder. Add to the bowl with the carrots and ginger.
- Heat the oil until it's smoking hot. Add the mustard seeds to the hot oil along with the asafetida. As soon as the mustard seeds sputter take it off the stove and carefully pour the hot oil mixture into the bowl with the carrots and ginger. Stir in the salt and mix well.
- Once the pickle has cooled down, pack it into sterilized mason jars making sure the carrots are submerged under a thin layer of oil on top. This should reduce the chances of the carrots getting moldy.
- Let the mason jars stand on the countertop for a week. Stir them every other day with a clean, sterilized spoon, always making sure you pack them under the layer of oil.
- After a week the pickles should have softened considerably. Serve them and store the remaining pickles in the fridge.
Key food safety tip!
With any cured or fermented food, there is a chance of mold developing. Follow best practices, like ensuring the vegetables are completely dry before you make pickles and sterilizing the mason jar you use to store the pickles to reduce chance of mold. Also make sure you don't cut down on the amount of oil and salt --it might seem a lot, but remember, that jar of pickles has around 100 servings. If you do see mold develop on the pickles at any point, discard it immediately.
It is also important to know that with all home-cooked and preserved foods, including pickles, there is a risk of botulism - a rare but serious and sometimes fatal illness caused by certain bacteria that are naturally present in many places. Botulism is not easily detected without lab tests, so make sure you educate yourself thoroughly before making any pickled and preserved foods, including this pickle.
Always keep the pickle refrigerated and use a clean, dry spoon to scoop it out of the jar.
Carrot pickles FAQs
You can and they will be delicious and nutritious because carrots and the spices pack a lot of benefits.
Mustard oil is traditionally used to make pickles in India but it is not easily available in the United States. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns that mustard oil has a high percentage of erucic acid, which can increase the risk of heart disease. If you plan on using mustard oil make sure you check the label and buy a product that is legally sold and labeled for culinary use in your area. I recommend using any neutral oil with a high smoke point, like avocado oil or sunflower oil.
You should sterilize the grater, bowl and ladle you will use to mix the pickle, but you don't need to sterilize the skillet as you will be heating that. And it is absolutely important that you sterilize the mason jars you will store the pickles in.
Pickles made and fermented properly can be stored in the fridge for up to a year.
With dal and rice or with roti and a sabzi, like this bhindi ki sabzi or baingan masala. If you are a sourdough aficionado, check out this amazingly soft roti recipe made with sourdough discard.
This is unconventional, but I love stirring a spoonful of this carrot pickle in a salad. It adds so much delicious flavor and no dressing required!
Johnson says
I am going to try your recipes soon.