is achar healthy? Indian pickles are a powerhouse of nutrients. picking was invented by our older generations to store seasonal foods so they can be enjoyed when they are out of season. pickles are a rich source of nutrients, vitamins and minerals. my oil free carrot pickle is an example. made with mooli, gajar, shimla mirich and shalgam, the instant pickle is packed with the godness of antioxidants as it is completely raw, vegan, and oil free.
enjoy this delicious blend for at least 7-10 days if not more.
to begin with, let's slice the winter season's best gift - carrot.
no doubt, we get carrot all through the year these days, but winter carrots are the best-tasting, juicer, and rich in beta-carotene that gives carrot its color. now why is beta-carotene important? well, it gets converted to vitamin A in the body, which is excellent for your skin and hair growth, strong vision, and lungs.
similarly, slice mooli or radish. you will enjoy this root veggie in the pickle. some people tend to avoid radish but it is rich in antioxidants and minerals that help reduce blood pressure and your risk for cardiovascular disease. this humble mooli packs a powerful punch of nitrates that improve blood circulation in the body. so now you know why mooli is a winter treat and you must feast on it when this white beauty is in season.
not everyone knows that capscium is a good source of vitamin C. slice shima mirch while removing the seeds. i always throw some of the bell pepper seeds into the soil so they can germinate and give me a beautiful shimla mirch plant. I have two growing already in my terrace garden. Bell pepper fruits, seeds, and leaves are packed with carotenoids, phenols, flavonoids, that give them antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, immunosuppressive properties. in fact, they are also known to have antitumor, antidiabetic, and neuroprotective properties.
similarly, slice turnip or our very own shalgam. this humble root is a potent source of nutrients that protect us from diabetes, cancer, tumors, inflammation, shalgam has powerful anticancer, antitumor, antioxidant, hepatoprotective, and nephroprotective properties.
now we also want to add ginger to our oil free carrot pickle.
when you are done with chopping of the vegetables, let's prepare a sterilized glass jar. now you can do this step in a bowl and then pack the contents in the glass bottle. add all sliced veggies along with a few mejdool deseeded pitted dates. I have also added raisins to my achaar to make it khatta meeta gajar mooli shalgam achar. but that's your choice. I love to pack my food with nutrients so I always end up adding more nutrition to my recipes.
it's time to season the zero oil pickle with black salt, which is a tad healthier than common salt as it contains 84 trace minerals. Kashmiri red chili powrder gives the pickle a beautiful color as well as flavor. i love to include it in my healthy recipes. next squeeze lime juice, I have used juice of 4 lemons. but that's your choice. the more the better as it will protect your gajar pickle from going bad quickly. ix and shake well. add to the jar and shake again. i have even dropped the squeezed lemon into the bottle. again, that's your choice. it's been more than 2 months since I brought a ton of lemon from my mom's garden. the lemon is doing great. i have also made lemon powder .
shake the jar daily and you don't need to shift it to sunlight. it will stay good inside your homes for at least 7-10 days, if not more. enjoy khatta meetha gajar ka pickle achar before the season's best vegetables disappear from the market. please give me a thumbs up and support Ravneet Bhalla and spread the word about the healthy recipe channel in your circle. stay safe. stay blessed until we meet next.
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