This Indian Green Chilli Pickle (also called Hari Mirch ka Achar) will have your taste buds dancing! It is made using green chilli peppers, mustard seeds, salt and mustard oil and has a sure spicy kick. Make this tasty condiment easily and serve as a side dish with your everyday meals.
About Green Chilli Pickle
You won’t believe how easy it is to make these delicious green chilli pickle! I tend to use an Indian variety of chillies that are medium-hot but feel free to use mild or hot chilies to suit your preference. Bear in mind that once the chilies have been pickled they do lose some heat.
This Hari Mirch ka Achar is always enjoyed so much by my family. In fact, the last time my parents were here, they took half of them home! This is because the Hari Mirch ka Achar are made using flavorful ingredients such as ground mustard seeds, turmeric and lemon juice.
If you are wondering what to serve with these tasty chilies – Indian meals like dal-rice, curd-rice, veg pulao and roti-sabzi are great options. I have even served them with pakoras and parathas, and it paired extremely well.
The secret to making the perfect Chilli Pickle is sunlight. However, if there is no sun there are alternative ways to achieve the pickling.
Leaving the chilies in the sun helps the pickling process to take place faster but, if there is not as much sun leave the pickle mixture out for a few more days and it should do the trick!
How to Make Green Chilli Pickle
Prep Green Chillies
1. Rinse about 100 grams of green chillies in water a couple of times. Wipe and dry the green chilies very well. There should be no trace of moisture in them.
Alternatively, you can leave them to dry on their own under a fan. Next, remove the crowns and chop the green chilies into 1-inch pieces.
Instead of the Indian green chillies, you could use serrano peppers or jalapeño peppers. For jalapeno peppers, you could chop them into thin rounds.
2. Use a dry grinder or coffee grinder to powder 6 tablespoons mustard seeds coarsely. On this occasion, I used yellow mustard seeds but you can also use black mustard seeds.
Assemble Ingredients
3. Add the chopped green chilies, coarsely powdered mustard seeds and 3 tablespoons salt to a clean glass jar.
4. Cover the jar and shake to mix the ingredients. Alternatively, you can use a clean nonreactive spoon to mix the ingredients.
Then, cover the jar with the lid tightly and leave it in the sun for 2 to 3 days. If the sunlight is intense then 1 to 2 days is enough.
However, if you don’t have sun and it’s cloudy then leave it outside during the day and store it in a dry place indoors in the evening. This should be done for about 3 days.
Make sure you use a clean nonreactive wooden spoon to mix or shake the ingredients once daily.
5. The pickle mixture will look like this after 3 days.
6. On day 2 or 3 extract lemon juice from 5 to 6 medium to large lemons and set aside. Measure and you will need about ⅓ to ½ cup of lemon juice.
7. Pour the lemon juice in the pickle inside the jar.
8. Add 1 teaspoon turmeric powder.
9. Mix everything well using a clean non-reactive spoon. Close the jar and leave in the sun for 1 to 2 days.
10. After 2 days the color will change. Remember to shake the jar every day.
Make Chilli Pickle
11. This is the final step. Heat 1 cup of mustard oil to its smoking point to reduce pungency. Once the mustard oil is hot enough, turn off the heat.
Then leave the mustard oil to cool for about 15 minutes. It should be slightly hot or warm.
Alternatively, you can use sunflower or peanut oil. If you are using these oils, then heat them until they are hot. You don’t need to heat them to a smoking point.
12. Pour the warm mustard oil into the pickle jar.
13. This is what the green chili pickle should look like after adding mustard oil. Close the jar with the lid and leave the pickle mixture at room temperature for 4 to 5 days to mature.
You can also keep the pickle for 2 to 3 days at room temperature and then in the fridge. As I made the chilli pickle during winter I left it out for 4 to 5 days. After serving the pickle I stored it in the fridge.
14. Serve Green Chilli Pickle as a side condiment with a simple Indian meal like dal-rice or curd-rice. The Hari Mirch ka Achar can also be served with aloo paratha, gobi paratha, mooli paratha, or even paratha or roti.
The green chilies should be tenderized and softened. Once you start serving the pickle, store the jar in the fridge. The Hari Mirch ka Achar should keep for 3 to 4 months in the refrigerator.
Expert Tips
- Green chilies: The fresher the chillies the better for this recipe! Select unbruised, ripe chilies with a deep green color. I normally go for medium-hot green chilies but, you can use hot or mild chilies depending on your preference. In addition, make sure the chilies are completely dry before adding them to the jar.
- Shake ingredients: When making this green chili pickle it is vital to shake and mix the ingredients on a daily basis. If not the pickling process will not take place properly. You can also use a clean nonreactive spoon to mix the ingredients instead.
- Sunlight: It is necessary for the chilli pickle mixture to be exposed to sunlight and heat in order for the pickling process to take place. When the chilies are left in the sun they take 4 to 5 days to pickle.
But if you are pickling the chilies in cooler temperatures then bring the pickle mixture inside in the evenings and store it in a dry place. You will need to do this because the temperature outside will drop significantly in the evening. - Jar: For the best results make sure that the jar is clean and dry before adding the ingredients. Doing so will prevent contamination.
FAQs
You don’t have to heat the mustard oil before adding it to the jar. The oil is heated to decrease the pungent mustard flavors in the mustard oil. If you do not heat the oil then the mustard oil flavors in the pickle will be strong.
Yes, you can add garlic to this green chili mixture, it will add a garlicky flavor to the pickle. Add the garlic before the lemon juice and make sure you stir the mixture well.
Yes, you certainly can use a ceramic jar instead of a glass jar. Make sure that the jar is clean before adding the ingredients and follow the same steps.
Yes, edible rock salt can be substituted with table salt. You should get the same results.
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Green Chilli Pickle | Hari Mirch ka Achar
Ingredients
- 1.25 to 1.5 cups green chilies – chopped, add less hot or medium hot variety of green chillies
- 6 tablespoons mustard seeds – yellow or black or 6 tablespoons split mustard seeds (rai na kuria or rai ki dal)
- 3 tablespoons rock salt (edible and food grade) or regular salt or pink salt
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 cup mustard oil or sunflower oil or peanut oil
- 5 to 6 lemons (nimbu) – yields ⅓ to ½ cup lemon juice
Instructions
Prepping green chillies
- Rinse green chillies a few times in water. 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 under a fan.
- Remove the crowns and chop the green chilies in 1 inch pieces.
Assembling and mixing pickle ingredients
- In a dry grinder or coffee grinder, powder the mustard seeds coarsely.
- 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 the jar outside. In the evening, remove the jar from outside and keep it in a dry place in your kitchen.
- 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.
Making Green Chilli Pickle
- Heat mustard oil till its smoking point on medium low to medium heat. 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 until they are hot. You don't need to heat them till their smoking point.
- Pour the warm 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 later in the fridge. Once you start serving the chilli pickle, then keep the jar in the fridge.
- Serve Green Chili Pickle as a side condiment with a simple Indian meals like dal-rice or curd-rice or khichdi. The pickle can also be served with aloo paratha, gobi paratha, mooli paratha or even paratha or chapati.
- The Hari Mirch ka Achar should keep well for about 3 to 4 months in the refrigerator.
Notes
- Instead of Indian chili peppers, opt to use serrano peppers or jalapeño peppers. If using jalapeño, slice them into thin rounds.
- Swap mustard oil with sunflower oil or peanut oil.
- It is best to use freshly extracted lemon juice. Do not use bottled lemon juice.
- The approximate nutrition info is for the entire lot of chilli pickle made from this recipe.
Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)
This Green Chilli Pickle recipe from the archives first published in March 2014 has been updated and republished on December 2022.
Namaste Dassanaji, I love your blog and use it often to make delicious food. I made the green chilli pickle. Here in Australia, we only get either thick chillies or thin spicy ones. I used the thick ones.
The pickle is still quite bitter after a month. I have stored it in the fridge. The chillies are also not soft like normal pickle. I followed the recipe faithfully. Any solution or tips? Thank you.
Thanks Neelima. Sorry to hear about the pickle. Usually this does not happen, so I wonder what must have gone wrong. I hope you used the correct measurements.
The chillies will take a lot of time to become soft as they are thick. You can alter the bitter taste by adding some jaggery (this will make the pickle sweet-spicy-tangy) or increase the amount of salt (add a few teaspoons) or add some vinegar or lemon juice.
You can add about 1 to 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar or white vinegar or lemon juice. Mix thoroughly with whatever ingredient you add in and let the pickle mature for 2 to 3 days. Since you have kept it in the fridge now, I suggest to continue keeping it in the fridge.
Yet another option is to add some more oil, say about 2 to 3 tablespoons. I hope this helps.
Thank you so much for your reply. Will try. It’s quite cold here now, so I could keep it at room temperature too. Will use thinner chillies next time.
Welcome Neelima. Yes, you could keep at room temperature. Thinner chillies work better. Thanks.
Can I use less amount of mustard seeds powder than given in the recipe? Mainly because not used to this powder in the pickle.
We are not using mustard powder but coarsely ground mustard seeds. I would not suggest reducing it as the flavor and taste will alter. In the pickles made in Western and North India, mustard is usually added and it tastes good.
I love this. I have made sure I have a bottle of pickle in my fridge at all times. Thank you
Thank you and welcome.