Laal /Lal Mirch Ka Achaar - Pickled Red Chili Peppers
Ingredients (Makes 40 halves of pickled chilies and extra spice (masala) & oil )
18-20 whole red chili peppers (I used Fresno)
pinch of salt
4 tablespoon rai (brown mustard seeds)
2 tablespoon fenugreek seeds
1 teaspoon + 1/4 teaspoon Nigella seeds
1.5 tablespoon fennel seeds
2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1.5 tablespoon amchoor (dry mango powder, buy online here )
2 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
300-350 ml virgin mustard oil, divided (or use olive oil, see notes)
Notes
You could use the same recipe to make whole stuffed red chili peppers.Instead of halving them, simply, remove the seeds and stuff with the spices.
Never under salt the pickle, it will go bad within few weeks.
If you do not like the strong taste of mustard oil, you can heat it up to do away the raw smell, cool down and then add.
Or you can use olive oil in this recipe if you do not get mustard oil. The flavor of the pickle is slightly different from traditional but it works.
This is not an instant pickle recipe, the pickle is sun fermented and takes 7-10 days
(or more depending on strength of sun where you live to mature and get ready to consume.
Method
Wash and pat dry the chilies. Cut and discard the top stem and the entire green portion, then cut them into half.
I discarded the seeds & veins of half the chillies,thats where the heat in the pickle comes from.
You can remove seeds for all of them if you want. Layer the chilies on a wide, non reactive shallow dish, sprinkle a scant pinch of salt.
Using your coffee grinder, coarsely pulse the mustard, fennel, nigella & fenugreek seeds separately (this is important).
You do not need to make a fine powder, if few specks of whole spices remain, its okay.
In a small bowl mix the powdered spices together with turmeric, 1 teaspoon salt and amchoor.
Taste the spice mix for salt, it should be slightly more salty than you think.
Add 2-3 tablespoon mustard oil just so that the spice powder is moistened. This will be make it easy to stuff the chilies.
With dry hands, stuff whole or each half of the chilies with this spice mixture.
Place the stuffed chili pepper in a wide glass dish (I use my pyrex).
Add 200 ml of mustard oil, any spice mixture remaining and gently mix so that the chilies are coated in oil.
At this point, the achaar will have a very strong smell and a bitter taste but that’s okay.
Allow it to stand in full sun for two days. Try to stir the achaar once or twice a day with a clean, dry spoon.
On the third day transfer the achaar into a glass or porcelain jar (do not use a metal container)
check and adjust the salt and top with remaining oil and mix well.
Cover the mouth of the jar with a muslin cloth, tie with a string and let mature for seven to ten days in sun.
(this time will depend on the strength of sun in the area you live).Stir the contents once or twice a day.
At the end of sun fermentation, the skin of chilies would have shrivelled and the strong, bitter taste will go away.
Store at room temperature for up to 2-3 months. Always use a clean spoon to serve the pickle.
