Best Mixed Pickle Brand In India – Mishry

It brings out the ‘oomph’ factor in a paratha. Tiny bites between spoonfuls of dal rice are no less than heaven. That’s right- this is Mishry’s big mixed pickle review. 

Firm, crunchy vegetables, the blend of seasoning, and a lot more goes into making the perfect pickle. We ordered six brands of mixed pickles and tasted them over two days to find the best mixed pickle brand in India. Mother’s Recipe Mixed Pickle was titled the winner (Top Pick) for its exceptional blend of flavor and spot-on texture of the vegetables and fruit. 

This table shows the various brands we tried and how we rated them. 

We were looking for a mixed pickle with a lip-smacking blend of flavors, a soft yet crunchy bite in the veggies, and a favorable balance of masala to veggies.

The parameters we gauged these mixed pickles across and our review process is discussed in the following section. 

1. Taste 

The flavor profile was one of the key deciding factors of our Top Pick. We were looking for well-balanced flavors. Tang, spice, and freshness of the seasoning and veggies was considered. 

2. Texture 

The ingredients and proportions can be the same, but the way the veggies have been chopped (cubes, slices, shreds) impacts the overall experience of relishing it. We also recorded if the veggies had a soft crunch, a bite to them or were they too squishy? 

Another factor that impacts the texture and mouthfeel is the ratio of masala, oil and veggies. If there’s too much masala, it may turn the veggies soggy. If the masala is too little, we might as well just have a salad. Although the amount of oil wasn’t a deciding factor, as pickles are supposed to be oily, it did play a role in enhancing the overall experience. 

3. Main Ingredients

The type of fruit/vegetables and oil used was another crucial factor that formed part of our review process. Was a neutral-tasting oil used? Or did it lend a unique flavor to the pickle? We also gauged if these packaged pickles used additives like added flavors, preservatives, or the likes. 

4. Other Parameters

The price, packaging, and shelf life were checked under this parameter. 

From chole kulche, dal chawal to aloo paratha, which mixed pickle pairs well with them all?

A brief on our review process. We tasted all six brands of mixed pickles twice – with parathas and as is. Of the six, the shortlisted contenders were taken for a second round of tasting.

Since pickles can get too overwhelming, we retasted the shortlisted ones again the following day. 

The following section discusses our experience with each of the six brands. 

In the Mother’s Recipe mixed pickle, we could see medium-sized pieces of carrots, mango, lime, and green chilli. This had a vibrant red appearance and an inviting oily aroma. 

Thumbs up for the clean ingredient list, no preservatives or artificial additives have been used. 

This was a fairly delicious-tasting pickle. The salt and spice levels were well-rounded and the tarty flavor was apt, not too high or low. This wasn’t high on spice, but it was loaded with flavors. The medium-sized veggie pieces had a nice, desirable bite. Full marks on the masala to pickle ratio, we got no complaints here. 

A 300-gram pack is priced at Rs 99/-. It has a shelf life of 18 months. The main ingredients are mixed vegetable pieces (mango, carrot, lime, green chilli, amba halder- 62%), edible common salt, water, cottonseed oil, spices and condiments (chilli, mustard, fenugreek, and turmeric), acidity regulator (INS 260), and asafoetida. 

Tops mixed pickle had quite large chunks of the veggies- mango, carrots, dela, green chillies. Fenugreek seeds, chilli, and fennel seeds were also visible. This emitted a bold, pungent aroma of mustard seeds with the fresh and subtly sweet fragrance of fennel seeds. 

Taste-wise, this was very close to a homestyle mixed pickle. The masala blend was quite good and the whole seeds (fennel, coriander) added to the texture. The carrots also had a soft crunch to them. The spices are balanced but the warm, sweet, licorice-like flavor of fennel seeds took the front seat. There was also a slight yet desirable bitterness coming from coriander seeds.

A 375-gram pack is priced at Rs 135/-. It has a shelf life of 18 months. The main ingredients are mixed vegetables (mango, lime, green chilli, carrot, turnip, dela, cauliflower, ginger, ginger stem), iodized salt, mustard oil, fenugreek, acidity regulator (INS 330, INS 260), aniseed, red chilli powder, lime juice, preservative 211, spices and condiments, turmeric powder.

This pickle had large chunks of mango, lime, and carrot. This had a pleasing red-orange appearance and a dhaba-style look. The aroma was sharp, tarty, and inviting.

In terms of texture, this was a hit. The fruit and veggies featured a soft, firm bite while the seeds (coriander, fennel, and mustard) imparted a wholesome crunch. The masala to veggie ratio was spot-on where the masala evenly coated all chunks but the veggies still retained their bite and natural flavor. 

The flavors were typical achaari- sweet, sour, and well-rounded. The whole seeds lent this flavor and the overall salt-spice was in a favorable sync. 

However, on day 2, the flavor was fairly different and clearly not as appetizing as day 1. So Pachranga was out of the shortlisted contenders. 

A 1 kg pack is priced at Rs 160/-. It has a shelf life of 18 months. The main ingredients are vegetables (mango, mango lime, carrot, green chilli, lotus stem, turnip, caper berry, cranberry-65%), spices and condiments (fenugreek, coriander, red chilli powder, fennel, turmeric powder, cumin), common salt, edible vegetable oil, acidity regulators- acetic acid (E 260), citric acid (E 330), sodium benzoate (E 211), and permitted class II preservatives. 

This wasn’t a chunky pickle, it was mushy. The ratio of masala to veggies was quite poor, very very few veggie bits were floating in a pool of the masala. That said, this was not oily, just very puree-like. 

The veggies were squishy, they did not have a soft crunch. They were just chewy. The chunks/bits that were comparatively larger had a decent bite, but were very low in quantity. 

Taste-wise, this was a tarty and spicy pickle. The veggies tasted fresh and there was no industrial or artificial taste. This was prominent on the warm, earthy ginger flavor and high on heat from red chilli. 

To sum up, while the flavors were quite good, the texture was a let-down which is why Aachi was not titled the winner. 

A 200-gram pack is priced at Rs 75/-. It has a shelf life of 1 year. The main ingredients are seasonal vegetables (80%- mango, lemon, citron, carrot, green chilli, garlic, mango ginger, tomato, and capsicum), salt, red chilli powder, edible vegetable oil (refined rice bran oil), mustard, asafoetida, turmeric powder, fenugreek, cumin, cassia bark (taj), acidity regulators (INS 330, INS 260).

Visually, this pickle had a reasonable balance between masala and veggies + fruits. There was not a lot of oil floating and this resembled a homemade pickle. All fruit and veggie chunks were decently sized, but carrots were comparatively larger. They had a pretty substantial bite. 

Taste-wise, this was TOO tart. The strong bitterness of kalonji and herby sweetness of fennel seeds was most prominent. Overall, the blend of masala is not appetizing. 

A 400-gram pack is priced at Rs 125/-. It has a shelf life of 1 year. The main ingredients are mixed fruits and vegetable (61.8%- mango pieces (24.695), carrot pieces (17.4%), lime pieces (11.62%), green chilli pieces ( 7.26%), dela fruit), water, mustard oil, spices and condiments (5.78%) (fenugreek powder, fenugreek whole, fennel, mustard powder, chilli powder, fennel powder, coriander powder, black cumin (kalonji), turmeric powder, capsicum extract, paprika extract, compounded asafoetida), iodised salt, acidity regulator (INS 260), and preservative (INS 211).

When we opened the container, we saw oil floating. This did not have the typical red/orange shades, this was a deep brown. There were medium-sized veggie and fruit bits. Unfortunately, due to excess oil/masala, we could not visually identify the bits/chunks. Mango and carrot were still identifiable, others not so much. 

Only carrots had a bite, others were too soft and mushy. 

In terms of taste, the spice was the only element that worked for Priya’s pickle. Other than that, this is definitely oversalted and has a dominant lemony tang.

A 500-gram pack is priced at Rs 170/-. It has a shelf life of 1 year. The main ingredients are mango (14%), refined rice bran oil, carrot (13%), iodized salt, green tomato, green chilli (8%), lime (8%), ginger (4%), turmeric paste (turmeric and water), chilli powder, mixed spices, acidity regulators- acetic acid, citric acid, and asafoetida. 

Why did we choose Mother’s Recipe as our Top Pick? Why do we also recommend Tops Mixed Pickle? 

We gave Mother’s Recipe Mixed Pickle the title of our Top Pick not only because of the pleasing flavors, textures, and aroma, but also because it is devoid of added preservatives. 

We also recommend Tops Mixed Pickle. Despite having an equally good taste and texture, Tops did not win because it uses a preservative. 

Here are some interesting FAQs on Indian mixed pickle.

Countless licks and eye twitches later, Mishry reveals the best mixed pickle brand in India.

After reviewing six brands over a course of two days with multiple parathas, we gave the crown to Mother’s Recipe mixed pickle (Top Pick). The most lip-smacking flavor among its contenders, a desirable bite, and no use of preservatives was why we declared this the winner. We also recommend Tops Mixed Pickle. 

Which pickle do you pair with dal chawal and parathas?