In winters the market is full of fresh vegetables and fruits of various kinds. Thus this is the perfect time to preserve these vegetables and fruits for future consumption. Today I will share the recipe to make gajar gobhi shalgam ka achar (pickle of carrot, cauliflower, and turnip). This spicy Indian pickle is very popular in North India in winter months. It is generally made sweet, sour and salty.
Vegetables getting sundried in order to be pickled
As soon as winters arrive, everyone in my house starts waiting for gajar gobhi shalgam ka achar, and gajar ki kanji. I will share the recipe of gajar ki kanji later. The present generation is not very fond of pickles. We eat pickles now only with certain dishes such as khichdi or aloo paratha. I remember older generation was very particular about pickle and chutney as accompaniment with everyday meals. Ladies of our house were busy making pickles of various kinds throughout the year with all sorts of vegetables. Now gradually the practice of pickle making at home is dying. Now various kinds of pickle are widely available in the market, and with less consumption, the need to make pickles at home is not there. Still, the rustic flavor and personal touch of home-made pickle, cannot be found in mass produced pickles available in the market.
Gajar gobhi shalgam ka achar: kept in sunlight for fermentation
Pickle making is a little time consuming. First the vegetables are to be cleaned, cut, and sun dried. Then after adding spices the pickle needs to be rested in sunlight, or a warm place to mature. Nevertheless, home-made pickle invariably acts as a taste enhancer to any food, so the effort is always worthwhile.
I made gajar gobhi shalgam pickle this time after a gap of a couple of years. The vegetables are cut into one inch pieces, and are kept in sun to be dried. If there is no sunlight, the vegetables can be pat dried using clean kitchen towel, or kept below fan. Cleanliness is of utmost importance while making pickle. If there are microbes present, the pickle will be spoilt. Many spices are used to kill these bacterias and microbes such as turmeric, salt, and mustard seeds. They all along with oil and vinegar, act as preservatives.
Pickle is ready
Sterilize the jar
The jar in which pickle is to be stored should also be cleaned and sterilized. Sunlight acts as a good sterilizer. If there is bright sunlight, the jar should be kept in sunlight for a couple of hours. My sister-in-law taught me one more method of sterilizing the jar. If the jar is smoked by burning asafoetida, it gets sterilized due to antimicrobial property of asafoetida. She took some asafoetida on cotton wool and burnt it. Then she kept the inverted jar over burning asafoetida. The smoke filled the jar, and sterilized it.
Oil is an important ingredient in pickle making. In north India mustard oil is used in pickle making. It renders certain depth and character to the pickle. It serves two important purposes. It acts as a shield between vegetables and atmosphere, and protects vegetables from drying up, and also prevents formation of fungus.
Gajar gobhi shalgam ka achar
Khandvi is a very popular accompaniment with meals in Gujrat. You can also try Tomato Rasam, a South Indian dish, or chana rajma lobia salad as accompaniment with meals.
Recipe of Gajar gobhi shalgam ka achar
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- 500 gm carrots/gajar scraped and cut into two inch pieces
- 500 gm cauliflower cut into small florets
- 500 gm turnip scraped and cut into two inch pieces
- 1/2 tablespoon garlic paste
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste
- 400 gm jaggery grated or pounded into powder
- 1 tablespoon mustard seeds coarsely grounded
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder/haldi
- 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
- 2 teaspoons garam masala powder
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 250 gm/1 cup mustard oil
- tablespoon salt (or according to taste)
- Scrape and wash turnips and carrots and cut them into small pieces. Cut cauliflower florets and wash them in warm water. Pt dry the vegetables, and keep them in sun to dry further. In the meantime, take a clean glass jar that will be used for storing the pickle, and keep it in sunlight as well. Sunlight sanitizes the jar.
- Heat mustard oil in a kadai or pan till smoking point. Switch off the gas. Add garlic and ginger paste to it and stir well. When the oil becomes slightly cold, switch on the gas, and saute ginger garlic paste till golden brown. Add cut vegetables and salt, and stir well. Cook vegetables on low flame till all the juices of vegetables evaporate.
- Switch off the gas. Add all the spices and jaggery powder, and stir well till the jaggery melts. Allow the mixture to cool down.
- Once the mixture is cold, spoon the mixture in sterilized jar, and top it with vinegar. Close the lid properly and keep it in sunlight to ferment. In bright sunlight and warmer weather, the pickle will be ready in two to three days.In cold weather it might take a week or more.
- Once the mustard seeds have fermented, and all the spices have percolated in the vegetables, the pickle can be consumed. It can be stored at room temperature for about five to six months.
- The jar in which pickle is to be stored should be completely dry and sterilized.
- The time taken for pickle to be ready depends upon room temperature. It gets ready in two days in hot climes, but takes more time at colder places.
- If you prefer tangy pickle, and do not want sweet taste, do not add jaggery.
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