green chilli pickle recipe with step by step photos – posting a pickle recipe after a long time. after all summers are meant for pickling and making a host of other goodies.
making this green chilli pickle is very easy. use less hot or medium hot green chilies to make the pickle. i have use an indian variety of green chilies which were medium hot. after pickling and maturing the heat does tone down a bit.
this chilli pickle has ground mustard seeds, turmeric and lemon juice which imparts a major flavor, aroma and taste, not to forget the presence of green chillies too. in fact this pickle was so much liked by my parents, that they took half of it with them. this recipe was shared by my friend.
the green chilli pickle goes very well as a condiment with simple indian meals like dal-rice, curd-rice, veg pulao and even with roti-sabzi. i used to even have them with pakoras. they also go well with stuffed parathas or plain parathas.
the pickling process usually requires sunlight. but if you don’t get good sunlight, not too worry. i made this pickle in winters and it was days of dullness and shade here with no sunlight. so i just kept for extra days out in the balcony. so if you do not get good sunlight, then too you can make this green chilli pickle. if you get an intense & hot sunlight, then just reduce the number of days required for the pickling process.
if you are looking for more pickle recipes then do check:
hari mirch or green chilli pickle recipe below:
chilli pickle recipe | hari mirch ka achar recipe | green chilli pickle recipe
green chilli pickle recipe - an easy to prepare green chili pickle with ground mustard, lemon juice and oil.
ingredients (1 cup = 250 ml)
- 1.25 to 1.5 cups chopped green chilies - less hot or medium hot variety (hari mirch)
- 6 tablespoons mustard seeds - yellow or black or split mustard seeds (rai na kuria or rai ki dal)
- 3 tablespoons rock salt (sendha namak)
- 2 teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
- 1 cup mustard oil or sunflower oil or peanut oil (sarson ka tel ya moongphalli ka tel)
- 5 to 6 lemons (nimbu) - yields ⅓ to ½ cup lemon juice
how to make recipe?
chopping green chilies:
rinse and wipe dry the green chilies very well. there should be no trace of moisture in them. you can also let them dry on their own.
remove the crowns and chop the green chilies in 1 inch pieces.
making green chilli pickle:
- in a dry grinder or coffee grinder, powder the mustard seeds coarsely. here i used yellow mustard seeds. but you can also use black mustard seeds.
- in a clean glass jar, add the green chilies, ground mustard seeds and salt.
- mix by shaking the jar or use a clean non reactive spoon to mix the contents of the jar. cover the jar with its lid tightly and keep in the sun for 2 to 3 days. if the sunlight and heat is very intense, then just 1 to 2 days is fine. if you don't have sun and its cloudy all the time, then just keep outside. in the evening, remove the jar from out and keep in a dry place in your kitchen. i kept for 3 days since the sun was playing hide and seek.
- after 2 to 3 days, add lemon juice and turmeric powder to the pickle..
- with a clean non reactive spoon, mix everything very well. close the jar and again keep in the sun for 1 to 2 days.
- proceed with the next step after 1 or 2 days.
- heat mustard oil till its smoking point. let the mustard oil cool till it becomes warm or is slightly hot.. about 15 mins. you can use any other oil like sunflower or peanut oil. if using these oils, then just heat them till they are hot. you don't need to heat them till their smoking point.
- pour the mustard oil in the pickle jar.
- cover the jar with its lid and keep the pickle at room temperature for 4 to 5 days for the pickling process to happen.
you can even keep the chilli pickle for 2 to 3 days at room temperature and then in the fridge. since it was during the winters, i had made the pickle, i kept the jar out for all 5 days. once we started serving the chilli pickle, then i kept the jar in the fridge.
- serve green chili pickle as a side condiment with a simple indian meal like dal-rice or curd-rice. the pickle can also be served with aloo paratha, gobi paratha, mooli paratha or even plain parathas or chapatis.
step by step hari mirch or green chilli pickle recipe:
1. rinse and wipe dry the green chilies very well. there should be no trace of moisture in them. you can also let them dry on their own. remove the crowns and just chop the green chilies in 1 inch pieces.
2. in a dry grinder or coffee grinder, powder the mustard seeds coarsely. here i used yellow mustard seeds. but you can also use black mustard seeds.
3. in a clean glass jar, add the green chilies, mustard seeds and salt.
4. cover the jar and mix by shaking the jar. you can also use a clean non reactive spoon to mix. cover the jar with its lid tightly and keep in the sun for 2 to 3 days. if the sunlight and heat is very intense, then just 1 to 2 days is fine. if you don’t have sun and its cloudy all the time, then just keep outside. in the evening, remove the jar from out and keep in a dry place in your kitchen. i kept for 3 days since the sun was playing hide and seek. every day with a clean wooden spoon or non reactive spoon mix the contents of the jar or just shake the jar.
5. the pickle mixture after 3 days.
6. now the next step needs to be done on the 2nd or 3rd day. extract lemon juice and keep aside.
7. pour the lemon juice in the pickle.
8. add turmeric powder.
9. with a clean non reactive spoon, mix everything very well. close the jar and again keep in the sun for 1 to 2 days.
10. the green chili pickle after 2 days. you see the color has changed. remember to shake the jar everyday.
11. this step is the last step. heat mustard oil till its smoking point. let the mustard oil cool for about 15 mins. it can be slightly hot or warm. you can use any other oil like sunflower or peanut oil. if using these oils, then just heat them till they are hot. you don’t need to heat them till their smoking point. heating mustard oil till its smoking point reduces much of its pungency.
12. pour the mustard oil in the pickle jar.
13. this is how the green chili pickle looks after adding the mustard oil. close and keep the pickle at room temperature for 4 to 5 days to mature. you can even keep the pickle for 2 to 3 days at room temperature and then in the fridge. since it was during the winters, i had made the pickle, i kept the jar out. once we started serving the pickle, then i kept the jar in the fridge.
14. the pickle after 5 days. serve green chili pickle as a side condiment with a simple indian meal like dal-rice or curd-rice. the pickle can also be served with aloo paratha, gobi paratha mooli paratha, or even plain parathas or chapatis.
the green chilies and tenderized by now and get softened. once you start serving the pickle, keep the jar in the refrigerator. the pickle stays for good for 3 to 4 months in the refrigerator.
Hi Dassana,
Can I use kasundi instead of mustard powder ? Also, does it need to be topped with oil with use ?
maya, i have never used kasundi. so i have no idea how much concentrated and intense is the flavor. some experimentation will be needed from your side. so can’t say if it can be used or not.
Dear Dassana,
Can we use pingaani jar instead of glass jar to put in sunlight.we have no glass jar in our house at this moment:(.
yes you can use pingaani jar.
Hi, your pickles are delicious! I’m just discovering those spicy pickles from your country, I would suggest to have those with a soft boiled egg for breakfast, indeed mustard and chillies taste so great with it :D. I didn’t think I would love it so much in the morning ^^
Thanks Molina for your positive feedback and suggestion. In India usually pickle is served with the main course meal or had with flat breads called as parathas.
Hi Dassana,
This is Edwin from US. I made this recipe using the Jalapeno and Serano peppers grown in my vegetable garden twice last year. Turned out awesome and got lot of compliments. Making a batch from this year’s harvest.
Thank you very much.
Edwin
Welcome Edwin. Glad to know this. Thanks for sharing this information.
Hi Dassana this is Paul from England. ….your recipe is fantastic Thankyou so much
thanks a lot paul. happy cooking.
Hello dassana, really a very good recipe. Just have one query. Can i also add garlic pods along with green chillis into this recipe?
Thanks
thanks naina. you can add garlic pods. taste will slightly change but will taste good.
No sun here,rainy can I make it in room temperature
Ritu, some sun light will be required.
Thank you dear so much. Really love your passion ,creativity and innovation.
God bless you…
Welcome Meghà. Thanks for your kind words and best wishes.
Please share what can be done in case if we have some leftover aam pickle masala.
I have posted this query earlier also however I am not sure that you received it or not
have already replied to you megha. please do refresh the post and you will see my comment.
Dear Dassana,
In case if I have some achar masala from mango pickle left with me please suggest what I can do with that.
megha, you can try these recipes with achari masala.
achari paneer tikka – https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/achari-paneer-tikka-recipe-tikka-recipes/
achari paneer masala – https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/achari-paneer-recipe/
you can use any veggie or even mix veggies instead of paneer. then with the mango pickle masala, you can even make parathas. just add the masala in the atta. you can add some mix veggies like grated carrots, grated cabbage or even mashed potatoes or peas. then knead well and make parathas.
any simple starter snack or sabzi can be made with the achari masala. eg like just stir fry some mushrooms and add the masala. various sabzis can be made with veggies of your choice.
Hi, I am so bad at making pickles. I can be the worst pickle maker in the world. One rime,I had loads of green chillies at home and i had lots of out station guests coming over. So i decided to not waste the green chillies and pickled them as per your recipe. Believe you me, my guests had this pickle with every meal and also carried some for their journey back. Mynfamily is completely sold on this and this pickle has to be on the table or the meals are incomplete. Thank you so much !! I am so glad i found this recipe. How can i follow your other recipes ?
Thanks again 🙂
Welcome Kiran. Glad to know that pickle recipe came out so well and everyone liked it. Thanks for sharing this awesome feedback.
Hey, just wanted to say this was my first attempt at making homemade pickles. It turned out absolutely fantastic. I’m looking forward to trying out more pickle recipes in the summer!
Just one question: my chillies were a bit crunchy (not “raw” crunchy just a tad). Will they soften up eventually as time goes by? Having that crunchier feel is a bit weird and unexpected in a pickle, but other that it was absolutely awesome.
Thanks Akshay. Yes they will soften eventually as the time passes.
Hi there. I tried making the mirchi pickle with a few nimboos also. The mustard seed dal is bitter after three days also. Have I done something wrong. I omitted sugar as I am diabetic. Do let me know if the bitterness will go.
Anita
try adding some more lemons. the recipe suggests 5 to 6 lemons. the sourness of the lemon juice will balance the bitterness of the mustard seeds. the bitterness coming from the mustard seeds depends on the quality of the seeds. as the pickle matures with time, the bitterness will mellow down. so you can keep the pickle for some more days to mature. the bitterness will reduce. no need to add sugar.
Hello,
Would it be alright to substitute regular table salt for the rock salt?
I don’t have the rock salt handy and was wondering if the taste would differ.
Also if I do use the table salt should the quantity be same?
Akshay, no problem with this. you can easily use regular salt.
Hello Dassana, do you have any suggestions for making pickles in winter in a cold country? If I put a jar outside this time of year it will freeze instead of cooking…
Sarah, Sun helps a lot. I don’t have any fool proof tip.
Hi….matserchef…..ur every recipe is jst WOWWWW…..dis is my 1st ever achar nd i cant believe is turned out so well i cant explain dat in words…..even m bengali hubby tastes it nd want it in every meal of d day…..yesterday he shocked nd said….ohhhh its almost finished how cum….he was nt aware dat i shared it wd my frnd….nw he want me to make more…luv u….
thanks again anjali. hugs and tc.
I alwaz used to tk references from ur recipes to cook food when ever sum1 special is cumin to my place nd i alwaz get loads of compliments bt actually all dose compliments belongs to u….nw after my baby as m a home maker nw decided to do sumthing which i never thot of doin ie preparing any kind of achar….i picked dis1 nd never thot dat it will turn out lyk dis?even my bengali hubby told me to remake it as its almost finished…..love u sooo much for making my hubby to eat achars U knw hw we punjabies are….achar is like a lifeline 4 us….lolzzz nw will try gobhi gajar wala achar hope he will lyk it too????
thank you anjali. felt nice reading your comment. agree for punjabis, achaar is a must, especially with parathas ?
do try the gobhi gajar achar. the taste of the gobhi gajar achar is different from green chili. but both taste good.
Hello, I’m making your chilli pickle at the moment! I’ve just added the lemon juice and it’s really liquidy now, not like in your pictures. I’ve multiplied everything by three to make a bigger batch but I’m worried I’ve ruined it…
looks like the proportions have not worked well by increasing. a suggestion would be add more powdered mustard seeds till the consistency becomes medium or slightly thick. its not ruined, so don’t worry. a liquid pickle also tastes good. you can skip also adding mustard seeds powder if you want.
Dassana,in Mumbai I get it loose and packed.so pls answer in exact weight.new to cooking so easy to follow measurement plus no risk of spoiling the dish.thanks for ur very quick reply.take care
parul, i did consider the this and replied. i had used a small packet of rai ka kuria and thus i told you the same. about green chilies, i weighed them and mentioned. it will be roughly 100 to 110 grams.
Hi,how many grams of chillies and rai na Kuria should I buy?thanks hope u will answer
parul, green chilies will be roughly 100 grams and rai ka kuria, will be small packet.
While keeping the pickle in sunlight should I keep the mouth of the bottle open ??
no. cover the mouth of the bottle with a muslin or a loosely woven cotton cloth. also you can cover the jar with its lid and keep in the sun. but do ensure that the lid is made of metal and not plastic.
Hi Dassana,
On other websites i saw, the process was of 20 min. Can you please let me know what difference it well make? BTW I appreciate your work and refer so many frnds of mine to your website.
thanks anu. i think they have cooked the pickle for 20 minutes. both taste different. in sun drying there is marination as well as very slow cooking that happens due to the sunlight. its a very slow process of cooking. so thus the taste will differ than the pickle mixture which has been cooked on stove top.
thank you so much. is it ok if I just keep it in the fridge as it is lying in the fridge for one week.
yes pooja, you can keep in the fridge for a week or even for more days.
I made this pickle. but green chillies are still very very hot. what can I do to reduce hotness of chillies. after adding mustard oil can it still be kept I sun n I can I add more mustard seeds or salt or lemon juice at this stage just to reduce that hot touch.
the green chilies you have used are of the hotter variety. the heat and spiciness will mellow down in some days. you can keep the bottle in the sun after adding mustard oil for a day or two. no need to add any salt, lemon juice or mustard seeds. in some days or a few weeks, the heat will get mellowed down a bit.
y do add month or years after comments..
its by default with the program that is used.
this looks yum…
thankyou jyoti 🙂
I made the mirchi picked and after adding mustard oil it became very bitter. Please let me know what to do.
did you heat the mustard oil till it started smoking. also did you make the pickle in glass jar. lemon juice can react with metals. not to worry. just allow the pickle to mature for some days, about a week or 15 days and the bitter taste will mellow down and become less. hope this helps. keep in the fridge.
You r awesome
Can i use plastic jar
avoid using a plastic jar as the pickle is kept in the sun for some days.
You are the best
thanks.
Hi Dassana,
Just one quick suggestion…can I add ajwain to this pickle??
Thanks in advance
ajwain will give a distinct flavor of its own. if you want, you can add a very small amount.
thanks …..the reason I am asking is because accidentally my whole 100gms of rai packet got mixed in the container of ajwain of somewhat same quantity 🙁
now I am looking for some pickle recipe where I can utilise both of them as I don’t feel like throwing the entire thing 🙁
….is there anything you can help me with??
Okay. Then you can add. But the ajwain flavor will be there.
Hi, tried this pickle recipe of yours and everything turned out almost as you mentioned but is slightly bitter which I do not know why…can you suggest anything to improve it? Thnx:-)
bitterness could be due to the mustard seeds or lemon juice. just allow the pickle to get matured more for a some more days and the bitterness will go away.
Thanks a lot for the instant reply:-) I have kept it in the refrigerator after putting oil and leaving it outside for 2-3 days. Should I leave it just like that or in the sun untouched?
you can keep in the sun. just cover the mouth of the jar with a tight muslin cloth and keep in the sunlight.
Hello and thank you once again for the prompt reply:-) Will do so:-) The recipes in your blog are all awesome. Am very much impressed by the stepwise explanation and every minute detail that you mention. I am myself very fond of cooking and love trying world cuisine. There are lots that I want to try from your blog. I suggest you should have a guest post corner where we could share our recipes from our part of the globe:-)
welcome moonmee and thanks a lot. also thanks for the suggestion for the guest post corner. we will think about it.
Green chilli pickle is one of my favorite these days. I recently pickled a batch of chillies but it turned out they were very hot kind. My face flushes after eating. There has been no sun since so I’m hoping once I keep them out in sun for a few days it might get better. However what else can be done to reduce the hotness ? More lemon juice?
do add more lemon juice. it will balance the heat of the chilies. it will get better in the sun also.
It’s makes easy to take tips from ur recepii. ……..thnxxx alot
welcome sheetal
Hi Dassana,
Thank you so much for all the lovely recipes.
Just a question – can I replace Mustard oil with extra virgin olive oil?
welcome archana. try using any other oil like sunflower oil, safflower oil or even canola oil or peanut oil. i won’t suggest using extra virgin olive oil.
Thank you Dassana. Out of curiosity – why do we avoid olive oil for this?
I actually bought Mustard oil but checking as Olive oil is healthier 🙂
And you really revert so very promptly….. Thank you 🙂
welcome archana. taste and flavor of olive oil will not go well with this pickle. i forgot to mention about sesame oil. you can use sesame oil or peanut oil. both are healthy.
Thank you Dassana.
Your recipes are easy to follow and absolutely delicious. I have tried more than 20 in last 2 months in addition to about 7 cakes and 2 cookies too (yup, am keeping count 🙂 ……….. I have not cooked or enjoyed being in the kitchen all my life.
The credit is completely yours……
My family relished each dish although in total surprise….
I am sure this pickle will turn out great too 🙂
I write this while eating Gingerbread cake baked according to your instructions…
I read in few comments that you will share recipes for Wholewheat cookies and Wholewheat Cumin cookies….. Eagerly waiting.
Thank you
welcome archana. thats a very sweet and positive feedback from you. i do try to post recipes which readers request. but many requested recipes are pending for many months. there is a big list of recipes requested by readers. good to know that you are enjoying cooking. cooking is creative and satisfying. if you cook with love then it will also nourish the family subtly and will in turn create more love and harmony in the home.
It sure is satisfying when the results turn out finger-licking good too…. 🙂
Particularly appreciate that you make healthier versions of most dishes….. That seems to have kept me going….
Hope you continue with this and share many more mouth watering dishes !
thanks again archana. yes i will be adding more recipes.
Hi,
I seem to have added more turmeric in the pickle. is there a way I can reduce the bitterness of turmeric?
try adding some more lemon or lime juice. the sourness of the lemon juice will balance the bitterness to some extent.
Well I just started it today, made a huge amount as I am excited and I know it will be awesome…thanks so much for posting
welcome karen
an excellent step by step photographic instruction of this recipe…
Why is the chilli tasting bitter after i’ve done al the process?
jumky, the pickle does not taste bitter. may be the quality of mustard seeds must not be good and is giving bitter taste.
Hi Jumky,
Sometime due to the choice of chili is such that initially for few days it may tastes bitter, however later it will give really delicious taste.
thanks for your response.
thank you so much , what if I use vineger instead of lemon juice
the recipe will not work well with vinegar. the taste will change a lot.
I would like to follow those recipes. Nice very nice.
Are you sure you mean 3 tablespoons of rock salt instead of 3 teaspoons ?
yes it is 3 tbsp of rock salt. but you can add less or more depending on your taste. salt acts as a preservative along with oil and mustard seeds. you can even add upto 2 tbsp of rock salt.
This is one of my favorite pickles…
wonderful! thanks so so much. It brightens up our curries in grey, cold Birmingham and reminds me how wretched the so-called Indian food we buy in restaurants here really is – but that’s another story…..
thanks neil. i know about the indian food served in restaurants there. trust me, its always better to cook indian food at home 🙂
awesome pickle surely a tempting clicks
thanks aparna
Looks like a classical green chilly chutney recipe with some variations. Will try it for sure.