A sweet and spicy Gajar Gobhi Shalgam Achar made with seasonal vegetables and aromatic spices is THE quintessential winter favorite! This Punjabi achar is a great accompaniment to breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Or you can eat it as is straight out of the jar – it’s that good!

Winter brings its own favorites, and this Gajar gobhi shalgam achar recipe is one of my family favorites that I always make a jar-full of in the winter.

Why in winter? Because that’s the season when carrots, turnips, and cauliflower begins to flood the market. Wherever you look, the local vegetable markets are overflowing with red, orange, and dark-purple carrots. It’s a rare sight!

Red carrots are commonly used for gajar ka halwa and gajar gobhi shalgam ka achar. Dark-purple carrots are turned into a delicious winter drink – kanji. It’s absolutely yummy! Just the thought of it makes my taste buds tickled.

What is Gajar Gobhi Shalgam Achar?

In this term, Gajar Gobhi Shalgam Achar – gajar is carrots, gobhi/gobi is cauliflower, shalgam is turnips, and achar translates pickle in English.

Achar is an essential part of Indian food. Whether it be paneer paratha, Aloo poori, or Pindi chole, Indians love their food with achar. Achar brightens up any meal you add it to.

Indian pickles are prepared with various spices and vinegar and are oil-based. The process of letting the pickle sit in the oil and vinegar mix preserves the pickle well for at least a year (if stored well).

Today, I am sharing with you my mom’s recipe that my family has relished for years. We are a pickle-eating family, and I grew up eating this Punjabi Gobhi shalgam ka achaar with Makki ki roti and Sarson ka saag.

Ingredients for Gajar Gobhi Shalgam Achar

Mixed vegetables — The main vegetables for this Punjabi pickle are cauliflower florets, carrots, and turnips.

Beetroot — Since this pickle is made with red carrots and red carrots are not available in our area, I prefer to add beets to my pickle, and believe me, as this achar ages, beets add deep rich color to the veggies. But again, it’s optional.

Vinegar — white distilled vinegar works well. It is used as a preservative, therefore, do not omit it.

Ginger + Garlic — Use fresh as they add tons of flavor to this gajar achar.

Jaggery — it adds a sweet touch to our sweet and spicy gobi gajar shalgam achaar. In addition to that, it balances the heat from all the spices.

Mustard oil — it preserves the pickle from going rancid and keeps it fresh and edible at all times. In addition to that, mustard oil (Sarson ka tel) lends this achar its unique taste and flavor.

Spices — here comes our flavor quotient in the form of spices. Gajar Gobhi Shalgam ka Achar uses a lot of spices such as Kashmiri red chili powder, black cardamom, cinnamon powder, cloves, Haldi (Turmeric powder), Rock Salt (Kala namak), garam masala powder, mustard seeds, fennel seeds, nigella seeds, fenugreek seeds, and salt.

How to make Gajar Gobhi Shalgam Achar?

Step: 1- Blanch the vegetables — Remove the cauliflower’s large stem end and cut it into large florets or as needed for the recipe. Set aside. Likewise, cut the green ends of carrots, beetroot, and turnips and peel the upper layer.

Wash the vegetables thoroughly under tap water to get rid of any dirt stuck to them. Cut the carrots and turnip into half vertically.

Now fill a large stockpot 2/3 with and bring it to a boil. Add the cauliflower florets to the boiling water. Boil the cauliflower in water for 2-3 minutes (depending on the size of your florets).

Immediately scoop out the cauliflower florets and cool them instantly in an ice water bath. Repeat the same process for carrots and turnips. Beetroot doesn’t need to be blanched.

PROTIP — If using whole baby carrots, boil the carrots for 4-5 minutes.

Step: 2 – Dry the vegetables — Here comes the important and most essential step to make Gajar Gobhi Shalgam ka Achar – drying the vegetables in the sun. Once the vegetables have been blanched, remove them from the ice bath, drain and spread them on a clean paper towel or kitchen napkin.

Allow the vegetables to dry in the sun for a whole day. It took me a full day to dry my veggies. In the absence of the sun, you can dry the vegetables under a ceiling fan.

PROTIP — Please make sure the veggies are completely dried before adding spices to them. Achar can get moldy if there is moisture left in the veggies.

Step: 3 – Dry-roast the Pickle spices —

The next step is to dry roast the spices. Dry roasting brings out the magical aroma and flavorful oils of these spices.

To dry-roast – add red chili flakes, fenugreek seeds (methi dana), mustard seeds, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, nigella seeds, and cloves to a skillet. Over medium-low heat, toast the spices, stirring and tossing frequently, until fragrant and slightly brown.

Remove from heat and allow it to cool. Transfer the cooled spices to a blender or motor pestle. For a bold and impactful flavor, coarsely grind the spices.

PROTIP — Dry-roast the spices slowly over medium-low heat. Do not rush through the process, as the spices will burn. The goal is to roast them through, not just on the surface, without burning them.

Step: 4- Prepare the pickling syrup —

Combine vinegar and jaggery in a small heavy pan. Whisk to combine. Bring the jaggery syrup to a boil. Stir in freshly ground black cardamom and the pickling spice to this mixture.

Mix it well until combined. Boil the syrup until it forms a thick 1-string consistency. Set aside to cool.

Step: 5- Assemble Gajar Gobhi Shalgam ka Achar —

Heat mustard oil in a heavy pan. Cook until it starts to fume. Remove from heat once it starts to fume and set it aside to cool slightly.

Once cooled, add ginger-garlic paste to it. Sauté until the ginger-garlic mix becomes slightly brown. The goal is to cook the raw smell of ginger and garlic. It will take about 12-14 minutes on a medium-low flame.

Once cooked, take it off the flame and set it aside.

PROTIP — Do not cook ginger-garlic paste on high heat as it will burn and impart a bitter taste to our gajar gobhi shalgam ka achar.

Transfer the vegetables to a large mixing bowl. Now, add the vinegar+jaggery+spice mix to the vegetables.

Next, add the cooked ginger-garlic paste to gobhi, gajar, shalgam, and beetroot.

Followed by Kashmiri red chili powder.

Add cinnamon powder.

Time to add salt.

Use a clean spoon and toss everything together until everything is well blended.

Do not transfer the gajar gobhi shalgam ka achar to a jar as yet; allow the pickle to cool completely. Cover the pickle bowl with a kitchen towel and let it cool.

Once completely cooled, transfer the pickle to a clean, sterilized, dry jar.

Cover the jar tightly with a lid. Place the jar in the sun to mature. It will take at least 2-3 days at room temperature for the gobhi gajar shalgam achar to mature.

This is how the pickle looks after 4-5 days.

Recipe tips to make the BEST Gajar Gobhi Shalgam Achar

Cut the vegetables — For this gobhi gajar shalgam achar, cut the vegetables thick. Cut gobhi into 1-inch florets, and cut turnip vertically into 1/2-inch-thick. If using baby carrots, then you are all set; add them to the pickle as is.

Blanch the vegetables — Blanching locks in the flavor and freshness of these veggies and cooks them slightly. Therefore do not skip this process.

Dry the vegetables — Make sure the vegetables are dried before you add them to the pickle. If there is moisture in the vegetables, the pickle will get moldy.

Long shelf life — Gobhi gajar shalgam ka meetha achar has a long shelf life because of sodium, vinegar, and oil, which help preserve the pickle for a longer time. Cutting back on any of these ingredients may spoil the achar.

Jar selection — Choose the jar that has a secure lid. The jar should seal so tightly that air can hardly escape from the pickle jar. This will prevent the achar from going bad.

Let the achar mature — Place the gobhi gajar shalgam achar jar in direct sunlight to let it ferment properly. The more the achar matures, the better it tastes.

Other options — To add a spicy touch to Gajar Gobhi and Shalgam pickle, you can slit the green chilies and add them to the achar.

To preserve the achar for a long time — Gobhi gajar shalgam achar should always be submerged in mustard oil.

My achar turned black in color!

The reasons why Gajar Gobhi Shalgam ka Achar can turn black in color are-

Jaggery – if a darker shade of jaggery is used to make the pickle, you will end up with a dark brown colored achar.
Adding ground spices to the jaggery-sugar mix can result in a darker shade of pickle.
Storage container – If the gobhi gajar shalgam achar is stored in a container with a metal lid, it can turn dark because of the lid’s corrosion by vinegar.
Traces of water on the storage container or the ingredients can result in white fungus formation, resulting in a darker sour-smelling pickle.

Storage!

Gajar Gobhi Shalgam ka Achar has a long shelf life if stored in a sealed jar at room temperature. This achar will keep well for 3-4 months. That’s the time it will be at its peak taste and flavor.