GOBHI GAJAR SHALGAM ACHAR

Ingredients:

• 2.5 kg Gobhi Gajar Shalgam ( you can take quantity according to your choice. As we don’t like shalgam a lot I have taken 1 kg gobhi, 1 kg gajar and 500 grams shalgam)
• 2 tbsp sarson ka tel/mustard oil
• 100 grams grated ginger
• 1 tsp rai/mustard seeds ( roughly grind them)
• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 300 grams gurh/gud/jaggery
• 1 tbsp + 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 1 tsp deghi mirch
• 1 tsp garam masala

Note :

1. you can take any ratio of vegetables according to your taste. Their combined weight should be 2.5 kg.
2. This recipe gives a spicy Achar. If you don’t like it too spicy you can reduce the spices. If you reduce spices use 250 grams gurh first then if it is not sufficient you can add later.
3. After mixing everything, taste the achar and adjust spices accordingly.

TO MAKE GOBHI GAJAR SHALGAM ACHAR

1. Wash clean and cut all the vegetables first. My mother cuts big slices of vegetables. I have cut small pieces of gobhi and shalgam. After drying these shrink more. if you like you can cut bigger pieces also.
2. Take a pan big enough to accommodate 2.5 kgs of vegetable. Fill it half with water. heat the water. Remember we do not have to boil the water just heat it.
3. Soak all the cut vegetables in hot water for 10 minutes. All the vegetables should be soaked properly in water.
4. Remove the vegetables from the water.
5. Spread some cotton cloth in sunlight and spread vegetables on it to dry. 3-4 hours of bright sunlight is sufficient. if it is cloudy you can dry vegetables indoor also but it will take more time.
6. this is how they look after 3-4 hours.
7. Assemble rest of the ingredients first before starting cooking. Crush with your hands or grate gurh so that it dissolves quickly. Heat oil in a wide thick bottomed pan (preferably steel).
8. when oil is hot add ginger and cook it. Keep on stirring continuously. it will take around 3-4 minutes. when ginger is cooked add rai.
9. Immediately add the spices and salt. mix it.
10. Add vinegar and gurh and stir it continuously to dissolve gurh completely.
11. After giving it a boil add all the vegetables. mix properly so that all the vegetables are coated with the spice mix. cook vegetables for 7-8 minutes. vegetables will leave some water. That is why we cook them for 7-8 minutes to remove that water.

NOTE:

1. Sometimes vegetables leave a lot of water. if the mixture is dilute remove vegetables in a sterilized utensil and give the masala mixture a boil. Cook again for some time till mixture has a thick consistency. After that, you can add vegetables and mix them.