Bharwa Mirch ka Achar (Stuffed Chilli Pickle)

I love making many pickles in winter from all the fresh veggies and I love instant pickles/achars more than anything. The best thing about them is that they can be made in very little oil and are crunchy and tasty. Plus they can be preserved for 2-3 weeks and be made again. If you a fan of them too, check out my instant winter pickles recipes:

1. Instant Turmeric Pickle/ Haldi ka achar
2. Instant Carrot – Radish Pickle/Gajar Mooli ka achar
3. Instant Chilli Pickle/Mirchi ka achar
4. Instant Gooseberry Pickle/Amla ka achar

This recipe uses thick chillies (moti wali hari mirchi) and is stuffed with spice mix. Since I have added vinegar, these chillies last well for 4-8 weeks or more.

PREPARATION TIME: 20 minutes
COOKING TIME: 5 minutes
SERVINGS: 1 jar
DIFFICULTY SCALE: Low

INGREDIENTS: 

1. Green chillies/hari mirch – 250 gms
2. Lemon juice – ½ cup
3. Fennel seeds/saunf – 6 tablespoons
4. Mustard seeds/rai – 4 tablespoons
5. Fenugreek seeds/methi dana – 2 tablespoons
6. Onion seeds/Kalonji – 2 tablespoons
7. Turmeric powder/haldi – 1.5 tablespoons
8. Chilli powder – 1 teaspoon, optional
9. Asafetida/Heeng – ½ teaspoon
10. Vegetable oil – ½ cup
11. Vinegar – 3 tablespoons
12. Salt – 3 tablespoons (or more)

UTENSILS/EQUIPMENT:

1. Colander
2. Mixer Grinder
3. Bowl
4. Porcelain/glass jar

RECIPE:

1. Thoroughly wash all the green chillies/hari mirch in a colander under running water and let them dry in the sun till they are completely dry.

2.  Additionally, pat them dry with a kitchen towel to ensure there is no remaining water in the tips.
3. In a pan, add fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds and mustard seed and dry roast them on low flame till they turn aromatic. Keep turning them so that they get cooked uniformly.
4. Let the spices cool down slightly and grind them in a mixer.
5. In the mixed spices, add black onion seeds, turmeric powder, red chilli powder (if you want), asafetida, salt and mix well.

6. Add a little oil and make a thick paste.
7. Now slit the dried green chillies vertically but ensure that you don’t cut out both the ends but just make a long cut in the middle.
8. Stuff the masala paste into the green chillies.  Please don’t go meagre on the masala, you should fill them properly. Wear hand gloves if you are allergic to the chilli tingling sensation.

9. Once all the chillies are stuffed, place them in a  porcelain jar and add the remaining lemon juice and oil. Also pour in few tablespoons of vinegar. Please ensure that all the chillies are dipped in the liquid and aren’t exposed outside.

10. Don’t open the lid of the container for the next 4-5 days.

I am sure you will love this hari mirch ka achar. You can make the same with lal mirch (red chillies) too. Do let me know if you try it.