South African

Vegetable Pickle

A crunchy, fiery South African vegetable pickle infused with aromatic whole seeds, mustard, and pickling masala.

Spicy, tangy, and packed with flavour—this South African vegetable pickle (atchar) is one of the easiest ways to upgrade any meal! Crunchy carrots, cabbage, green beans, and cauliflower are salted to draw out excess moisture before being drenched in a warm, spicy vinegar-infused oil mixture.

By Ivana Sanshia · Updated Aug 2026

Vegetable Pickle, a South African recipe
Prep1 hr
Cook10 min
Maturing2 days
Total1 hr 10 min
ServesMakes 2 large jars (1 litre)
LevelMedium
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Before you start

Get your mise en place ready so nothing catches you out mid-cook.

Method

  1. 1

    Mix the Pickling Masala

    Mix all the pickling masala ingredients together. You'll use 2 to 3 tbsp; store the rest in a jar.

  2. 2

    Salt & Drain Vegetables

    In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 cups julienned carrots, 2 cups shredded cabbage, 1 cup sliced green beans, 2 cups chopped cauliflower with leaves, and 2 to 3 sliced green chillies.

  3. 3

    Sprinkle 2 to 3 tbsp salt over the vegetables and toss thoroughly with your hands to draw out excess water.

The rest of this recipe

There’s 12 more ingredients and 10 more steps to go.

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Ivana Sanshia’s note

Squeezing out as much water as possible after salting the vegetables in Step 5 is crucial—this ensures your pickle stays crisp instead of soggy and extends its shelf life!

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Filed under

SidesVegetarianVeganDairy-FreeGluten-FreeSummerAutumnWinterSpring

Picked by Ivana Sanshia

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