Recipe of Gajar Achar / Instant Carrot Pickle

Carrot pickle is one of the most famous pickle that is being made since ages at our place, during all months, no specific month or time to serve this delicious pickle. Infact I have been having it since my early teens or may be more before that.

The best part of this Gajar ka achar is that you do not have to dry it for days or give sunlight as we do for mango pickles and other kind of pickles, though its an instant one, which is ready in few minutes with extra ordinary taste.

Carrot pickles are chopped into long strips and marinated into salt for some time and then seasoned with few spices and oil, here in this Carrot pickle we do not add warm oil, instead add kacha tel ( raw oil)….is int it great that without much ado you can make instant carrot pickle whenever you want to without waiting for time or season.

Carrot pickle is best when served with daals, tadka daal, pulaos, veg and any kind of non veg dishes, it almost goes well with any.

You can add raw mango for best results, though if you adding raw mango chopped into strips then don’t need to add vinegar as in due course of time mango extracts that much needed khatta taste ( sour taste) which make the pickle more delicious and lip smacking.

You can add chopped hara lasson which is readily available during winter’s, Here is my age old recipe of Carrot pickle, hope you all like it.

INGREDIENTS:

2 carrots

1 and 1/ 2 tbsp red chilly powder

1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 and 1/2 – 2 tbsp vinegar

Salt
5 – 6 tbsp oil

METHOD:

1.Peel, wash and chop the carrots into long strips. ( chop of in between yellow portion with the help of knife as shown in the pics)

2.In a bowl place the carrots and add 1 tsp salt , mix well and keep aside for half an hour.

3.Now wash the carrots properly and drain, keep aside for 15 – 20 minutes in strainer.

4 . In a bowl add salt , turmeric powder , red chilly powder , vinegar , oil ( you can use any kind of oil, no specific like mustard oil, in fact I use regular oil used for cooking ) & carrots mix everything well adjust salt & other seasoning as per your taste ( eg , red chilly powder and vinegar ) .

NOTE:

Reduce or increase the chilly powder as per your taste.
You can adjust vinegar as per your taste.
Do not need to add warm oil, add oil directly without warming it.
You can add hara lasson as well, chop the hair of hara lasson, wash and finely chop it , add 2 tbsp of these chopped hara lasson. ( hara lasoon is always seen in markets during winter time.
Best when raw mango added to carrot pickle, for this wash kachi keri ( raw mango) and chop into long strips and add all the ingredients except vinegar, add salt, red chilly powder, turmeric powder, oil, mix well , serve with tadka dals, vegetables, yaknee pulaos, etc, you can add hara lasoon as well if you want to.
You can preserve it for 2 – 3 days, when the day you make instant carrot pickle, refrigerate it since from that night and when ever want to serve during 2nd day or 3rd day lunch and dinner, remove the carrot pickle prior half and hour before serving.
You can use any kind of oil be it mustard or regular oil used for cooking, there is no specific like in mango pickles and etc , I have always been using regualr oil used for cooking, so it depends on you which oil you want to add to achar ( pickle) just make sure you add oil directly without warming it.