Recipe: Vidhya's Banarsi Laal Mirch Achaar

With the approach of the cold weather, and the return of that welcome sharp nippiness in the air, those big, fat, shiny Banarsi laal mirchis are once again making their appearance in sabzi mandis and haaths (markets) all over the place.

The ideal use for these red chillies is in a delightful north Indian Banarsi Laal Mirch Achaar.

Vidhya Pant has the classic recipe for it, that incorporates a melange of flavours that comes from fennel seeds, mustard oil, mango powder, two types of mustard seeds and several other spices.

So come let's get cracking and rustle up this winter special, that will remain good in your store cupboards for the rest of the year, spicing up your meals of dal-chaval-roti-sabzi-curry.

The loveliest of fragrances always emanate from Vidhya's kitchen, who is a master of traditional Uttarkhandi fare and recipes passed down to her in the family. But this homemaker, who hails from Ramnagar, but has lived in as diverse places as Bengaluru, Shillong and Pune, watches food reels keenly and experiments with new recipes too.

Have you tried her preparation for Bhang Ki Chutney or Kumaoni-Style Spinach? You can find all her recipes over here.

Banarsi Laal Mirch Achaar

Makes: ~ 1½ kg pickle

Ingredients

• 100 gm saunf or fennel seeds
• 50 gm jeera or cumin seeds
• 50 gm dhaniya or coriander seeds
• 50 gm peeli sarson or yellow mustard seeds
• 50 gm black rai or mustard seeds
• 50 gm methi or fenugreek seeds
• 500 gm salt
• 5 gm hing or asafoetida powder
• 100 gm aamchur or dried mango powder
• 100 gm haldi or turmeric powder
• 1 kg Banarasi laal mirch, washed, wiped dry, stems removed, and slit on one side
• 50 ml mustard oil+ 1 litre extra

Method

• Dry roast all the spice seeds in a frying pan or a kadhai, over low heat, stirring all the time.
  Take off heat, cool and coarsely grind the spices.
• Mix the ground spices with the remaining spices -- the salt, asafoetida, dried mango powder, turmeric.
  Add 50 ml lukewarm mustard oil to the mixture.
  Mix well.
• Stuff each red chilly, via the slit, with enough pickle masala, so it's tightly stuffed.
  Fill the stuffed red chillies into a large glass jar.
  Add any leftover pickle masala.
  Cover the bottle mouth with a muslin cloth and leave in the sun for a day.
• On the second day, pour 1 litre lukewarm mustard oil over the stuffed chillies or enough to cover all the chillies and shake carefully so the oil reaches every bit of the chillies.
  Cover the bottle and sun for 5-7 days more, till the skin of the laal mirchis softens, which is a sign that it is ready to be eaten

Vidhya Pant lives in Dehradun.

• REDIFF FOOD