Handmade in Darbhanga, Mithila
How A "Ghar Ka Achar" Is Actually Made
Five garlic-free pickles, sun-cured the traditional Mithilaway .
The offer
5 Traditional Pickles Sample Pack (No Garlic)
5 x 150g Jars · 750g total
Optional: add Makhana Kheer Mix (2 x 50g) for ₹799
Five garlic-free flavours in one pack, so you can find your favourite before committing to a full-size jar.
- ✓ Free shipping, 3–7 days, across India
- ✓ Easy refunds or replacements
- ⚠ All five pickles keep for 18 months, stored cool and dry
How do we actually make this
Five Jars. One Method You Can Actually Check.
The checks below started with Grated Oal (Barobara), since getting every step right here is essential to actually enjoying it in its truest form.
The same standard runs through the other four jars too, each one built around what that specific ingredient actually needs.
Oal, ginger, and green chilli are washed two to three times, then sun-dried for a few hours before anything else happens. All three are grated finely and combined in genuinely equal parts. This is what gives the pickle its name, barobara, meaning equal. Salt, turmeric, and lemon juice go in next, and the mix rests undisturbed for 24 hours; the lemon isn't a flavour choice, it's what cuts Oal's natural bitterness. Once the spice mix and mustard oil are folded through, the pickle sun-cures for about 10 days before it moves into martabans to age.
Mithila Special Mango is cut skin-on, kernel in, washed, and left in the sun for a few hours. Marinated with salt and turmeric and kept for a 48-hour rest, which draws the moisture out. A bold masala built around fennel and ajwain is folded through with mustard oil, and the pickle sun-cures for 8 to 10 days.
Kuccha Mango is grated fresh from the same peak-season fruit, with nothing added to soften its sourness, no sugar, nothing else. Salt draws the moisture out, then a masala built around kalonji, mustard, and fennel is folded through, and cooled mustard oil seals it in.
Khatt-Meethi Mango is peeled, washed, and cut into pieces, then salted and left to rest before sugar, roughly equal to the mango's own weight, is added. The mixture cooks slowly on a low flame for about 30 minutes with the spice mix, until it thickens into the sweet-sour pickle it's named for.
Kathal is cut into chunks from raw jackfruit, then steamed only until tender. Never fried, never pressure-cooked. The steamed pieces are marinated in salt and turmeric, mixed with roasted spices and mustard oil, and sun-matured for a minimum of 10 days.
No preservatives, no shortcuts, across all five.
Five different ingredients, five different processes, one standard: nothing here is claimed that couldn’t also be shown.
Five jars, five flavours
What’s actually in the pack
Grated Oal (Suran/Jimikand) Pickle — Oal Barobara
Tangy · Spicy · Gingery
Equal quantities of grated oal, ginger, and green chilli. Lemon juice neutralises oal’s natural itch-causing compounds, and it matures slowly so the flavours settle without any raw bite.
Best with: roti, dal-chawal, poori, dahi-choora
18 mo shelf
Mithila Special Mango Pickle (Bihari Aam ka Achar)
Tangy · Spicy · Robust
Made from raw mango sourced from Darbhanga district — Malda, Bijju, Kalkatiya, or Sukul varieties. Cut skin-on, salted for 48 hours, then matured in the sun for 8–10 days under a protective layer of oil.
Best with: dal-chawal, roti-sabzi, khichdi
18 mo shelf
Kuccha Mango (Grated) Pickle
Bracingly tart ·Zingy · Kalonji-nutty
Peak-season raw mango, grated fresh with nothing added to soften its sourness. A masala built around kalonji, mustard, and fennel is folded through, then sealed with cooled mustard oil.
Best with: curd rice, mixed straight into hot rice
18 mo shelf
Khatt-Meethi Mango Pickle
Sweet · Sour ·Warming
Mango salted and rested. Then sugar roughly equal to their weight is added. Cooked slowly over a low flame with the spices mix until it thickens into a sweet-sour chutney.
Best with: samosas, mathri, evening snacks
18 mo shelf
Kathal (Jackfruit) Pickle
Earthy · Hearty ·Savoury
Raw jackfruit, 3–4 kg each, cut into chunks and steamed only until tender, never fried. Marinated in salt and turmeric, then mixed with roasted spices and mustard oil, sun-matured for a minimum of 10 days
Best with: dal-chawal, roti-sabzi, khichdi
18 mo shelf
Who makes it
Two women, one family's recipes
Kalpana Jha learned to pickle from her own mother and mausi, in the kind of kitchen where nobody writes down a recipe because everybody already knows when something’s wrong with it: too little sun, too rushed a rest, lemon skipped. That’s the standard carried into JhaJi Store. Uma Jha runs the winter batches, Oal Barobara and Kathal included, because both depend on timing against the season that only comes with having done this for years.
Nothing here is disclosed because a label requires it. It’s disclosed because these are the exact things Kalpana and Uma would check themselves, on anyone else’s jar, before trusting it
This is JhaJi Store — Handmade in Mithila. Just like home.
What people are saying
Real reviews, this pack
"The flavor is absolutely amazing, and the quality is exceptional."
— Gerald Gutman
"Authentic and good, like home made pickles."
— Avishek Upadhyay
"I was a bit skeptical about ordering… the pickles have met my expectations."
— Sanjeev Kumar Borah
Frequently asked questions
Before you add to cart
Ingredients & Recipe
What’s actually inside this pack?
Five jars, 150g each: Grated Oal (Barobara), Mithila Special Mango, Kuccha Mango (Grated), Khatt-Meethi Mango, and Kathal (Jackfruit). All five are made with mustard oil and hand-ground spices, with no preservatives.
Does this pack contain garlic?
No. All five pickles are completely garlic-free.
Is anything added for shelf life, preservatives, vinegar, or artificial colour?
No preservatives or artificial colour in any of the five, and no vinegar.
Is this vegetarian/vegan?
Yes, all five pickles are fully plant-based.
Spice Level & Taste
How spicy is this pack overall?
A mixed range. Khatt-Meethi Mango is the gentlest; Mithila Special Mango and Kathal sit in the middle; Oal Barobara and Kuccha Mango are sharper.
Which one should a first-time or spice-sensitive person start with?
Khatt-Meethi Mango, followed by Kathal. Both are more savoury-sweet than aggressively hot.
Sourcing & Process
Where are these actually made?
In Darbhanga, Bihar, by Kalpana Jha and Uma Jha, following their family’s recipes.
Why is there a layer of oil on top when I open the jar?
Completely normal with real mustard-oil pickling. Give it a gentle stir before serving.
How long does the sun-curing take?
It varies by pickle, Oal Barobara and Kathal cure about 10 days, Mithila Special Mango 8–10 days. Khatt-Meethi Mango is the exception, cooked rather than sun-cured.
Does the pickle darken over time?
Yes, slight darkening is expected and natural, a result of the mustard oil, spices, and sun-maturation.
Shipping & Storage
How long does delivery take?
3–7 days, and shipping is free across India.
Are the jars safe for shipping and travel?
Yes — these come in sturdy plastic jars rather than glass, specifically for the sample pack, to reduce breakage risk in transit.
What's the shelf life?
18 months from manufacturing on all five jars. The Makhana Kheer Mix, if added, keeps for 6 months.
Does this need refrigeration?
No, not under normal conditions. In very humid climates, refrigerating after opening can help, but it isn't required.
What if my jar arrives damaged, leaking, or with the wrong flavour?
Contact us and we'll sort out a replacement or refund — no back and forth required.
Buying Decision
Is this good for someone who’s never tried JhaJi Store before?
Yes, this is specifically why the pack exists. Five flavours, smaller jars, lower commitment than buying a full-size jar of something you haven't tasted yet.
What’s the difference between this and buying the individual jars?
Same recipes, same process, smaller 150g format instead of the standard 250g/500g sizes. Once you know your favourites, the full-size jars work out as better value per gram.
Should I get this or the With Garlic pack?
If you want every jar garlic-free, choose this pack. If two of the five jars using garlic don’t matter to you, the With Garlic pack adds Lal Mirch Bharua, Garlic Ginger Green Chilli Mix, and Tomato Garlic Chilli Chutney.
Can I gift this?
Yes, especially to anyone avoiding garlic by preference or diet. You can add a note with your order .
