Athela Marcha is a Gujarati Style Indian Chili Pickle. Popularly made with Vadhvani Marcha, I make this pickle here in the US with either the long slim green chilies from the Indian Store, or Jalepenos.

What are Athela Marcha?
Athela translates to pickle and Marcha translates to Chilies. This Indian Gujarati Instant Chili Pickle is a delicious addition to your meal. The rustic taste of mustard with green chilies is an absolute flavor bomb. If you are a fan of mustard, this pickle is definitely a must try for you.
What to Serve Athela Marcha With?
We generally serve with roti, curries, dal and rice. And probably eat the athela marcha with almost everything. I love to eat them with khakhra or salt crackers, on my nachos and along with thepla. They just add so much depth of flavor and freshness to your plate.
Expert Tips to Make This Instant Chili Pickle
- Choose the right Chilies - Mild to spicy chilies work well for this recipe. I either use the long green chilies from the Indian Store or jalapeรฑos for making this chili pickle.
- Washing and Drying the Chilies - Wash the green chilies, and let them air dry. After that wipe them using a clean kitchen towel. The lesser the moisture in the chilies, the more crunch they will retain.
- Spices - Traditionally we only add split mustard seeds, turmeric, asafetida and salt for the flavors, but adding half teaspoon of fennel seeds will definitely add a refreshing touch to this recipe.
- Split Mustard Seeds - Split mustard seeds are also known as Rai Kuria or Mustard Dal. They are golden in color and very tiny. You can buy them in any Indian Store, or on Amazon.
- Mustard Oil - Mustard Oil renders a beautiful aroma and flavor to this pickle. So please don't skip it. If you don't like the flavor of mustard oil, add peanut oil instead.
- Preservation and Storage - All the ingredients used in this instant chili pickle act as a preservative. Store the pickle in a clean sterilized canning jar, and it will stay fresh for upto 3 weeks.
How to Make these Athela Marcha?
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Athela Marcha
These nutrional values are automatically generated. Use them for estimation only.
Equipment
- 1 Mortar Pastel
- 1 Small Saucepan
Ingredients
- 9-10 Green Chilies
- 3 Tbsp Mustard Oil
- 2 Tbsp Split Mustard Seeds Rai Kuria
- 1 Tsp Turmeric
- ยฝ Tsp Salt
- โ Tsp Asafetida Hing
- 1 tablespoon Lime Juice
Instructions
- Wash and air dry the green chilies. Pat the green chilies dry using a clean kitchen towel.
- Cut the chili heads and then cut then length wise, and then cut them into halves to make them into bite sized pieces. Keep them aside.
- Add mustard oil to a small sauce pan. On medium heat, bring the oil at its smoking point. Once you start seeing the smoke, turn off the stove and let the mustard oil cool down.
- Now in a mortar pastel, add the split mustard seeds. Pound them lightly, to release the oil and bring out the aroma of mustard.
- Add the pounded split mustard in a plate. Next add turmeric, salt and asafetida. Mix them all well.
- Once the oil is completely cool, add the oil to the prepared split mustard seed mix. And give it a mix again.
- Add lime juice and mix once again.
- Now add the prepared green chilies and mix them well.
- Add the chili pickle in a clean sterilized canning jar. You can enjoy it right away, but if you let the pickle infuse the flavors for a couple of hours it tastes even more amazing.
- Refrigerate the pickle and enjoy for up-to 3 weeks.
Notes
- Read the expert tips thourougly.ย
- If you are using Jalepenos, use 8 Jalepenos, cut them into rounds.ย
- Make sure the ingredients you are using are fresh.ย
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