Instant mixed vegetable pickle

Seasonal fresh vegetables are marinated in salt and then tempered with a couple of spices to make this delicious, crunchy-tangy-sweet mixed vegetable instant pickle that goes very well with roti, rice, bhakri bread etc.

What would Indian meals be without its most beloved condiment-Aachar! Most households in India have dedicated sections of the pantry shelves, lined with large ceramic jars filled with all sorts of pickles. My mom always takes out a small portion from the main pickle stocks and fills small glass jars for day-to-day consumption. Many times pickles are the main or the only accompaniment to my roti, rice or paratha.Annual pickle making (usually summer) was a ritual at my mom’s place. Selecting green mangoes, getting them cut, making the spice mix, cleaning the jars I was her helper to do it all. Green mangoes, limes, vegetables, meat everything is acharified (:)) in India. I love also love the sweet lime pickle my mom makes. I have grown up eating (we all have!) a variety of sweet, hot, spicy, tangy pickles that provide a burst of flavour and have jazzed up some of my most mundane meals.Apart from the oil based pickles that need aging, instant (refrigerator) pickles, using seasonal vegetables, are made especially in the winters. Almost any vegetable or fruit gets pickled.I usually don’t venture into pickle making. I get my stash of yearly pickles from my mom or some generous friends. My friend Ruta, shared a bottle of this instant mixed vegetable pickle that everyone loved. The crunchy, tangy, sweet pickle was so.. so that I was compelled to make it! Also I loved the fact that it had vegetables like gavar (cluster beans) and tondli (tindora/ivy gourd). The recipe is super simple- the only laborious step in the whole process is chopping the vegetables finely, which is well worth the effort. Seasonal fresh vegetables are marinated in salt and then tempered with a couple of spices to make this delicious quick pickle that goes very well with roti, rice, bhakri bread etc. You can use a combination of any crunchy vegetables of your choice. Make it before the fresh vegetables disappear from the market 🙂