Sabzi Ka Achar, Pickled Mixed Vegetables:
The beautiful abundance of winter vegetables forces one to buy them in bulk. I always end up buying more than I need for a week on my weekend grocery shopping. Besides all the delicious curries, pies and warm salads, there is one thing I regularly make with them – Sabzi ka Achar or Pickled Mixed Vegetables to go with simple rice, roti and lentils preparations for week days.

The colours, the crunch and the tangy, spicy flavours beautifully compliment any ordinary meal. The pickle glass jar itself looks beautiful enough to become an Autumn/winter decoration for my kitchen island.

This method is simple and so quick that you don’t have to wait for days for the pickle to get ready. By the time your rice steam and your daal gets done, the pickled mixed vegetables are also ready to serve on the side.

At our place, it doesn’t last more than 3-4 days but if you want to keep it longer, keep it refrigerated.

Tips:
-You can add any other of your favourite vegetables to it – peas, bell peppers, turnips taste great too. I even add boiled chickpeas at times.

-For any pickle, hygiene of hands and utensils is very important. Wash hands before you start. Use sterilised and clean pots and spoons to cook and store.

-If making a bigger batch to store for a longer time, increase the quantity of oil so that the vegetables stay covered in oil at all times.

Ingredients:
2 cups cauliflower florets (phool gobi)
2 carrots (gajjar)
1 daikon/white radish (mooli)
4 inch piece ginger (adrak)
1 eggplant (baingan)
2 onions (pyaz)
7-8 green chilli peppers (hari mirch)
2 teaspoons mustard seeds (rai)
2 teaspoon cumin seeds (zeera)
1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds (methi dana)
1 teaspoon coriander seeds ( sabut dhania)
2-3 teaspoons red chilli flakes (moti kutti laal mirch)
Salt to taste
3/4 cup lemon juice
1 cup olive oil

This Is What You Do:
Separate cauliflower florets, peel and cut carrots and daikon into thick slices or strips, peel and cut ginger into thin slices, peel and cut onions into 4 pieces each. Slit green chilli peppers and cut eggplants into 1/4 inch thick, bite size slices.

Bring water to boil in a wok or wide mouthed pan. Add cauliflower, carrots, daikon, eggplants and ginger. Cook for 5-6 minutes or till the vegetables are semi cooked but still crunchy.

Remove from hot water and immediately immerse in a bowl of ice cold water to stop the cooking process.

Leave there for 2-3 minutes while you prepare the spice mix.

Dry toast red chilli flakes, cumin, coriander, fenugreek and mustard seeds. Grind them to coarse powder in an electric blender or pound by hand.

Drain the vegetables completely, pat them dry on a clean kitchen towel.

Add them to a big mixing bowl with onions and green chilli peppers. Add lemon juice and salt. Sprinkle the masala over them.

Heat olive oil in a small frying pan. Pour over the masala and vegetables. Toss to mix everything.

Keep the pickle in a sterilised jar or container with a lid. Shake the jar a few times during first 24 hours to keep the vegetables coated with oil and lemon mixture.

Stays good in refrigerator for a fortnight.

Serves 10-12

3 Replies to “Sabzi ka Achar, Pickled Mixed Vegetables”

  1. That’s a wonderful way to enjoy so many crunchy winter vegetables in the form of an achar. I usually make something similar using only carrots , fresh turmeric and chillis. Like the idea of using mooli, cauliflower and brinjal too. Good mixture of veggies to enjoy with a meal.

  2. Lovely recipe Maria. I can feel the crunch of the vegetables by looking at the picture itself. I have never used eggplants in a pickle. It sounds interesting.

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