Gajar Ka Achaar/Instant Carrot Pickle Recipe

Gajar Ka Achaar is Instant Carrot Pickle made in Mustard Oil, Vinegar and aromatic Indian Spices.

Instant Homemade Carrot Pickle recipe, a wonderful accompaniment to your meals.

About the Recipe

Instant Carrot pickle is made with fresh carrots in hot oil along with spices. It can be made within 2-3 days and does not require long standing time.

It is a sweet sour and tangy pickle tantalizing your taste buds. A wonderful accompaniment to your meals.

Gajar or Carrots, marinated in spices like fennel, fenugreek seeds, cracked mustard seeds(rai kuria), red chilli for the heat and jaggery for the sweetness. Vinegar is used as a preservative and also to enhance the flavour.

Carrots and it's benefits

Carrots are one of the most healthy vegetables that are loaded with beta-carotenes, anti oxidants and calcium.

Do you carrot lovers celebrate, International Carrot Day on 4th April

Apart from eating carrots as salads, I pack baby carrots with hummus for kids snack time.  I use carrots a lot in my cooking. Add up in pulao and rice dishes(Tawa Pulao, Chinese Fried Rice), grate it in Idlis for  and as stuffing, in parathas for a colorful and healthy treat, soups, smoothies(Golden Smoothie for Winter with raw Turmeric), noodles for kids(Chowmein), muffins, in pasta dishes (Masala Macaroni) and everyone's favourite Pav Bhaji  and many more. Next in line is delicious Carrot Kheer that I will be posting tomorrow .

Try these addictive Air Fryer Carrot Fries, a delicious and healthy snack for your family

Indian Pickles

Red and delicious carrots are available in India in winters especially in North India. People make lot of seasonal dishes with these delicious carrots. Red Carrots are sweeter than the orange carrots. Pickling carrots is one way to preserve these delicious red carrots along with other seasonal vegetables like cauliflower and radish, green chillies, garlic and fresh turmeric. Also the pickle provide the antioxidants through the fruits, vegetables that are used in making pickles.

Gajar Ka Khatta Meetha Achar

This is a super easy pickle recipe that can be prepared within few minutes. The only time that goes in making this pickle is to dry the carrots. The pickle is very popular in Northern parts of India and is made during winters when seasonal red carrots are available. Every household has there own way of preparing it.

Ingredients to make Carrot Pickle

Fresh Carrots- In India we use seasonal red carrots which are available in winter months. You can use orange carrots when orange carrots are not available.

Spices- Fennel seeds, Cumin, Fenugreek and Cracked mustard(pelee saron/rai), salt, enhances the flavour, and are also good for the digestive system.

Jaggery- as a mild sweetener.

Vinegar is added as a preservative.

Due to the use of such healthy spices in Indian meal system, pickles are an important part of the meal as these spices work on the digestive system. These enhance the flow of digestive juices which help to easily digest the food.

Can we make it with Orange Carrots

You can prepare this pickle with carrots of any color, red, orange, purple as we don't get red carrots in many parts of the world.

Serving Suggestions

I goes well with Parathas, Dal and Chapatis or Dal Chawal. Pair it up with your favourite dish and add zing to your meals. You can also serve it with Besan Chilla and Quinoa dosa.

How to make Instant Carrot Pickle

To make the pickle, the most important thing is to wash carrots properly cleaning all the dirt and dust.

Peel, cut into required size and dry completely. I may take 2-3 hours to completely dry the carrots.

If it is sunny outside, you can dry carrots in open else cut carrots, line on a tray and leave on the counter overnight or a couple of hrs. Once the carrots are dry, it takes just a few minutes to mix up all the spices and make the pickle.

Mix the spices in hot mustard oil, cook for a minutes and then add carrots(or other veggies. Mix nicely let it completely cool. Transfer to an airtight glass jar.

Keep the pickle in  bright sun or on the counter for 2-3 days. After that it is ready to consume. Carrots by this time absorb flavours of the spices.

Stepwise pics to make Carrot Pickle

Storage and Shelf Life

Store Gajar Ka Achar stays good for about a month when stored in a clean and dry container.

Keep it in sunlight for 2-3 days or about a week to increase the shelf life. Add some hot oil if the pickle seems to dry after a week.

More Pickle Recipes from the blog that you will like to try

Recipe Card

Steps wise pics

Do make this flavourful sweet, spicy and tangy pickle, anytime of the year and relish with your favourite meal. This pickle stays good for more than a month in refrigerator when stored properly in a well sterilized air-tight container.

Also, whenever you try the recipe, I will love to hear/share your feedback or any queries in the comment section below. I will try to answer your queries as soon as possible.

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Swati