Easy Instant Carrot Pickle Recipe (Gajar Ka Achar)

This is my quick and easy instant carrot pickle, tempered with panch phoron and simple everyday spices. It’s a flavorful condiment that pairs beautifully with paratha, khichdi, or rice. In this post, you’ll learn how to make this Indian carrot pickle with step-by-step pictures and a video.

If instant mango pickle is a summer staple, then gajar ka achar is definitely a winter favorite. Sometimes, all it takes is fresh seasonal produce and a handful of pantry spices to create something truly special. Today, I’m sharing a super simple carrot pickle recipe made with fresh red winter carrots.

Whenever red carrots appear in the market, most people immediately think of gajar halwa. While I enjoy that classic dessert too, I equally love this tangy, spicy instant carrot pickle. Since I’m a big fan of carrots, I have quite a few carrot recipeson the blog—don’t forget to check out some of the popular ones!

My Version of Carrot Pickle

There are countless ways to make gajar ka achar, and every household has its own style. I actually discovered carrot pickle only after moving to the US, where Indian grocery stores often sell freshly prepared pickles made by local cooks. Inspired by those flavors, I created my own version, similar in approach to my instant mango pickle.

Traditionalists may notice that I don’t use mustard oil or mustard seeds here. Instead, this instant carrot pickle is a fusion of influences from different regional Indian cuisines. Now, let’s take a look at the ingredients and method.

Ingredients for Carrot Pickle

Red carrots – I used red carrots for this recipe, but any variety of orange carrots will work. Choose carrots that are naturally sweet and tender for the best flavor.

Oil – Mustard oil is traditionally used for carrot pickle, but I opted for my everyday cooking oil, peanut oil. I’ve also made this with sesame (gingelly) oil, which works well.

Panch phoron – This spice blend is used for tempering. It contains yellow mustard seeds, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, and nigella seeds. It’s easily available in Indian grocery stores, and I’ve included substitution options in the notes.

Spice powders – Like many pickles on my blog, this one uses fenugreek powder, red chili powder, and turmeric powder.

In addition, you’ll need salt, lemon juice, and asafoetida. Please check the recipe card for exact measurements.

How to Serve Carrot Pickle

This Indian style carrot pickle makes an excellent accompaniment to everyday meals. Serve it with:

• Paratha
• Jeera rice with dal
• Rasam rice
• Yogurt rice

It also pairs perfectly with any Indian thali.

Dietary Information

This carrot pickle is naturally vegan. Since I used peanut oil, it isn’t nut-free, but you can easily substitute sesame or mustard oil. For a gluten-free version, be sure to use gluten-free asafoetida.

Storage Tips

You can enjoy this instant carrot pickle right away, or let it sit for a couple of days to deepen the flavors. I’ve stored it for up to 10 days so far.

Instant Carrot Pickle Recipe – Step by Step

• Place the chopped carrots in a glass, steel, or ceramic bowl. Since hot tempering will be added, avoid plastic containers.

• Heat oil in a small tadka pan. Once hot, reduce the heat to medium-low and add panch phoron and asafoetida. Let them sizzle for about 20 seconds.

• Lower the heat and add turmeric, fenugreek powder, and red chili powder. Cook for about 15 seconds. Pour this tempering over the carrots, add salt, and mix thoroughly.

• Add lemon juice and mix again, ensuring the spices coat the carrots evenly.

Recipe Notes

• Adding about ½ tsp mustard powder along with the other spices can help extend shelf life. You can also dry-roast 1 tsp of mustard seeds, crush them, and add them for extra texture.
• If you don’t have panch phoron, use ½ tsp mustard seeds plus either ½ tsp cumin or fennel, or ¼ tsp each. Since fenugreek powder is already included, additional fenugreek seeds can be skipped.
• Adjust salt and spice levels according to your taste.
• Cut the carrots into any shape you prefer—small cubes or thin matchsticks both work well.

More Carrot Recipes

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P.S. If you try this gajar ka achar (carrot pickle), please leave a comment and rate the recipe. If you have questions, drop them in the comments, and I’ll respond as soon as possible. Follow me on Pinterest for more healthy, delicious ideas, and on Instagram for regular updates, behind-the-scenes moments, and a peek into my kitchen!

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Easy Instant Carrot Pickle Recipe (Gajar Ka Achar)

Make tangy instant carrot pickle (gajar ka achar) with simple spices and panch phoron. This quick Indian carrot pickle is ready in minutes and perfect with meals.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time5 minutes mins

Total Time20 minutes mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Indian, North Indian

Servings: 6

Calories: 36kcal

Author: Srividhya G

Ingredients

Measurement Details: 1 cup = 240ml; 1 tbsp = 15ml; 1 tsp = 5ml;

• ▢ 175 grams carrots peeled and chopped (about 3 carrots)
• ▢ 1 tbsp oil
• ▢ 1½ tsp panch phoron
• ▢ ⅛ tsp asafoetida
• ▢ ⅛ tsp turmeric powder
• ▢ ¼ tsp fenugreek powder
• ▢ ½ tsp red chili powder
• ▢ 1 tsp salt
• ▢ 2 tsp lemon juice preferably freshly squeezed

Instructions

• Place the chopped carrots in a glass, steel, or ceramic bowl. Since hot tempering will be added, avoid plastic containers.
  
• Heat oil in a small tadka pan. Once hot, reduce the heat to medium-low and add panch phoron and asafoetida. Let them sizzle for about 20 seconds.
  
• Lower the heat and add turmeric, fenugreek powder, and red chili powder. Cook for about 15 seconds.
  
• Pour this tempering over the carrots, add salt, and mix thoroughly.
  
• Add lemon juice and mix again, ensuring the spices coat the carrots evenly.
  

Video

Notes

• Adding about ½ tsp mustard powder along with the other spices can help extend shelf life. You can also dry-roast 1 tsp of mustard seeds, crush them, and add them for extra texture.
• If you don’t have panch phoron, use ½ tsp mustard seeds plus either ½ tsp cumin or fennel, or ¼ tsp each. Since fenugreek powder is already included, additional fenugreek seeds can be skipped.
• Adjust salt and spice levels according to your taste.
• Cut the carrots into any shape you prefer—small cubes or thin matchsticks both work well.

Nutrition

Calories: 36kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 0.4g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 411mg | Potassium: 110mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 4929IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 1mg

I am not a nutritionist. The nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It varies depending upon the product types or brands.

Tried this recipe?Mention @vidhyasvegetariankitchen or tag #vidhyasvegkitchen

For Video RecipesCheck out My YouTube Channel

Update Notes: This recipe was originally posted in 2016 but now updated with new photos and step-wise pictures and video.