Handmade in Darbhanga, Mithila
Everything in its place. Achar too.
One pack, five jars, no garlic. Oal, mango, dry stuffed mango, lemon-ginger and imli chutney.
The offer
5 Traditional Pickles Sample Pack (Without Garlic)
5 x 150g Jars · 750g total
Optional: add Makhana Kheer Mix (2 x 50g) for ₹799
Five different flavours in one pack, so you find your favourite before committing to a full-size jar.
- ✓ Free shipping, 3–7 days, across India
- ✓ Easy refunds or replacements
- ⚠ Pickles keep 18 months · Imli Chutney keeps 12 months (sugarcane vinegar is added, not sun-cured — see FAQ)
The process
How we actually make these
Most pickle sold today tastes similar regardless of what's in the jar, heavy on masala, thin on the actual ingredient. The traditional Mithila method resists that, mostly because it refuses the shortcuts.
Every pickle starts with prep that's specific to what's going into it, not a generic step. Mithila Special Mango is cut into pieces and sun-dried, then rested with salt and turmeric before any spice or oil touches it. The lemon, green chilli and ginger for the Lemon Ginger Green Chilli are sun-dried in their own juice, then slow-marinated. Dry Stuffed Mango is sun-dried until firm, then stuffed with roasted spices and mustard oil. Oal Barobara takes grated oal, ginger and green chilli in equal parts, with lemon juice to take out the itch, and matures slowly so the flavours settle without a raw bite.
The spices are whole, roasted and ground in-house, and the mustard oil and the sun do the rounding-out work. The oil itself is heated to smoking point and then cooled completely before it touches anything.
Sun-curing runs anywhere from a few days to over a week depending on the pickle, on open bamboo trays, not machines. The Chatpati Imli is a chutney rather than a sun-matured pickle. Imli pulp, dry ginger, red chilli and sugar come together with home-made sugarcane vinegar as its natural preservative. It is the only jar here that uses vinegar; the pickles are preserved with mustard oil and salt alone.
No artificial preservatives, no shortcuts, across all five.
Five jars, five flavours
What's actually in the pack
Lemon, Ginger & Green Chilli Mix Pickle
Tangy, Sour & Slightly Spicy.
Hitting all the right notes - tangy, sour, & spicy - JhaJi's homemade mixed pickle with lemon, green chili, and ginger is a companion for every meal. Made with comparably less oil, it is a unique, popular pick from Mithilanchal.
Best with: dal-chawal, roti, paratha, khichdi
18 mo shelf
Dry Stuffed Mango Pickle
Tangy, Spicy, Sour, and Salty
A unique, authentically Bihari, dry mango pickle enjoyed with Dal Chawal, roti, or your favorite afternoon snack. Also known as Aam ka Phada (आम का फाड़ा), this is made with long mango pieces, wrapped in spices, dipped into oil, and dried fully in the sun.
Best with: dal-chawal, dahi-choora, poori-bhujia
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
Chatpati Imli Chutney
Spiced, Sweet and Tangy.
The classic Indian chutney, with slightly thick and smooth texture, to serve along with your evening snacks pakora, dahi vada, samosa, aloo tikki chaat.
Best with: samosa
12 mo shelf — shorter, sugarcane vinegar
Grated Oal (Suran/Jimikand) Pickle — Oal Barobara
Tangy · Spicy · Gingery
Equal quantities of grated oal (elephant foot yam), ginger, and green chilli — "barobar" means equal. Lemon juice neutralises oal's natural itch-causing compounds, and it's matured slowly so the flavours settle without any raw bite.
Best with: roti, dal-chawal, poori, dahi-choora
18 mo shelf
Who makes it
Two women, one family's recipes
Made in Darbhanga by Kalpana Jha and Uma Jha, following recipes carried down through their family. Kalpana learned much of what she cooks from her mother and mausi in their Mithila home — the Tomato Chutney in this pack, in fact, is her sister's recipe. Uma focuses on the winter-batch pickles, where timing against the season matters most.
JhaJi Store runs out of Mithila Pickles and Chutneys Private Limited in Darbhanga — not a contract kitchen making someone else's recipe at scale.
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: Mithila Special Mango, Lemon Ginger Green Chilli, Chatpati Imli (chutney), Dry Stuffed Mango (Sookha Bharua) and Oal Barobara (grated yam pickle). The four pickles are made with mustard oil and hand-roasted spices, with no artificial preservatives
Does this pack contain garlic?
No. All five jars in this pack are garlic-free. If you would like garlic, see the With Garlic pack
Is anything added for shelf life — preservatives, vinegar, artificial colour?
No artificial preservatives or colour in any of the five. Only the Chatpati Imli uses a small amount of home-made sugarcane vinegar, as its natural preservative, because the chutney is not sun-matured. The four pickles use no vinegar; they are preserved with mustard oil and salt.
Is this vegetarian / vegan?
Yes, all five pickles are fully plant-based.
Spice Level & Taste
How spicy is this pack overall?
It's a mixed range, not uniformly hot. Chatpati Imli is the gentlest, sweet and tangy. Lemon Ginger Green Chilli is bright and slightly spicy. The two mango pickles and Oal Barobara run tangier and spicier. This is deliberate: the pack is built so you can figure out your own tolerance rather than guessing from one large jar.
Which one should a first-time or spice-sensitive person start with?
Chatpati Imli, followed by Lemon Ginger Green Chilli. Both are bright and tangy rather than aggressively hot
Sourcing & Process
Where are these actually made?
In Darbhanga, Bihar, by Kalpana Jha and Uma Jha, following their family's recipes.
How long does the sun-curing take?
It varies by pickle. Mithila Special Mango matures 8–10 days in the sun, and the other pickles run a similar multi-day window. The Chatpati Imli is a chutney, not a sun-matured pickle, so it follows a different method
Why is there a layer of oil on top when I open the jar? Is that normal?
Yes, completely normal with real mustard-oil pickling. Give it a gentle stir before serving — the oil layer is part of how the pickle stays preserved without refrigeration.
Does the pickle darken over time?
Yes, slight darkening is expected and natural — a result of the mustard oil, spices, and sun-maturation, not spoilage or additives.
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 for the four pickles (Mithila Special Mango, Lemon Ginger Green Chilli, Dry Stuffed Mango, Oal Barobara). The Chatpati Imli chutney is 12 months. 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 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 better value per gram.
Can I gift this?
Yes. It is a popular gift for parents and elders who avoid garlic, and for anyone following a satvik or no-garlic diet. The jars are easy to store, and you can add a note with your order
