You've already read the recipe of my tangy Nimbu ka achaar. This is the second version I made with the lemons from my mother-in-law's tree -- a sweet sour pickle. Again, a pretty simple recipe. I love to have it with parathas or as a side for lunch or dinner
So let's go for the recipe:
Ingredients:
Lemons/lime (500 gms.) I used yellow ripe lemons
2 tbsp. salt
2 tbsp. black salt
2 tbsp. red chilly powder (Kashmiri red chilly powder if you don't want your pickle hot)
1 tbsp. turmeric powder
1 tbsp. ajwain (carrom seeds)
About 10 green chillies (100 gm.) cut into large pieces
1 cup sugar (more if you like your pickle sweeter)
Recipe:
Wash and dry the lemons.
Cut them into halves, quarters or eight parts as I did. Remove the seeds. Then add chopped chillies
Now take a large pan. Add in the salts, chilly powder, carrom seeds and turmeric and mix well.
Mix well and now add sugar.
Mix again and add to a clean and dry pickle jar. Use glass or ceramic barnis (jars). Sterilize the jars with some hot water and dry in the sun if possible.
Now comes the maturing part. You will need to keep this glass jar out in the sun from morning to evening during sunlight hours. Shake it well everyday.
I needed about 10 days in the sun for the lemon pickle to mature and for the peel to soften. The pickle will reduce in quantity as water comes out of lemons, and it will also darken and become syrupy with time.
Mix well and it is ready to eat. Enjoy this tangy sweet treat.
Tips:
- Always keep everything very clean and take the pickle out with dry spoon.
- You can vary the quantity of sugar and chilly powder as per taste.
- Some people add pepper powder and garam masala to make the pickle more spicy.
- This pickle will last you for months about 4-6 months if stored in a cool, dry place. No need to refrigerate.
Let me know if you try this pickle. It really is an easy recipe. This khatta meetha nimbu ka achaar goes well with lunch, dinner or with parathas, rotis and pooris.
Soumya Prasad says
Oh man I’m salivating at work as I read this ?
I always thought that sugar syrup needs to be added instead of sugar. This recipe feels so easy. But removing the seeds from the lemons would be quite a task.
Anita Desai says
Ah! Lip smacking!
Rachna says
Thanks. 🙂
Damyanti Biswas says
A lot of work for lazybones me, but I agree it is an easy-to-understand recipe ?
Rachna says
It's not too much work if you can get someone to wash and cut the lemons for you. 🙂
Damyanti Biswas says
haha, I have no such help in the household-- that's why most of my pickles come from bottles 🙂
Rachna says
Actually I do all the work of chopping for the pickle but considering that the pickle is so much better in taste, I think the effort is worth it. 🙂 But I do agree, it is a good 2 hours of work from start to finish.
Damyanti Biswas says
yeah, 2 hours is too long for good pickle, also because I shall be its lone consumer 😉 . But some day....I live in hope.
Rachna says
😀
Obsessivemom says
This sounds easy, the only catch is we don’t have enough sun just yet.
Rachna says
Yep, that could be an issue.
Wiliam says
I made this 8 days ago with some Meyer lemons – but it is very liquidy. will it thicken? Been in the sun all dau every day (South Florida).