Quick Laal Mirchi ka Achar Recipe – Spicy Red Chili Pickle

Quick Laal Mirchi ka Achar – My Spicy Red Chili Pickle Story

So I dunno about you but I really love spicy stuff. Last weekend I saw a bunch of fresh red chilies in my kitchen and was like, “Why not make my own Laal Mirchi ka Achar?” And omg, what a journey it was!

Making pickles at home is kinda fun, messy, but sooo worth it. Its spicy, tangy and makes even simple meals feel special. Plus, doing it yourself gives a weird satisfaction i cant explain lol.

What you need:

• 500 grams of fresh red chilies – the redder the better
• 2 tbsp fennel seeds
• 2 tbsp mustard seeds
• 1 tbsp fenugreek seeds
• 1 tbsp red chili powder (if you want it super spicy)
• 100 ml mustard oil – trust me dont skip
• Salt to taste
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• Pinch of hing (asafoetida)

Step 1 – Prep the chilies

I washed the chilies under cold water and dried them with a towel. Not all were fully dry but it was ok. Then I cut a small slit in each chili, like tiny slit just for the spices to go in.
Tip: Be careful dont touch ur eyes after handling lol. Learned it the hard way.

Step 2 – Toasting the spices

I heated a pan and dry roasted fennel, mustard and fenugreek seeds. Smelled soooo good, like a restaurant in my kitchen. Then I roughly crushed them in mortar & pestle. Not perfect, just coarsely is fine.

Step 3 – Mixing spices

Then I mixed the crushed seeds with chili powder, turmeric, salt and a tiny hing pinch. Smell was amazing. I almost ate the mix raw lol.

Step 4 – Stuffing the chilies

This part is tricky. I stuffed the spice mix inside each chili. Some went perfectly, some spilled everywhere, some just looked sad. But who cares, its homemade, not a competition.

Step 5 – Mustard oil magic

I heated mustard oil till a bit smoking, then let it cool a bit. Poured it over the chilies in a jar, added lemon juice and shook it gently. Make sure all chilies are covered with oil.

Step 6 – Waiting game

Now comes the hard part. Keep the jar in a dark corner for 7–10 days. Shake gently every day. I peeked everyday, smelled the aroma and almost ate raw lol.

Serve it like a pro
This pickle goes with rice, dal, paratha or just roti. Guests gonna love it, trust me. Its also a great conversation starter lol.

Tips i learned

1. Use fresh red chilies
2. Mustard oil is a game changer
3. Shake daily
4. Dark cool place = good flavor

No time? Ready-made is okay too
If you dont wanna wait, there are ready-made achar available. buy from here, red chilli pickle even if messy.