Ingredients
- 2 pounds baby carrots split in half (or cut regular carrots into 1 ½ to 2 inch long pieces)
- 3 tablespoons black mustard seeds
- 2 tablespoons fennel seeds
- 1 ½ tablespoon salt
- 1 ¼ teaspoon cayenne
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 cup mustard oil or avocado oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
Instructions
- Prepare the carrots: Rinse and dry the carrots (they must be completely dry). Cut them in half, then place the dry carrots in a large bowl.
- Add the mustard seeds and fennel seeds to a spice grinder and coarsely grind.
- Add the coarsely ground spices, salt, cayenne, and turmeric to the bowl with the carrots.
- Add mustard oil to a saucepan over medium-high heat and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until you see the oil begin to smoke (you’ll want to turn the stove off as soon as the oil starts to smoke).
- Take the pot off the stove and wait 20 minutes for it to cool down. Pour it over the carrots and spices and mix well.
- Wait another 10 minutes, then stir in the lemon juice.
- Once the mixture has cooled down completely, pour it all into a dry glass jar, lay the lid on top, but don’t close it fully. Let it sit on the counter for 5 days (that’s how long it takes to deepen in flavor). Shake it once a day so the oil coats all of the carrots.
- After 5 days, move it into the fridge for up to 3 months. It will continue to improve in flavor as it sits. Before eating, remove some of the carrots from the jar, place them in a bowl, and let it come to room temperature, then enjoy.
Notes
Make sure to always use a dry spoon when removing pickles from the jar.
After I finish about half of the carrots, and once all remaining carrots are submerged beneath the oil, I take the jar back out and leave it on the counter while we finish the rest. This achar doesn't last very long in our house.
Mustard oil adds a spicy, pungent flavor to pickles, making them spicier than they would be if you were to use a different type of oil. If you use a neutral oil, like avocado oil, I'd suggest adding a bit more cayenne to increase the spiciness.
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