Indian cooking
Indian cooking / Dishes / Lal Imli ka Achar
Lal Imli ka Achar (Red Tamarind Pickle)

Lal Imli ka Achar

Red Tamarind Pickle
Vegetarian●●●Origin HyderabadPrep 30 minutes, plus cooling timeMakes 750g / 1lb 10oz

A fiery and intensely tangy preserve of sliced tamarind simmered with garlic, vinegar, and aromatic tempering spices. It delivers a sharp, sour punch balanced by rich garlic and warming chilli heat.

Whole chillies

6 gFried first in the hot oil (step 2)
01
Dried red chilli · Sukhi Lal Mirch
6 g6 chillies
spice
Keep whole.

Mustard seeds

7 gAdded to the tempered oil (step 3)
01
Mustard seed · Rai
7 g2 teaspoons
spice
Keep whole.

Garlic paste

125 gFried with the browned garlic (step 4)
01
Garlic paste · Lahsun PasteMake it: Pisi Lehsun →
125 g½ cup
aromatic
Weigh out the prepared garlic paste.

Chilli powder

16 gStirred into the fried paste (step 5)
01
Chilli powder · Lal Mirch Powder
16 g2 tablespoons
spice
Leave as a powder.

Everything else

01
Fresh tamarind · Imli
500 g
fruit
02
Sesame oil · Til ka Telplus extra for filling up, if necessary
228 g250 ml
oil/fat
03
Curry leaf · Kadi Patta
~6 g6 sprigs
herb
04
Garlic · Lehsuncoarsely ground
18 g6 cloves
aromatic
05
Vinegar · Sirka
30 g2 tablespoons
souring agent
06
Salt · Namak
to taste
salt

Method

  1. Remove the seeds from 500 g tamarind and cut the pulp into slices.
  2. Warm 250 g oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the whole chillies and stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes, until they turn slightly darker.
  3. Add the mustard seeds and fry for about 1 minute until they begin to pop. Stir in 6 g curry leaf and 18 g garlic, then place a lid on the pan.
  4. Cook covered for 3 to 4 minutes until the garlic turns light brown. Remove the lid, add the garlic paste, and fry for 2 to 3 minutes.
  5. Stir in the chilli powder and salt to taste, cooking for 1 minute. Add the prepared tamarind and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, then pour in 2 tablespoon vinegar and stir thoroughly.
  6. Take the pan off the heat and allow the mixture to cool to room temperature. Pack into sterilised jars, pouring in extra oil if needed to ensure the surface is completely submerged, and store in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.

Don't have something?

Fresh tamarind
  • Dried tamarind

    Use the same weight, soak in hot water for 20 minutes, squeeze out the pulp, and strain. Closest to fresh.

  • Tamarind paste

    Use 50% of the weight, add gradually, and taste. Concentrated and more sour.

  • Tamarind extract

    Use 40% of the weight and add gradually; it is strong and already strained.

Sesame oil
  • Mustard oil

    Use the same weight. Heat until smoking, then cool for 2 minutes before cooking; it is pungent and changes the flavour strongly.

  • Groundnut oil

    Use the same weight. It is neutral, so add 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds for aroma.

  • Vegetable oil

    Use the same weight. It is neutral and lacks sesame flavour; finish with a few drops of toasted sesame oil if you have it.

Dried red chilli
  • Dried kashmiri chilli

    Use equal weight whole. Fry in hot oil or ghee as tempered spice; gives a richer red colour with slightly milder heat.

  • Red chilli powder

    Use 50% to 70% of the weight. Stir into the oil with ground spices; distributes heat evenly throughout the dish without whole chilli skins.

Mustard seed
  • Black mustard seed

    Use the same weight. The seeds are smaller and hotter; fry in hot oil until they pop, about 20–30 seconds, and reduce the heat if they darken too fast. The dish will be a little sharper.

  • Yellow mustard seeds

    Use the same weight. They are milder and larger; fry a few seconds longer until they pop. The finished dish will have less pungency.

  • Ground mustard seed

    Use 70% of the weight of whole seed, added with the other ground spices rather than fried whole. You lose the popping texture and the heat comes through more evenly.

Curry leaf
  • Bay leaf

    Fry 1 bay leaf for every 5 curry leaves in hot oil; imparts a warm, woodsy background note, but misses the citrus-sulphury punch entirely.

  • Lime juice

    Add a small squeeze (about 5 ml per sprig of curry leaves) right before serving; provides sharp citrus top notes without the toasty, herbal aroma.

Garlic
  • Garlic paste

    Use equal weight. Fry gently in oil or ghee with the ginger; incorporates smoothly into curries without visible minced bits.

  • Garlic powder

    Use 15% to 20% of the weight (about 1 g for every 5 to 6 g fresh cloves). Whisk into sauces; gives a savoury, toasted garlic flavour without raw pungency.

  • Shallot

    Use 1.5 times the weight, very finely minced. Sauté until golden; provides savoury allium sweetness, though it lacks garlic's pungent sulphur bite.

Garlic paste
  • Garlic

    Use equal weight; crush or finely grate to a smooth pulp to replicate the same fresh, pungent moisture in your base gravy.

  • Garlic powder

    Use 20 to 25% of the weight; mix with a teaspoon of water before adding to oil so it does not burn, noting it lacks the fresh bite.

Chilli powder
  • Red chilli powder

    Use 100% of the weight. Provides direct, sharp heat and red colour in equal measure.

  • Kashmiri chilli powder

    Use 150% to 200% of the weight if matching colour, but add a pinch of black pepper or hot chilli if you need equivalent fiery heat.

  • Cayenne pepper

    Use 75% to 100% of the weight. Offers a sharp, clean heat with slightly less earthy depth and less crimson colour.

Vinegar
  • White vinegar

    Use 100% of the weight directly. It delivers an identical sharp, clean acidity to curries and marinades.

  • Lemon juice

    Use 100% of the weight. Add towards the end of cooking off the heat; introduces a fruity citrus aroma rather than pungent acetic sharpness.

  • Tamarind extract

    Use 75% of the weight diluted in a splash of warm water. Gives a rich, fruity sourness and darkens the gravy.

Similar dishes

Kamrakh ka Achar
Star Gooseberry Pickle
Kamrakh ka Achar has a sharper, fruitier tartness and an oilier texture compared to the deep, pasty garlic richness of this dish.
  • Same: Both pickles temper their sour fruit bases with mustard seeds, curry leaves, dried red chillies, chilli powder, garlic, and vinegar.
  • Different: Kamrakh ka Achar uses star gooseberries instead of red tamarind, includes a measured quantity of vegetable oil, and uses more whole garlic cloves but less garlic paste.
Andhra Pulussu
Andhra Tamarind Curry
Andhra Pulussu is sweeter, milder, and less sharp, contrasting with the pungent garlic heat and intense acidity of this dish.
  • Same: Both preparations rely on tamarind as their souring agent and share a tempering of mustard seeds, dried red chillies, and curry leaves.
  • Different: Andhra Pulussu is a simmered stew thickened with chickpea flour and flavoured with jaggery, ginger, turmeric, fenugreek, and asafoetida, whereas this dish is a preserved pickle built around heavy garlic and vinegar.
Pappu Charu
Tangy Tamarind & Pepper Aperitif
Pappu Charu offers a lighter, peppery tomato tang rather than the fiery, sharply acidic, and heavily garlicky punch of this dish.
  • Same: Both dishes rely on tamarind for tartness and share a tempering of mustard seeds, curry leaves, and dried red chillies.
  • Different: Pappu Charu is prepared as a light soup using fresh tomatoes, cumin seeds, and black pepper, lacking the large quantity of garlic and preserving vinegar found in this dish.
Chingur ka Salan
Lamb with Tender Tamarind Leaves & Flowers
Chingur ka Salan tastes deeply savoury, meaty, and herbally tart, whereas this dish is intensely pungent, sharply acidic from vinegar, and more garlic-forward.
  • Same: Chingur ka Salan relies on tamarind for sourness and shares a tempering of mustard seeds, curry leaves, garlic, dried red chillies, and chilli powder.
  • Different: Chingur ka Salan is a braised lamb curry made with onions, green chillies, ginger, turmeric, cumin, and vegetable oil, whereas this dish is a meat-free preserve simmered with vinegar and a large amount of garlic paste.