VADHWAANI MARCHAA NA ATHAANU (GREEN CHILLI PICKLE)

Vadhwaani Marchaa are a type of very less spicy variety of green chillies coming from Gujarat which are also called as Sambhariya Marcha. These chillies are slightly dark green in colour and are of the same regular size like other chillies. I assume that these chillies are available mostly during winters as I haven’t noticed them in the market in the other seasons.

I have a habit of observing all that the vegetable vendor displays for sale and enquiring about anything that’s new to me. It was the same in this case where, as I was enquiring about these chillies, a young Gujarati lady standing beside me uttered something! Immediately I asked her if she used these chillies and requested her for the recipe. This is one more habit I have and yes it’s quite beneficial!

So, she gave me this awesome and easy recipe very happily and discussed everything about it with me. I have made a slight change in the recipe by adding asafoetida and black salt! We even discussed whether I could add some rai daal (split mustard seeds/rai na kuria) to it, but I refrained from experimenting with it, though I feel that it won’t change the taste!

For some more pickle recipes, do take a look at the following too….

1. Appe Aamle Lonche

2. Gaajar Flower Taaja Loncha

3. Fresh Turmeric Ginger Pickle In Lemon Juice

4. Ambade Kaarle Lonche

Here’s the recipe for the delicious Vadhwaani Marchaa Nu Athaanu….

Prep Time : 30 min

Serves : 10

INGREDIENTS :

• 100 gm Vadhwaani Marchaa …. approx 28-30 nos. (A less spicy variety of Mirchi/Green Chilli)
• 1 tsp Turmeric Powder
• 1 1/2 tsp Corriander Powder
• 3/4 tsp Cumin Powder
• 2 pinches Asafoetida …. Optional
• 1/4 tsp Black Salt (kaala namak/sanchal/sendhe laun)
• Salt to taste
• Juice of 1 large Indian Lemon

METHOD :

1. To make Vadhwaani Marchaa Na Athaanu, first wash the green chillies in clean water and drain.
2. Spread them on a clean kitchen towel to dry.
3. Make a vertical slit in the chillies to make a pocket.
4. Discard the seeds and set aside.
5. Mix together the turmeric powder, corriander powder, cumin powder, asafoetida, black salt and salt to taste.
6. Fill about 2 full pinches of this spice mix into each green chilli.
7. Drizzle the lemon juice over it. Fill it up in a clean, dry, airtight container. Keep aside for about half a day in the refrigerator.
8. Your Vadhwaani Marchaa Na Athaanu is ready to be consumed! This lasts for about a week in the refrigerator.
9. Serve the Vadhwaani Marchaa Na Athaanu with a meal of Capsicum Masala, Daal Fry phulkas and Rice alongwith some delicious Shrikhand!

Vadhwaani/Sambhariya Marchaa :