Quick Pickled Carrots and Daikon without Vinegar (Gajar Mooli Ka Achar)

This Quick Pickled Carrots and Daikon Recipe is for you if you, like me, love a spicy condiment with your meal. Made with fresh carrots and daikon (white radish), this instant pickle requires minimal spices and has no vinegar. Enjoy this zero oil, tangy pickle with your favourite meal or as a filling in your sandwich.

★★★★★

What is life without a bit of spice?!!

I just cannot imagine a meal without something spicy with it! My Indian palate craves for something spicy, tangy and zesty with every meal :)) Growing up, I have seen my mum and grandma make a variety of pickles - mango, lime and gooseberry pickles being ubiquitous! While I still love those pickles, it is a labourious task to make them. Not always do I have the patience nor the time to make them. Those are the times when an instant pickle or a chutney saves the day! This quick pickle recipe, of all of them, is my most favourite. It lifts the taste of the meal up by a few notches and the fresh vegetables make it nutritious. Win win situation, right?! For example on days I have no time to make a dal, this lentil chutney makes up for it and it pairs so beautifully with my mild and soothing broccoli paratha.

What do eat this flavour bomb of a pickle with?

Literally everything! This mixed vegetable pickle tastes great with crepes, wraps or with sandwich with an additional layering of this gorgeously emerald green chutney. I personally love pairing it with a flatbread or simple, aromatic vegetable pilaf and mung beans curry to make a satisfying gluten free meal. The gentle soothing pilaf is a good base of this spicy, tangy flavour bomb of a pickle! The juices of the vegetables from the pickle forms a "gravy" for the rice and overall gives the whole dish a great texture.

On days when I want to have a grain free and gluten free meal, I love having this gajar mooli ka achar (gajar = carrots; mooli = daikon; achar = pickle in Hindi) with a grain free and gluten free roti and some beetroot raitha (beetroot and yogurt dip)

Do you love pickles as well? Do let me know in the comments below.

You will love this mixed vegetable pickle recipe for these reasons:

• It is a vegan, gluten free and grain free recipe - in fact, it is all top 14 allergens free!
• This is a no oil recipe.
• This recipe uses all natural ingredients - this pickle does not have vinegar added to it.
• Ready in under 30 minutes and requiring less than 10 ingredients, this recipe is quick and easy and can add loads of flavour to your meal!
• It stays good in the fridge for weeks!
• Is made with vegetables that are easily available all throughout the year.

What is Daikon? Is Daikon same as Radish?

These are two questions that had been for the longest time. I had the "Ahaa" moment when I researched and found out the answers. I am therefore happy to share with you what I found out.

What is Daikon? In Japanese Daikon literally means big root. It is a mild flavoured edible root vegetable. It is most commonly white in colour and is a winter vegetable. Popular in Japanese, Chinese and Indian cuisines, Daikon is known as Mooli in Hindi language.

Is Daikon same as Radish?: Although Daikon are also known as White Radish and there are some similarities between the two, they are different. These are some differences: A) Daikon is most commonly white and long whereas radish is most commonly round, and reddish/pink in colour. B) Daikon has a mild, sweetish taste, while the red radish is peppery in taste. C) Radishes are eaten raw - mostly in salads while the Daikon can be eaten raw or cooked.

Quick Pickled Carrots and Daikon Recipe - Key Ingredients

• Daikon: Use ones that are white and firm. When they are so, it means that they are fresh. Oftentimes you will find daikon that are yellowish and with "whiskers" - they are that way because they are not fresh and tender. I would not recommend that you use those. Since we are using them raw, the fresh tender ones will work best for this recipe.
• Carrots: Winter is when I make this pickle quite often. That is mainly because that is the season for daikon (they are called winter radish!). Also because we get those deep red coloured carrots which are so much more sweeter that the regular orange ones that we get throughout the year. However, I have made this pickle with the regular orange coloured carrots and that works well too.
• Fresh Root Ginger: Adds a "punch" to this pickle! When in India, I like to add mango ginger to this pickle. Mango ginger is a type of ginger that has a tangy (like green mango) taste to it. It add a terrific zing to the pickle. In the absence of mango ginger, I have been adding fresh root ginger and loving it!
• Green Chillies: I love the flavour of green chillies. Period. I therefore add them to almost all my dishes. I have used mild green chillies for this recipe. You may want to use a spicier variety if you can handle the heat. Although I would highly recommend adding some amount of green chillies to this recipe, if it is not an ingredient that you like, you may omit it completely. The pickle will still taste good 🙂
• Paprika/ Ground Red Chilli: I use the Kashmiri Red Chilli powder for this recipe mainly because it brings such a vibrant red hue to the dish, without making it overly spicy. You may use paprika instead.
• Juice of Lime: and not that of lemons! The juice of lime is a lot more tangy and fragrant that that of lemons and therefore I prefer to use it. If in the scenario that you have only lemons with you, please do bear in mind that you will need to use more of lemon juice to bring the right level of tanginess to this pickle. So I recommend that you use at least 2 lemons.
• Salt: I like to use Himalayan Pink Salt for this recipe. You may use whatever salt that you usually use regularly.

Note 1: This recipe, as you may have realised, is so easy! It requires under 10 ingredients and can be made in under 30 minutes. The only thing to be kept in mind is to cut the carrots, daikon, ginger and green chillies into thin "matchsticks". Cutting them in this way will help them marinate faster in the juices and the pickle will be ready in no time! I have cut these with a knife, however, if you have a mandolin, do use that.

Note 2: Once you have cut the veggies into sticks, add that remains to be done is to mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. The pickle is ready to eat right away, however, for best results and taste, rest it for at least 30 minutes. Resting the pickle will allow the juices to ooze out of the veggies and become friends with the other ingredients 🙂

Note 3: Store this pickle in a glass jar and in the fridge. It will stay good for 2-3 weeks.

Have you made this recipe? Do share it with me on Instagram and Facebook 

While you are here do check these gluten free recipes:

• 
  Sauteed Cabbage Recipe with Coconut {Cabbage Thoran}
• 
  Sprouted Mung Beans Salad
• 
  Garlic Butter Mushroom Fry
• 
  Spinach Dal
• 
  Baingan Bhartha (Chargrilled eggplant curry)
• 
  Dosakaya Pachadi (Cucumber Chutney)

Nutrition Information (approximate) of Quick Pickled Carrots and Daikon Recipe

Note: The information shown is based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Servings: 20
Amount per serving
Calories	11
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0.1g	0%
Saturated Fat 0g	0%
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 191mg	8%
Total Carbohydrate 2.5g	1%
Dietary Fiber 0.7g	3%
Total Sugars 1.1g
Protein 0.3g
Vitamin D 0mcg	0%
Calcium 8mg	1%
Iron 0mg	1%
Potassium 87mg	2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet.

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