Garlic pickle recipe – velluli avakaya is perfect for the monsoon and winters to warm up the body. To retain the health benefits of garlic, they are used raw in this recipe. It also helps in preventing cold and expelling phlegm since cinnamon and cloves are used along with raw garlic. Serve moderately and experience the benefits of this garlic pickle.
I have used oil generously which increases the shelf life and the taste as well and this is the way our Andhra pickles are prepared. For most avakaya recipes I discard the left over oily part at the end. So adjust the oil to suit your taste and need.
garlic pickle recipe yields tastes mildly sweet, sour, hot and pungent pickle with bursting flavors of cinnamon and cloves. If you are a hot and spicy pickle lover, you will get addicted to this.
Whenever you make pickles, choose the best quality ingredients. Make sure there is no larva or fungi on the ingredients like garlic. Since the pickles are left to ferment, fungi and larvae multiplies very fast and most times may not be visible to us.
I used honey as the sweetener. But I recommend and prefer Jaggery since it adds a better aroma and taste than honey.
How to make garlic pickle at home
1. Dry roast cinnamon, methi seeds,cloves and sesame seeds lightly. Set aside 1 cinnamon stick and 4 cloves.
2. Add mustard seeds, methi seeds, sesame seeds, rest of the cinnamon and cloves to a blender jar and make a fine powder.
3. Add the powder to a large mixing bowl along with garlic, jaggery, salt, chilli powder, lemon juice, cloves and cinnamon.
4. Mix everything together. If desired you can add honey at this stage. Set aside for a day. Transfer it to a glass bottle.
Serve garlic pickle moderately with rice, idli, dosa or paratha.
For more pickle recipes on the blog, you can check
Mango pickle
tomato pachadi
cauliflower pickle
drumstick pickle
ginger pickle
Garlic pickle recipe below
Garlic pickle recipe | Andhra vellulli avakaya recipe
For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )
- ½ cup garlic cloves
- ¼ tbsp methi seeds / menthulu
- 1 to 1½ tbsp mustard seeds
- ¾ tbsp white sesame seeds (optional, but adds volume and taste to the pickle.)
- 3 tbsp Red chili powder (adjust to suit your taste,2 tbsp is moderate)
- Salt to taste
- 1 Lemon large
- 1.5 tbsp jaggery or honey
- Oil as needed
optional ingredients for garlic pickle recipe
- 4 cloves (powdered finely)
- 4 cloves Additional (dry roast and keep aside)
- 1 ½ Inch cinnamon stick (powdered finely)
- 1 Inch cinnamon (dry roast and keep aside)
Instructions
- Peel off the garlic skin and air dry them for 3 to 4 hrs. Do not handle them with moist hands or utensils or spoons. Discard any garlic cloves with fungi or scars or look discolored. This will spoil the pickle.
- Dry roast one after the other: methi seeds, sesame seeds and 2 cinnamon sticks and 10 cloves. Separate 1 cinnamon stick and 4 cloves aside.
- Add mustard seeds and roasted ingredients (except 1 cinnamon stick and 4 cloves) to a jar and powder finely.
- Transfer the garlic cloves to a wide utensil. Add ground powder, red chili powder, salt, lemon juice, 1 cinnamon stick and 4 cloves (that were set aside), jaggery and oil to the garlic. Mix well.
- I used honey so i added it later
- Set this aside for 1 day. After a day pour extra oil to bring it to the desired consistency and mix well. Adjust the salt and lemon juice. Bottle it and refrigerate.
- You can serve with steamed rice, dosa, idli, pesarratu or rava upma and semiya upma.
Notes
Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.
For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.
NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)
© Swasthi’s Recipes
Hi Swasthi , firstly thanks for the garlic pickle recipe and your blog which I came across in my search for authentic ANDHRA cuisine…
I am a South African born of ANDHRA descent from my grandparents ..I now living in Europe and most of my pickle is store bought ..but with Covid lockdown I decided to make my own pickles… South African Indian cuisine is unique in the World as it’s a mix of Andhra, Tamil, Gujerati and Persian recipes with a tiny bit of spiced up ?? Afrikaaner and English influences ..using all or mostly local produce..
But, for the first time in many years my kitchen smells like that of my Moms and or Grandma’s …mmmmmhhhhh ? all those wonderful spice blends ..
To your recipe I added a bit of roasted and crushed jeera and dhania seeds as I love those flavours and also half teaspoon of Garam Masala…
Thanks again and keep safe
Hello Rajendra
You are welcome! Enjoyed reading you! Thanks for leaving a comment. Love all the changes you made to the pickle.
Ma’am, do we not need to saute the garlic to take away the raw smell.
Hi Mala,
No we don’t cook the garlic at all. It will take a few days for the garlic to soak up and age. Then the raw flavor will go away on its own.
Hi Swasthi, hope you and your family all are doing great.
Though monsoon is knocking the door in Bangalore, yesterday I started preparing pickles. I have set garlic pickle and green chilli pickle. I’m always sceptical about my salt measurement. So if I find it less once we start having the pickles, can I add salt at that time?
How do we sort out that problem? Can I taste a bit after 3-4 days and add? Otherwise I have a plan to put the glass jar in sunlight for 5-7 days.
Thanks in advance. Stay safe.
Tanusree
Hi Tanu
All good. Hope the same from you. Yes you can add salt any time. I usually do it after 3 days while mixing. Later while serving it for the first time, again I add it if needed. If you made the pickle to store for longer then don’t use the salt from the jar that’s already been in use. Salt usually absorbs moisture when exposed to air in the kitchen. So use it from a new pack. I have been keeping all the ingredients to make the pickles in the oven at 40 C for an hour or so, until they become warm. Cool and then make the pickle. This way the shelf life is longer even at room temperature. I have tried with mangoes, lemons and garlic. Thought of sharing this.
🙂
You too stay safe!
Keeping in oven !! This is really a great idea you have shared. That would be nice to remove the moisture easily. I kept the garlic pods in sun for 3-4 days after peeling…it became too dry and little rubbery. Next time will surely follow your plan.
Thank you.
Hi Swasthi thank you for the recipe , very informative. Have a suggestion though, love to have a printer friendly version of this recipe. I like to save copies of my fav ones 🙂 . Thanks Again !!
Welcome & thanks Abarna
There is no print option on the blog.
Is it used as a dip or for adding while cooking ?
Southern indian garlic pickle ?
Hi Norrie, we use it as a dip, mostly with parthas / roti and even mix it with plain rice and eat.
very nice. better recipe for my husband. good food for diabetes and high BP. thank you very much.
You are welcome Jyotsna. Glad to know you liked it. Thank you
Nice
Thank you
Very good recipe.
thank you
I like ur garlic pickle it is so tasty……thanks
Welcome Humera
sooo yummy love the color
Omg, mouthwatering here, ur picture is just torturing me here.
wow.. sooper delicious pickle .. gonna tickle taste buds for sure..
Oh such a bold pickle,Your pics are worth so many words,very descriptive 🙂
Love Andhra pickle,tongue tickle pickle
wow so flavorful and delicious pickle 🙂
looks so tempting with all the spiciness in it. I am a garlic lover so love this one.
Gosh!!! My all time fav. Just love garlic so much and with the spicy pickling process, double yum to my palate.