Green Chilli Pickle – so easy and quick to make from fresh green chillies. Serve this delightfully citrussy and spicy condiment to perk up any Indian-themed meal! Sometimes, I even put a smidgen of it on some bread and butter for a quick little tasty snack.
This pickle brings back memories of my Dad, who loved the taste of the pickle my Mom made, but couldn’t really handle the heat. He would place a half-teaspoon of the spicy pickle juice on his plate, and periodically take a tiny little lick, or maybe touch the spicy juice with the tip of a piece of bread or Chapati (Chup-aa-tee, Chup as in Ketchup). My Mom, on the other hand, just loved the spicy stuff and would take a good tablespoonful of it, chillies, juice, spices and all!
As for my brothers and myself, we were kind of like Dad, just a little lick of pickle juice every so often was enough to wake up our senses. Any more and we would probably have to chug copious amount of water, never mind that water doesn’t really help! As for the actual chilli slices? They were all Mom’s!
Fresh Green chillies
Use any variety of green (or other colored) chilli to make this pickle: mild, medium, hot, super-spicy… I have used medium spicy Serrano peppers in this recipe.
Thai chilli is just way too spicy for my own taste-buds, and of course I never go near the likes of the rather splendid-looking, but seriously potent, golden-orange Habanero or that dangerously “spooky” Ghost Pepper (Bhoot-Jolokia; the word “Bhoot” actually translates to “Ghost”!).The spiciness level of the pickle depends, naturally, upon the spiciness of the actual peppers.
So… whichever kind you choose to use, be sure to handle with care and great respect! Wear food-grade gloves, if possible, when slicing the peppers for this pickle. Avoid touching your mouth, nose, eyes…. yes, you will be seriously miserable if you do not heed this advice!
And remember to wash your hands thoroughly with soap after you’re done. If in doubt about any residual “heat” still left on your hands, hey… just wash with soap, yet again!
Capsaicin… the chilli-heat factor and misconceptions
So, what makes different peppers have different levels of spiciness? It’s all about the “Capsaicin”. The more the Capsaicin in a pepper, the hotter it is. Having said that, let me debunk some common misconceptions regarding capsaicin….
If your food tastes too spicy, you might instinctively reach for a glass of cold water. Whatever you might have heard before, it does absolutely nothing to actually wash away the capsaicin. The coolness of the water might be somewhat soothing, but it really doesn’t give you real relief – the capsaicin remains firmly stuck to the taste-receptors in your mouth.
So then, what should you do instead? Try reaching for a spoonful of butter (or Ghee – clarified butter; sour cream works well too). Swirl it around in your mouth for a minute or two, then spit it out. Capsaicin is actually more soluble in fat than in water, and will get carried out of your mouth along with the butter. Vegan and don’t eat butter? No worries…. any edible oil will do the same thing.
Another common misconception: which part of the chilli is the hottest? Lots of folks think it is the seed, but actually the Capsaicin is more concentrated in the soft/spongy whitish pith/rib (to which the seeds are attached). So, if you want to get rid of some of the heat, it is not enough to simply remove the seeds, you must actually remove this pith too.
Pickle the chilli peppers
How to make this green chilli pickle? Wash, towel-dry and slice and your prep work is mostly done. Then make Tadka (Thud-kaa), add the seasonings and fry for about 30 seconds. Next up, add the chillies, toss in the hot Tadka for about 30 seconds and set aside to cool, uncovered. Meanwhile, squeeze the lemons/limes and collect the juice. When the chillies have cooled to room temperature, add the juice. Mix well, adjust salt as per taste-preference, and transfer to a glass jar with a well-fitting lid.
Set aside for about 30 min or so before serving. The taste continues to improve over the next couple of days as the flavors blend and fermentation slowly begins, soon generating a probiotic mixture. Store in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or a bit longer…. although you will probably polish it off before then.
You can easily make bigger batches of this recipe. As for me, I prefer to make a small batch every so often, partly because of limited space in my refrigerator, and partly because some of the nutrients in the chillies and lemon juice start degrading after a few days. Also, I don’t really relish the idea of slicing a huge heap of spicy chilli peppers for a large batch of pickle! I did try to slice them in my food processor, but found it difficult to control the shape of the slices, so I usually slice them by hand.
Special Diets
This green chilli pickle is vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free. Also, this pickle is not loaded with salt and oil – a major difference from store-bought pickles.
Many store-bought pickles are typically very high in sodium (salt) and oil. Why? Both act as preservatives and allow the pickles to be stored at room temperature without risk of spoilage. However, one should not consume excessive amounts of salt and oil – they are detrimental for good health.
So…. I have tweaked my Mom’s green chilli pickle recipe a little, and this pickle recipe has less salt and oil. There is enough of both ingredients to give it great taste, but not so much that it becomes a health-hazard, as long as you consume it in fairly small quantities – about 1-2 tsp. My Dad’s voice rings in my head and makes me smile – “Remember this is a condiment, not a Vegetable side dish!”
Lots of pickles to make and enjoy…
I love pickles – all varieties! I think the delectable taste and texture of spicy and tangy pickles lifts many a ordinary meal!
If you’re a pickle-lover like me, do check out my other pickle recipes too: most are easy to make, and will give you weeks of joy! Try some of my favorites: the brilliant red, fresh cranberry pickle; Kale stems pickle, radish greens pickle, Upvaas-style lemon pickle, etc.
And Yesss…. ! All of these pickles are lower in salt and oil than store-bought pickles. Of course, that means you have to store them in the refrigerator.
Okay then… I hope you make this deliciously tangy and spicy green chilli pickle soon, and kick up the taste factor of your meals!
Do leave a review and star rating – much appreciated.
Enjoy!
Green Chilli Pickle – Quick and Easy to Make
Equipment
- standard kitchen equipment.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Green chillies – fresh, sliced thin (about 1/8 inch or thinner) spicy peppers preferred – I have used Serrano; other chillies OK too
- 1/4 cup Lime/lemon juice – freshly squeezed bottled variety not recommended
- 1/4 tsp Salt
Tadka
- 1 tsp Oil I prefer Peanut oil; other mild-flavored oil OK; I do not recommend extra virgin olive oil here
- 1/2 tsp Split mustard seeds: also called Mustard Dal; Mohrichi Dal
- 1/16 tsp Turmeric powder
- 1 pinch Asoefetida powdered (Hing) Note: this may contain traces of gluten
- 1 pinch Fenugreek powder (optional) also called Methi (May-thi); the powder is available at Indian grocery stores in the US
Topping
- 2 tsp Oil – heated and cooled I prefer Peanut oil; other mild-flavored oil OK; I do not recommend extra virgin olive oil here
- 1/8 tsp Salt for sprinkling over the top
Instructions
- Rinse the chillies in a colander. Spread them out on a towel and wipe each chilli till dry. Let the chillies air-dry for a few min before slicing them. Wear food-grade gloves if you'd like to protect your hands from absorbing capsaicin – handling hot peppers can cause a severe burning sensation that lingers for a while.Trim the stems and slice the chillies.
- Heat 3 tsp oil in a small-medium pan. Transfer 2 tsp heated oil to a small stainless steel bowl and set aside to cool.1 tsp oil remains in the pan: add the split mustard and fry for a few seconds
- Decrease heat and add Hing and turmeric and fry for about 1 minute (on low heat.) Also add Fenugreek (Methi) powder at this time.
- Add sliced green chillies and stir-fry for about 30 seconds.
- Add 1/4 tsp salt and stir to mix. Set aside to cool (about 10 min) – uncovered.
- Meanwhile, wash and towel-dry the limes/lemons. Roll hard on the countertop to soften the limes/lemons – this will allow the juice to flow more easily while squeezing.Cut each lime/lemon in half.
- If the lime/lemon is cold, microwave for 10 seconds, then squeeze the juice. the juice is released faster when the lime/lemon is at room temperature. Note: A metal juicer does not squeeze "all" the juice from the halves. Get the remaining juice out by hand-squeezing the already squeezed pieces. You will be surprised how much more juice comes out when you do this!
- Add the lime/lemon juice to the seasoned chillies and mix.
- Transfer to a glass jar. Push down the chillies with a spoon/spatula to force out air pockets that may form and get trapped in the pickle. Set aside for about 30 min for flavors to blend before serving.Add the 2 tsp oil (previously boiled and cooled), set aside earlier, evenly, over the top of the pickle – do NOT mix it in.Then sprinkle 1/4 tsp salt all over the top – do NOT mix it in. The thin layer of oil and salt on top help to prevent spoilage.
- To serve, transfer some of the pickle to a serving bowl (glass/ceramic preferred). Pack down the remaining pickle in the jar, so that it is again coated with a thin layer of oil.Serve as a tart and spicy condiment, to add an extra boost of flavor, with a traditional Indian meal centered around lentils, vegetables, rice, Chapati, Paratha, etc. When I want a quick, no-fuss snack… guess hat my go-to is ? Bread and butter, topped with a little bit of this delicious green chilli pickle.Enjoy!
Notes
To Store the Pickle:
Store in a glass jar with a well fitting lid in the refrigerator: do NOT use plastic containers for storing pickles.- Consume within 2 two weeks – probably OK for a little longer
- Discard if you see fungus or if it smells “off”
Sounds easy and wonderful. I’m salivating as I read the recipe. Will try it out soon.
It is super easy, Sujata, I’m not kidding! Let me know how it turns out.
very nice, reminded me of my mother’s chilli pickle 👍
Yup! 🙂
This is a super yummy pickle. My husband and daughter love it too!
So glad you like it, Devyani!
Made this pickle. Is tasted out of this world😋
Awesome! Thanks, Shruti!
A really tasty recipe! Elevates the meal instantly.
Thanks Vivek. Yup, it sure elevates a meal with its spicy, tangy kick.