This instant chilli pickle will forever be “Gujarati wedding pickle” in my eyes. The mustard seed-flecked chillies and carrots always have a place at the dinner table.

How to serve Athela Marcha (Instant Chilli Pickle)

This fresh and crunchy pickle is delicious as part of a larger Indian meal. At home, we serve it with daily vegetable curries, rotli and plain yoghurt.

On Sunday mornings I love it with a stack of freshly-made Gujarati Thepla and Masala Chai. Style it out and make a Thepla and Athela Marcha rollup, wrap style. It’s a snackable cigar of crunch and happiness!

How to prepare chillies for Athela Marcha

What are some other names for Athela Marcha?

Depending on your location, language and family preferences, you might know this pickle by different names. Some might include:

• Raiwala marcha
• Rai vara marcha
• Athela rai gajar
• Mirchi ki achar

This is by no means an extensive list. If you know this pickle by a different name, let me know in the comments below. I’d love to learn about your version!

The best chilli pickle with mustard seeds

Mustard seeds are a key ingredient in this recipe for Athela Marcha. They provide deep, warming heat and aroma.

What type of mustard seeds should I use Athela Marcha (Instant Chilli Pickle)?

Athela Marcha call for split, skinned mustard seeds, also known as rai kuria. They are available in most Indian food shops or online.

Rai Kuria, also known as Rai dal is mustard seeds with the skin removed, then split. Rai kuria are the main ingredient in making many Indian pickles.

To add mango or not to add mango?

My recipe for Athela Marcha includes raw green mango. My family’s East Africa ties have lead us to create a version of this Gujarati pickle with sour raw mango.

The combination of spicy chilli, crunchy carrot and mouth-puckering mango is simply irresistible.

If you’re not a fan of raw mango, simply add more carrots or chillies instead.

How to store Indian chilli pickle

Almost every ingredient in this pickle serve to aid preservation. Salt, turmeric, citric acid and oil being the core natural preservatives.

Once mixed, pile your instant chilli pickle into a sterilised jar and store it in the fridge. It keeps well for up to 3 weeks.

What can I use instead of citric acid?

Unless you cook Indian food or make a lot of your own preserves, I understand that citric acid might not be a usual store cupboard ingredient for you.

If you don’t have citric acid, don’t buy a whole bag just for the small amount needed in this recipe. Simply replace the citric acid in this recipe with the juice of 2 large lemons.

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In my experience, citric acid keeps the carrots and chillies crunchier for much longer than chilli pickle made with lemon juice.

Athela Marcha (Instant Chilli Pickle) recipe

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Athela Marcha (Instant Chilli Pickle)

Athela Marcha (Instant Chilli Pickle) is a Gujarati-style Indian chilli pickle. Fresh green and red chillies, carrot strips and raw mango make for an amazing condiment.

Course Condiment

Cuisine Indian

Keyword carrots, chilli, condiment, mango, pickle, vegan

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Ingredients

• 3 medium-sized carrots peeled and cut into batons
• 2 small raw green mangos cut into batons
• 15-20 mixed green and red chillies
• 40 g skinless split mustard seeds (rai kuria)
• 1/2 tsp asafoetida
• 2 tsp ground turmeric
• 75 ml oil any flavourless
• 1/2 tsp citric acid
• 1 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

• Heat the oil until it's smoking hot. Allow to cool completely.
• In a large bowl, mix together the carrots and raw mango batons.
• Cut the stalks off the chillies. Slit the chillies lengthways down the centre but don't cut all the way through. If your chillies are large or thick, cut them into smaller pieces and then split lengthways. You can wear gloves if you like.
• Mix together the mustard seeds, turmeric, asafoetida, salt and citric acid.
• Fill the split chillies with the dry mustard seed masala. I use gloves so my nails don't stain.
• Add any leftover mustard seed masala, along with the filled chillies to the cut carrots and mango.
• Pour the cooled oil into the pickle. Use your hands to toss everything well.
• Pile the Athela Marcha (Instant Chilli Pickle) into a clean, sterilised jar. Cover with a tight-fitting lid. Refrigerate and enjoy within 3 weeks.

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Love Sanjana

The post Athela Marcha (Instant Chilli Pickle) appeared first on Sanjana.Feasts.

Sometimes I find myself having conversations with Baa and Bapuji, Nanabapu and Nanima in my head. Call me crazy but I’m quite sure that my Nanima (who passed away when my mum was just seven) is my spirit guide. She pushes me to get stuff done, tells me not to overthink when I’m stressed and that I should always strive to be like my mum… resilient. I update them all on my ambitions and like most grandparents, they’re supportive, practical and full of sound advice. To me they’re here, even though the things I hear back when I share my thoughts with them is “all me”, if you know what I mean.

In six weeks I get to see my oldest friend from school get married. We grew up in the same town, went to the same college and did everything together. She used to make me the most gorgeous birthday cards and presents and today she’s an incredibly talented, award-winning artist. Back in the day I used to cook during school holidays so I could get her opinion on my latest edible creations and now I produce content at Food Network. Today, some 20 years later I get to bake her a wedding cake, as well as be her bridesmaid and that lights up my heart. Nanima will be with me at every step, of course. The night before she’ll tell me to get it together and do my friend proud. It’ll be a kick ass cake.

If I was baking this cake for my grandparents, I’d describe it as Gajar Halwa cake. It’s got all the flavours of the traditional Indian dessert made with carrots, cardamom and nuts. It’s an ultra-moist (my work colleague and friend Jo’s Clothes says it’s okay to use that word in reference to cake), four layer beauty. Lauren wants an elegant naked cake with very little icing on the outside so I saw this as the perfect opportunity to practice my decorating skills for this kind of cake. Decorated with fresh tulips (which I grew in my garden, btw!) this is one of my more refined creations. The flavours are just as spellbinding as the presentation, and by god is this look easy to achieve! Follow my recipe below and you’ll have your very own wedding-inspired naked cake to devour.

This makes enough to fill 2 8-inch cake tins. Once the sponges have cooled, I split each one into two layers and fill with fluffy orange blossom cream cheese icing. The fragrance is unbelievable and is so good against the slightly sharp tang of cream cheese.

So it’s a short one today but I think bawling on the train once is enough for me this week and anyhow, it’s all about the cake. Bake it for someone you love.

Eggless Cardamom Carrot Cake with Orange Blossom Frosting
Serves 12-14

Ingredients:
450g flour, sifted
30g ground pistachios
1 tbsp coarse semolina
2 tsp ground cardamom
1 heaped tbsp ground cinnamon + 2 tsp
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
Zest of 1 large orange
Water from 1 can chickpeas
100g milk powder
140g sour cream
480ml sunflower oil
1 tbsp vanilla extract
420g grated carrots
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
300g caster sugar
120g brown sugar

For the frosting:

250g unsalted butter, softened

300g cream cheese, room temperature

550g icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp orange blossom water

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 160C/gas mark 4. Grease and line two deep 8-inch wide cake tins and set aside.

2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ground ginger.

3. Add the ground cardamom (at this stage because it needs to be coarsely ground unlike the other spices.

4. Add the semolina and ground pistachios.

5. Peel and grate the carrots on the large side of a grater.

6. In a stand mixer briefly combine the chickpea water and milk powder. Add the oil, brown sugar, caster sugar, orange zest, sour cream and vanilla extract. Beat for 2 minutes.

7. Add the flour mixture in two stages, still beating the mixture slowly. The batter should be relatively smooth but take care not to over beat.

8. Stop beating. Squeeze the juice from the carrots into the batter and fold. Finally, fold in all of the grated carrots.

9. Divide the batter between the two pans and slam the base of the pan onto the work surface to remove any unwanted air bubbles which may cause the cake to rise unevenly.

10. Bake for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.

11. To make the icing: Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment affixed. Beat at high speed until pale. Gradually add the icing sugar in batches until it’s all incorporated. Add the vanilla, orange blossom water and a pinch of fine salt. Beat until very light and pale, about 6 minutes.

12. Add the cream cheese and whip until just combined. The frosting should be off white, thick and creamy.

13. Trim the tops of the sponges if they’re not totally flat and split each one through the middle. I use a cake wire like this one for even layers. You could also use a large serrated knife.

14. Place the first sponge on a cake board and fill with 2 ice cream scoops worth of icing (this is an easy way to ensure your layers have the same amount of icing in between). Spread it evenly.

15. Top with another sponge and repeat for the next layers.

16. Once your cakes are stacked, top with the remaining icing and cover the cake. You don’t have to be neat.

17. Use an offset spatula to scrape the icing from the sides of the cake to create a “naked” effect.

18. Decorate with swirls of icing using a regular piping bag and large swirl tip. Decorate with your favourite flowers.

Love Sanjana

The post Eggless Cardamom Carrot Cake with Orange Blossom Frosting appeared first on Sanjana.Feasts.