Green Chilli Pickle Recipe | How to make Hari Mirch ka Achar (Video Tutorial/Recipe)

Learn how to make Hari Mirch Ka Achar or Green Chilli Pickle

‘What next?'

A question that kept popping in my mind after many years of blogging. If one has been blogging for more than a decade, there comes a time when it all gets, well, little repetitive and boring. And then comes the feeling to either quit or do something which fuels the passion. Both this blog and I have come a long way, from wanting to record family recipes by an amateur cook to the one who is curious about the story of origin of the dish; from blog posts with photographs taken using handy cam to the proud owner of full frame dSLR who, if I may say, has learnt to take a decent photograph; from someone who was uncertain about everything to someone who has found her voice.

I won’t be lying if I say that I have put my heart and soul into growing and maintaining this blog and it’s not that easy for me to quit. Although the web world is over flooded and saturated with food blogs, I appreciate my readers, both new and old, who have been part of the Monsoon Spice. You have been my constant source of inspiration for keeping this blog alive after all these years and I can’t thank you enough. So, instead of quitting, I decided to do something new; video recipes!

My family, especially my lil brother, has been hounding me for years to work on creating video recipes and I, as usual, kept pushing it back of my mind. I gave them many reasons for not doing a recipe videos, but truth to be told, I was just plain lazy and was happy with the way the blog was heading to. Then came this nagging feeling to something new and exciting, to try something which was out of my comfort zone and it all happened when I was least expecting on a lazy Saturday morning.

The was supposed to be bright and sunny as per weather reporter, but we live in the corner of the Britain where the weather changes in a blink of an eye! So the good weather day turned into cloudy and drizzly which made us cancel our trip to the local beach. Hubby was the happiest and soon was seen sprawled on the sofa with TV remote in one hand and a bowl of popcorn balancing precariously on his stomach. How can a wife sit back and bear to look at the sight of husband enjoying so much?! So like any normal wives, I stood in between him and his second wife, TV, and demanded that we do something exciting! Please note that exciting things after a decade of marriage means either moving the furniture, fixing the door, drilling the wall to hang the new art work etc. ;) Since the house was spic and span, I suggested we shoot a recipe video! I don’t know what made me say that, and how that thought crossed my mind! It just happened… Just like that!!! The thought of shooting recipe videos had crossed my mind many time over the past 3-4 years, but it didn’t realise until that one moment. I think there is, after all, time and moment for things to happen. It must be true.

So there we were, super excited wife trying to find a spot where there is best natural light, or whatever available on that dull n cloudy day, and not so keen husband trying to find way out of sticky situation. It took us around three hours with long intervals (read very demanding 6-year-old wanting all that attention) to shoot the recipe video and I was ready to give up by the end of it! That fact that it took me two days to recover from all that exertions says it all! I kid you not! All this in spite of choosing no-cook, simple recipe!

Let me say it loud and clear, making recipe video is not easy and I am not even talking about editing part! I watched my hair turn grey as I fidgeted with editing software and I left it in middle as it was impossible to concentrate with two noisy boys running around the house. I contemplated a lot whether to post it or not as it didn’t turn out to be how I wanted. The angles were wrong, too much hand shake, wrong camera lens, not enough light to get crisp and clean videos etc etc, but I shouldn’t be too hard on myself as it is my first attempt at creating video recipes and I will only learn more and get better over the period! I hope! There’s a new-found respect for all those who create video recipes day after day and I will be mighty pleased if I can post one video recipe a month! It doesn’t help that the husband has self-retired from being my hand model and as a compensation, I have nicely asked him to buy me a sturdy tripod with extended arm to shoot recipe videos on my own after fidgeting with my very old basic tripod as I shot another recipe video last week and ended up with back ache that lasted for a week.

So coming back to the recipe, here is how you can make spicy and absolutely delicious Green Chilli Pickle at home all around the year. Unlike, many other Indian pickle recipes which depend on seasonal produce, green chillies are easily available through the year and this Green Chilli Pickle can me made using handful of ingredients easily stocked in most pantries. Make sure that you select the fresh green chillies for this pickle. To check for their freshness, the stems should be green and the seeds white. If you find any green chillies with black seeds, discard them. The spice base is just yellow mustard seeds, which are less pungent and milder than their black counterparts, and turmeric powder. The lime juice balances the spicy flavour of green chillies and the salt and oil acts as a preservative, extending the shelf life of the pickle. Although you can start using it immediately, its best to let it mature for 5-7 days before consuming. The heat of green chillies will reduce as it matures and the colour will change from bright green to yellow as it matures. This pickle stays fresh for about 1-2 months at room temperature. Once opened, pop the jar in refrigerator. It will stay fresh for up to a year in refrigerator. I like to eat it with freshly cooked stuffed parathas, but it tastes great with some rice and dal or yogurt rice too. So without further ado, let’s get cooking!

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Green Chill Pickle/Hari Mirchi Ka Achaar (Indian green chilli pickle with mustard and lime)
Prep Time: 15-20 mins
Cooking Time: 5 mins
Recipe Level: Easy/Beginner
Spice Level: High
Makes: About 2 cups
Shelf Life: Around 2 months at room temperature and up to a year in refrigerator
Serving Suggestion: With parathas, rice and dal or with yogurt rice

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Ingredients:
150 gms/About 1 heaped cup Green Chillies, washed, dried and cut into 1 cm pieces
3 tbsp Yellow Mustard Seeds
1 tsp Haldi/Turmeric Powder
Juice from 3 large Limes
¼ cup Oil (Mustard oil or sunflower oil)
1 tbsp Salt

Method:
Preparation:

1. Wash the green chillies and spread them on a kitchen towel to dry them. I normally wash them on eve of pickle making and let it air dry overnight. This way the green chillies are absolutely moisture free as any moisture will spoil the pickle and reduce its shelf life.
2. Once the green chillies are dry and moisture free, remove their stalks and cut them into 1 cm long pieces. Keep them aside in a clean and dry mixing bowl.
3. Take mustard seeds, turmeric and salt in a spice grinder and grind them to course powder.
4. Extract juice from fresh limes and keep it aside until needed.
5. Heat oil in a pan. If using mustard oil, heat it until it smokes and turn off the flame. If using sunflower oil, just heat it until it is hot and turn off the flame. Let it cool down to room temperature.

Proceed to make pickle:

1. Add ground mustard powder to the chopped green chillies and mix them well using a clean and dry spoon.
2. Next add lime juice and mix them all well. Finally add the oil and mix them well.
3. Let the pickle rest covered for about an hour before transferring it into a clean, dry sterilised jar with air tight lid. Store them in a dark and cool place.
4. Although you can start using it immediately, its best to let it mature for 5-7 days before consuming. The heat of green chillies will reduce as it matures and the colour will change from bright green to yellow as it matures.
5. This pickle stays fresh for about 1-2 months at room temperature. Once opened, pop the jar in refrigerator. It will stay fresh for up to a year in refrigerator.
6. Serve it with roti, paratha or with rice. This Green Chilli Pickle also makes a delicious spread for sandwiches with little kick of heat from green chillies. Enjoy!

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Sia's Notes:

• Use spicy to medium spicy flavoured green chillies for this pickle. When choosing, make sure the stems are green as it is the indication for freshness. Also if the seeds have turned black, discard them and use the ones with white seeds.
• Do make sure all the utensils, spoons and ladles, knife and cutting board and storage jars are dry and moisture free as any moisture content will reduce the life of pickle.
• Similarly, make sure that the fresh green chillies are moisture free once they are rinsed and washed. I usually wash them a day before pickling and spread them on a large kitchen towel to dry overnight.
• If using mustard oil in the recipe, heat it until it smokes. If using sunflower or any other vegetable oil, heat the oil until its hot and turn off the flame.
• This pickle stays fresh for about 1-2 months at room temperature. Once opened, pop the jar in refrigerator. It will stay fresh for up to a year in refrigerator.
• Serve it with roti, paratha or with rice. This Green Chilli Pickle also makes a delicious spread for sandwiches with little kick of heat from green chillies. Enjoy!