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green chilli pickle

Green Chilli Pickle - Quick and Easy to Make

Wash, towel-dry and slice the chillies. Heat oil, add split mustard and fry for 30 seconds. Add turmeric and Hing, along with Fenugreek powder, and fry for another 15-20 seconds. Add the sliced chillies and stir-fry for about a minute. Add salt, mix and set aside to cool for 10 min. Add lemon/lime juice and sir to mix. Transfer the pickle to a glass jar with a well-fitting lid and store in the refrigerator if not serving right away. Serve with any Indian-themed meal. Enjoy!
5 from 5 votes
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 2 minutes
cooling time 10 minutes
Total Time 22 minutes
Course Condiment
Cuisine Indian
Servings 12 people
Calories 13 kcal

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.
  • stir-fry chillies for pickle
  • Add 1/4 tsp salt and stir to mix. Set aside to cool (about 10 min) - uncovered.
    adding salt to seasoned chillies
  • 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.
    limes for juice
  • 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!
    juicing the lime
  • lime juice
  • 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.
    pickle in a jar
  • 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!
    green chilli pickle served

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"

Nutrition

Calories: 13kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gSodium: 94mgPotassium: 7mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 3IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 2mgIron: 1mg
Keyword Fenugreek powder, green chillies, lemon juice, lime juice, split mustard
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