Hari mirch ka achar | green chilli pickle

This green chilli pickle is a tasty and spicy condiment which you can have with dal, rice and a veggie side dish! You can also enjoy it with parathas and yoghurt. As you may have noticed, I have been on a bit of a pickle craze recently - either making pickles & chutneys or using my achari (pickle) masala with veggies like bhindi. I think pickles add so much flavour to dishes! 

This green chilli pickle is common in North India and is made with medium-hot green chillies. You can also make it with red chillies if you prefer, or a combination of the two. Traditional North Indian pickles will also use mustard oil - so I have used it in this recipe, but you can by all means use veg oil or olive oil. Traditional Indian pickles also are left to mature in the sun. However, strong sun is a rare occurrence here in the Netherlands! I have found that this pickle matures quite well if just left in a cool dry place or on a windowsill. After is has matured the chillies will soften and darken after absorbing the masala!

Ingredients 
250g medium hot green chillies cut into small pieces 
2 tbsp achari (pickle) masala
1 tsp turmeric powder 
1 tsp chilli powder 

400ml mustard oil or veg oil. I just prefer mustard oil because it gives its own flavour. 
1 tsp salt 

Method 
Time - 15-20 minutes

• In a clean bowl, combine the green chillies, salt, achari masala, chilli powder and turmeric. Mix well to ensure that the each chilli piece is coated with some pickle masala & spices. 
  
  
• Transfer the chillies to a clear glass jar. Make sure that the glass jar has space enough at the top for the oil later on (leave around a 2-3 cm gap). 
  
  
• In a small saucepan, heat the mustard oil until it starts to smoke and turn pale yellow. This is important to rid of the raw smell of the mustard oil. If you don't like or have mustard oil you can use veg or olive oil. However, in North India mustard oil is the most authentic and gives the traditional taste!
  
  
• When the mustard oil starts to smoke, turn off the heat and let the mustard oil cool. 
  
  
• When the mustard oil has cooled, pour over the green chillies. Make sure the mustard oil completely covers the pickle. This will preserve it. 
  
  
• Store the pickle in a cool dry place for a 3-4 days to mature. Traditionally, in India they would be left in the sun to mature - but I have found that this pickle also tastes equally good if left to mature in a cool dry place. Once opened, keep in the fridge. If at any point you don't see oil floating on the top - heat a little more, let it cool and pour over. 
  
  
• Enjoy the pickle with dal, rice or parathas!