Punjabi Mixed Vegetable Achar (Gajar-Gobi-Shalgam Ka Achar)

Name: Punjabi Mixed Vegetable Achar (Gajar-Gobi-Shalgam Ka Achar)
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 16 servings
Cuisine: North Indian
Ingredients: 12 oz (340 g) carrots, peeled, cut into 2-inch (5 cm) long, ½-inch (1.25 cm) thick batons; 12 oz (340 g) cauliflower, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) florets; 10½ oz (300 g) turnips, peeled, cut into 2-inch (5 cm) long, ½-inch (1.25 cm) thick batons; 5 tsp (30 g) fine sea salt; 2 tsp (5 g) ground turmeric, divided: 1 tsp for salting, 1 tsp for the masala; 2 tbsp (12 g) fennel seeds, toasted, then coarsely crushed; 2 tbsp (20 g) yellow mustard seeds, toasted, then coarsely crushed; 1 tsp (3½ g) fenugreek seeds, toasted, then coarsely crushed; 1 tsp (3 g) nigella seeds (kalonji), left whole; 1 tbsp (7 g) Kashmiri red chili powder; 1 tbsp (6 g) dried mango powder (amchur); ¼ tsp (½ g) asafoetida (hing) (optional); ¼ cup (60 ml) white distilled vinegar (5% acidity); 1¼ cups (300 ml) food-grade mustard oil, heated until it just smokes, then cooled until warm; ¼ cup (60 ml) food-grade mustard oil, heated and cooled with the main oil, for topping up

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A tangy, pungent North Indian pickle of carrot, cauliflower and turnip, cured in hot-then-cooled mustard oil with toasted fennel, mustard and fenugreek. It ripens in a warm spot in about five days and stays crunchy.

Prep: 40 min
Cook: 10 min
Wait: 5.2 days
Total: 5.2 days
Makes: 1 quart (about 1 liter) jar, about 16 servings of 2 tablespoons

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Ingredients

16 servings

For the vegetables
12 oz (340 g) carrots, peeled, cut into 2-inch (5 cm) long, ½-inch (1.25 cm) thick batons
12 oz (340 g) cauliflower, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) florets
10½ oz (300 g) turnips, peeled, cut into 2-inch (5 cm) long, ½-inch (1.25 cm) thick batons
5 tsp (30 g) fine sea salt
2 tsp (5 g) ground turmeric, divided: 1 tsp for salting, 1 tsp for the masala
For the masala
2 tbsp (12 g) fennel seeds, toasted, then coarsely crushed
2 tbsp (20 g) yellow mustard seeds, toasted, then coarsely crushed
1 tsp (3.5 g) fenugreek seeds, toasted, then coarsely crushed
1 tsp (3 g) nigella seeds (kalonji), left whole
1 tbsp (7 g) Kashmiri red chili powder
1 tbsp (6 g) dried mango powder (amchur)
¼ tsp (0.5 g) asafoetida (hing) (optional)
¼ cup (60 ml) white distilled vinegar (5% acidity)
For the oil
1¼ cups (300 ml) food-grade mustard oil, heated until it just smokes, then cooled until warm
¼ cup (60 ml) food-grade mustard oil, heated and cooled with the main oil, for topping up

Equipment (9)

1-quart (1 liter) wide-mouth glass jar with a lid, sterilized
Large mixing bowl (4-quart / 4 liter), completely dry
Colander
2–3 clean cotton kitchen towels or a rimmed baking sheet lined with cotton cloth
Small saucepan (1.5-quart / 1.5 liter) for heating oil
Small skillet for toasting spices
Mortar and pestle or spice grinder
Clean, dry long-handled spoon
Rimmed baking sheet (for sterilizing the jar in the oven)

Steps

Before you start

Start this on a dry, warm day. Moisture is the enemy of oil pickles, so every bowl, towel, spoon and jar must be completely dry.
Buy mustard oil labeled for food use. Some US bottles say 'for external use only'. If yours does, use a food-safe alternative such as cold-pressed sunflower or avocado oil and expect a milder flavor.
Plan for about 5½ hours of mostly hands-off drying and cooling on day one, then 5 days of ripening.
Open a window or run the exhaust fan before heating the oil. Mustard oil gives off sharp fumes.

1
Wash and cut vegetables
- Wash the carrots, cauliflower and turnips and peel the carrots and turnips.
- Cut the carrots and turnips into 2-inch (5 cm) long batons about ½ inch (1.25 cm) thick.
- Cut the cauliflower into 1-inch (2.5 cm) florets.
- Put all the vegetables in a large dry bowl.
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Ready when: Pieces are fairly uniform so they cure and soften at the same rate.
Tip: Cut cauliflower florets no bigger than 1 inch (2.5 cm) or the centers stay bland.
2
Salt the vegetables
- Sprinkle the salt and 1 teaspoon of the turmeric over the vegetables and toss well with your hands until every piece is yellow.
- Leave uncovered at room temperature for 2 hours.
- The salt will draw out a pool of liquid.
- Drain in a colander and discard the liquid, but don't rinse.
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Ready when: Vegetables have released a noticeable pool of liquid and look slightly wilted.
3
Air-dry the vegetables
- Spread the drained vegetables in a single layer on clean cotton towels.
- Dry them in direct sun, or near a fan or open window, for 3 hours, turning them once halfway.
- Blot any damp spots with a dry towel.
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Ready when: Surfaces feel dry to the touch and the pieces are slightly shrunken and pliable, not brittle.
Tip: If the day is humid, dry them in front of a fan for 4 hours instead.
4
Sterilize the jarOven 250°F / 120°C
- While the vegetables dry, wash the jar and lid in hot soapy water and rinse well.
- Stand the jar upside down on a baking sheet and heat in a 250°F (120°C) oven for 15 minutes.
- Turn the oven off and leave the jar inside to cool completely, about 30 minutes.
- Wipe the lid dry and let it air-dry.
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Ready when: Jar is bone dry inside and cool to the touch before filling.
Tip: Don't use a metal lid that has rusted. A plastic-lined lid or a clean glass lid is safest with vinegar.
5
Toast and crush spices
- Combine the fennel, mustard seeds and fenugreek in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat.
- Toast, shaking the pan constantly, for 2 minutes.
- Tip onto a plate to cool for 5 minutes, then crush coarsely in a mortar or by pulsing in a spice grinder 3–4 times.
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Ready when: Seeds smell nutty and fragrant, the mustard seeds begin to pop, and the fennel turns a shade darker. The mix should be cracked, not powdery.
Tip: Fenugreek turns bitter fast. If any seeds blacken, start over.
6
Heat the oil
- Pour the main oil and the extra oil into a small saucepan.
- Heat over medium-high for 4–5 minutes until it turns pale and the first thin wisps of smoke rise.
- Remove from the heat and let it cool for 30–40 minutes, until just warm to the touch (about 100°F / 38°C).
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Ready when: Oil lightens in color and gives off thin wisps of smoke; the raw, harsh bite of the oil mellows.
Tip: Don't leave the pan unattended and keep water away from hot oil. Pour oil on the vegetables only when it's warm, never hot.
7
Mix the achar
- Put the dried vegetables in a large dry bowl.
- Add the crushed spices, nigella seeds, remaining 1 teaspoon turmeric, chili powder, amchur, asafoetida (if using) and the vinegar.
- Pour in 1¼ cups (300 ml) of the cooled oil and toss with a dry spoon for 2 minutes until every piece is coated in a thick, red-gold masala.
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Ready when: No dry spice patches remain and the vegetables look glossy and evenly coated.
Tip: Taste a carrot piece. It should be assertively salty and sour; it mellows as it ripens.
8
Pack the jar
- Spoon the vegetables and every bit of masala into the sterilized jar, pressing down firmly with a dry spoon to remove air pockets.
- Pour in enough of the reserved oil to cover the vegetables by about ½ inch (1.25 cm), leaving 1 inch (2.5 cm) of headspace.
- Cover the mouth with a clean cotton cloth secured with a rubber band, or set the lid on loosely.
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Ready when: Vegetables are packed tightly with a layer of oil on top.
Tip: Any vegetable poking above the oil can grow mold. Press it under or add more oil.
9
Ripen in a warm place
- Set the jar in a sunny window or a warm spot (75–85°F / 24–29°C) for 5 days.
- Each day, close the lid, shake the jar and turn it upside down once, then remove the lid and press the vegetables back under the oil with a clean dry spoon.
- Leave the jar loosely covered between mixings.
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Ready when: On day 5 the carrots are tender but still snap, the raw mustard smell has softened to a tangy aroma, and the oil has turned deep orange.
Tip: Always use a dry spoon. A single drop of water can spoil the jar.
10
Store and serve
- Tighten the lid and move the jar to the refrigerator or a cool, dark cupboard.
- Serve 1–2 tablespoons alongside parathas, dal and rice, or with makki di roti.
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Tip: Flavor deepens over the next 1–2 weeks.

Good to know

Tips

Dryness is everything: any water left on the vegetables, jar or spoon can cause mold, so don't skip the drying step.
Cool the oil until it's warm, not hot, before mixing; hot oil cooks the vegetables and makes them soft.
Always keep vegetables below the oil line. Top up with cooled, heated oil if the level drops.
Discard the pickle if you see fuzzy mold, or if it smells yeasty or rotten.

Make ahead

The achar is itself make-ahead. It is ready to eat after 5 days of ripening and tastes even better after 2 weeks.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: up to 1 week in a cool spot while ripening. Refrigerator: up to 2 months, always with the vegetables submerged in oil and served with a clean, dry spoon. Freezer: not recommended because the vegetables turn soft. Serve straight from the fridge; the oil may cloud and thicken, which is normal and clears at room temperature.

Substitutions

food-grade mustard oil → cold-pressed sunflower or avocado oil. Use if you can't find food-grade mustard oil. The flavor will be milder and less pungent. Still heat it until just warm-smoking, then cool.
dried mango powder (amchur) → 1 tbsp (15 ml) lemon juice added with the vinegar. Adds sourness but a little extra moisture, so keep the vegetables well submerged and refrigerate.
turnips → daikon radish. Same size batons; slightly milder and crunchier.
Kashmiri red chili powder → 1½ tsp cayenne pepper plus 1½ tsp sweet paprika. Approximates the color and heat of Kashmiri chili powder.