Gajar Gobhi Shalgam Ka Achaar - MIXED VEGETABLE PICKLE

Gajar Gobhi Shalgam Ka Achaar – Mixed Vegetable Pickle (Carrot, Cauliflower and Turnip Pickle)

This is one of my favorite pickle, have grown up eating this….in Delhi with the start of winters, we see lots of veggies and among them are carrots, turnip in abundance. Though always turnip is so under-rated vegetable but trust me what a great way to eat it. This pickle is prepared during winters every year in almost all homes in North India and is one of the famous tangy Punjabi pickle. You will see it in every home where you have pickle freaks like me. I don’t eat this pickle as a pickle per say but more like a side dish coz I love it so much. The sweet and tangy taste together makes it really yummy.

Though all my life I have never prepared pickles till recently when I felt why can’t I prepare pickles too, I have always got pickles from my mom and mom in law, my mom use to make pickles not only for our home but her pickles are still much in demand among her friends too, how can I let go my mom’s magic touch without keeping it here in my space too !!

To me pickles were till late associated with granny’s, mom, mom in law and aunts job! After taking this recipe from my mom and mom in law both, I prepared it all by my own here in my Bangalore home (I am lucky this time to get these red Delhi carrots here) and trust me it’s not at all difficult. I am sure there will be lots of females like me who fear preparing pickles at home thinking it’s too much of a hassle but after making this twice in 3 months I can now say it’s not impossible and we all can make it too! In fact I feel we all should learn such kind of authentic and traditional recipes from our granny, mom, mom in-law, aunts everyone and keep up the legacy of such wonderful recipes on for coming generations too.

Home made stuff always has an edge over ready-made packed food for me…..thier are various ways to prepare this pickle but I like mine better because it’s simple and does not require too many spices yet tastes great …..so let’s try this easy recipe of mix veg pickles!

Ingredients -

• Mixed vegetables (cauliflower, carrots, turnip) – 1 Kg
• White Vinegar - 1/2 cup
• Mustard seeds (rai) - 20 grams ( coarsely grounded )
• Salt - 2 tablespoons ( or as per taste )
• Jaggery ( gur)- 250 grams
• Red chili powder - 3 tablespoons (I used MDH degi mirch powder, if you are not using degi mirch then add 2 tablespoons of normal chilli powder only or as per taste)
• Ginger & Garlic paste – ½ cup (take approx. 10- 12 cloves peeled and approx. 50 grams ginger)
• Garam masala - 2 teaspoons
• Mustard oil – 3/4 cup
• Water - 2 - 2.5 ltrs

Method -

Wash all the vegetables under running water, peel the carrots and turnips; trim the cauliflower into florets and then cut the carrots into 2″ thick long sticks, dice the turnips as shown in the pics.

Boil water in a deep vessel, once the water starts boiling, add all the veggies to the boiling water and take them out within a minute itself. Keep doing this for all the veggies. Now drain the excess water from the veggies, pat dry with the soft clean kitchen towel and spread them on a cotton spread or dupatta (absorbent cloth) for about 4 hours in the sun to dry.

Now after 4 hours when you are ready to make the achaar, grind the mustard seeds in a mixer coarsely and grade the jaggery keep them aside. Prepare the ginger garlic paste. Heat mustard oil in a kadai and fry the ground paste of ginger and garlic till light brown and aromatic. After this add the powdered mustard seeds, red chilli powder, salt and garam masala. Mix it well with the ginger garlic paste and then add the jaggery, cook it well on flame cook till jaggery melts. When the jaggery melts into the entire mixture, switch off the flame and allow it to cool for few minutes. Add all the veggies to it now and mix well so that the entire masala is absorbed on the veggies. Finally add the vinegar to it and mix again. Your pickle is ready…… now what is next then???

What I did is that I left the entire pickle mixture after this in the same kadai overnight ( for approx 6 - 8 hours )….of course covered tight with a lid, by then the veggies will release water when you will check them next morning and the entire masala will adjust well with the vegetables. Mix it well again before transferring it to the jar. Keep outside in sun for 2 -4 days.

Though I simply can’t wait for this pickle to get ready fully after a week, I start having it the very next day….. if you can’t wait too then go my way .

Enjoy this sweet tangy veggie mix pickle with your loved ones!!