Green tomato pickle is made with firm green tomatoes, a wide variety of seeds and powder spices along with black cardamom, clove, and mustard oil. Follow my step-by-step guide to make green tomato pickle in your home.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Green tomato pickle is a delectable Indian condiment.
- Store the pickle in clean, dry, and airtight glass containers at room temperature for a few weeks and then refrigerate to extend its shelf life.
- Serve the pickle with lentil curry, vegetable curry, Indian flatbread, rice dishes, snacks, salads, fritters and stir-fries.
- Green tomato pickle tastes tangy, spicy, and slightly sour.
- Other chutneys with similar taste are Chili Pickle (Mirchi ka Achar), Garlic Pickle (Lehsun ka Achar), Onion Pickle (Pyaz ka Achar), Tomato Pickle (Tamatar ka Achar), and Mango Pickle (Aam ka Achar).
The Ingredients:
- 500 gram green Tomato
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds
- 2 tbsp fennel seeds
- 1 tbsp fenugreek seeds
- 1 piece black cardamom
- 5 pieces clove
- 1 tbsp brown mustard seeds
- 1 cup mustard oil
- 1 tbsp red chili powder
- Salt to taste
- 1 tbsp turmeric powder
- 1 tbsp coriander powder
- 2 tbsp black salt
- ½ tbsp nigella seeds
- 2 pinches asafoetida
- ½ tbsp Kashmiri red chili powder
- 3 tbsp vinegar
- ½ tbsp carom seeds
This pickle recipe came from my elder son’s friend’s grandmother when she visited our home during a sleepover and brought this pickle as a gift for us. I loved how traditional yet light it was. The flavor and taste were perfectly balanced.
I asked her how to make it, and she explained all the steps in a slow and deliberate voice. I made it that Sunday. My husband said it was full of grace, and the boys said it felt like “Nani’s touch.” Now, it features as a grand attraction in our grandparent-style meal. That visit reminded me that elders carry more than stories—they pass down generations of cooking in a single spoonful, with quiet pride and deep care.
How to Make Green Tomato Pickle? (Step by Step Guide with Images)
Step 1: Take 500 gm green tomato and wash it nicely. Pat-dry the tomatoes and cut each into six pieces.
(Pro tip: Do not cut the slices too thin or too thick. Cut the slices into medium widths.)
Step 2: Now take a frying pan and add 1 tbsp cumin seeds, 2 tbsp fennel seeds, 1 tbsp fenugreek seeds, 1-piece black cardamom and 4 to 5 pieces cloves. Then dry roast it for a few minutes.
Step 3: Now add 1tbsp brown mustard seeds into it. Dry roast all the ingredients one more time.
(Pro tip: You can use black mustard seeds if you don’t have brown mustard seeds. Mustard seeds are given last as it gets fried very easily.)
Step 4: After dry roasting it, let it cool for some time.
Step 5: Now take a mixer grinder and then coarsely grind all the ingredients.
Step 6: Add 1 cup oil into the wok and then heat it. Then add the spice mixture into it. Then turn off the heat.
Step 7: Now add 1 cup mustard oil, 1 tbsp red chili powder, 1 tbsp salt, 1 tbsp turmeric powder, 1 tbsp coriander powder, 2 tbsp black salt, ½ tbsp nigella seeds and 2 pinches asafoetida into it. Then mix everything very nicely. Make sure that your gas flame is low to medium otherwise there is a high chance of getting the spices burnt.
Step 8: Now add ½ tbsp Kashmiri red chili powder into it and mix it thoroughly.
Step 9: Add all the green tomatoes into it and mix it thoroughly. Cook it for 2 to 3 mins.
Step 10: Now add 2 to 3 tbsp white vinegar into it.
Step 11: Add ½ tbsp carom seeds into it. Now mix it thoroughly. Cook it for few a minutes.
(Pro tip: You can skip carom seeds if you want.)
Step 12: Now let it cool for some time and your tomato pickle is ready.
Step 13: Store it in an airtight glass container.
Recipe Card
Green Tomato Pickle | Hare Tamatar ka Achar
Ingredients
- 500 gram green Tomato
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds
- 2 tbsp fennel seeds
- 1 tbsp fenugreek seeds
- 1 piece black cardamom
- 5 pieces clove
- 1 tbsp brown mustard seeds
- 1 cup mustard oil
- 1 tbsp red chili powder
- Salt to taste
- 1 tbsp turmeric powder
- 1 tbsp coriander powder
- 2 tbsp black salt
- ½ tbsp nigella seeds
- 2 pinches asafoetida
- ½ tbsp Kashmiri red chili powder
- 3 tbsp vinegar
- ½ tbsp carom seeds
Instructions
- Take 500 gm green tomato and wash it nicely. Pat-dry the tomatoes and cut each into six pieces. (Pro tip: Do not cut the slices too thin or too thick. Cut the slices into medium widths.)
- Now take a frying pan and add 1 tbsp cumin seeds, 2 tbsp fennel seeds, 1 tbsp fenugreek seeds, 1-piece black cardamom and 4 to 5 pieces cloves. Then dry roast it for a few minutes.
- Now add 1tbsp brown mustard seeds into it. Dry roast all the ingredients one more time. (Pro tip: You can use black mustard seeds if you don’t have brown mustard seeds. Mustard seeds are given last as it gets fried very easily.)
- After dry roasting it, let it cool for some time.
- Now take a mixer grinder and then coarsely grind all the ingredients.
- Add 1 cup oil into the wok and then heat it. Then add the spice mixture into it. Then turn off the heat.
- Now add 1 cup mustard oil, 1 tbsp red chili powder, 1 tbsp salt, 1 tbsp turmeric powder, 1 tbsp coriander powder, 2 tbsp black salt, ½ tbsp nigella seeds and 2 pinches asafoetida into it. Then mix everything very nicely. Make sure that your gas flame is low to medium otherwise there is a high chance of getting the spices burnt.
- Now add ½ tbsp Kashmiri red chili powder into it and mix it thoroughly.
- Add all the green tomatoes into it and mix it thoroughly. Cook it for 2 to 3 mins.
- Now add 2 to 3 tbsp white vinegar into it.
- Add ½ tbsp carom seeds into it. Now mix it thoroughly. Cook it for few a minutes. (Pro tip: You can skip carom seeds if you want.)
- Now let it cool for some time and your tomato pickle is ready.
- Store it in an airtight glass container.
