Pickled Green Chili

---

While watching videos of popular Indian cooks, I came across a recipe for pickled green chili. I had something similar in Nepal, and it seemed interesting to make this pickle: appetizing green chili in spices and oil. I was curious about how it’s prepared in India and what it tastes like.

In Indian cuisine, pickled vegetables are a true art, and a special place among them is held by Hari Mirch ka Achar (हरी मिर्च का अचार) — pickled green chili. Its vibrant color, aromatic spices, and piquant heat make this pickle a perfect accompaniment to rice, flatbreads, or vegetable dishes.

In India, such pickles are made not only to diversify flavors but also to balance a meal: a small amount of pickled chili is served alongside simple dishes like rice, dal, parathas, or sabzi. It adds vibrancy, stimulates the appetite, and helps enhance the main flavors of the food.

The key feature of this recipe is the use of thin green chilies with delicate walls (1–2 cm in diameter and 8–13 cm long, such as Jwala (ज्वाला मिर्च) or Bhavnagri (भावनगरी मिर्च) varieties). Finding exactly these chilies was not easy — I had to visit several markets and supermarkets. Eventually, I found suitable pods that were perfect for pickling. So, I decided to start preparing this dish.

Ingredients

• Green chili (1–2 cm in diameter, 8–13 cm long) – 100 g
• Salt – ½ tbsp
• White vinegar (5–6%) – ¼ cup or lemon juice – 4–5 tbsp
• Fennel seeds – 1 tbsp
• Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
• Fenugreek seeds – ½ tsp
• Yellow mustard seeds – 2 tbsp
• Kashmiri red chili powder – 1 tsp
• Turmeric – ½ tsp
• Asafoetida – a pinch
• Black salt – ½ tbsp
• Sesame or mustard oil – 4–5 tbsp
• Nigella seeds – ½ tsp

Preparation

1. Wash the green chilies thoroughly, pat them dry, and cut them into 2 cm rings. Sprinkle with salt and mix. Let them sit for 10 minutes to release their juices. Add white vinegar or lemon juice and mix again.

2. Prepare the spices. Lightly toast the following in a small pan:

• Fennel seeds – 1 tbsp
• Yellow mustard seeds – 2 tbsp
• Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
• Fenugreek seeds – ½ tsp

until a light aroma appears (do not over-toast). Transfer to a spice grinder and add:

• Black salt – ½ tbsp
• Kashmiri red chili powder – 1 tsp
• Turmeric – ½ tsp
• Asafoetida – a pinch

Grind, but not too finely.

3. Add the spices to the chilies and mix well. Then heat sesame or mustard oil until it lightly smokes and cool it to a warm state (about 70–80 °C). Add the oil to the chilies and mix thoroughly. Traditionally, mustard oil is used in Indian recipes, but sesame oil works too. Then add nigella seeds and mix well again.

4. Let it sit for a few hours, or ideally, for a day.

The pickled green chili is ready. Transfer it to a thoroughly washed and dried glass jar. Store in the refrigerator for 2–3 weeks.

Serve the pickled chili with rice, dal, parathas, or vegetable sabzi.