Nimbu ka Achar Recipe (or Lime Pickle Recipe)
In the old times, pickles were made in large quantities, to stay on for a year. This nimbu ka achar (or lime pickle recipe) has the usual trappings of salt, fenugreek, chillies and more. It will need a great deal of patience in chopping and drying the lemons, but the efforts will pay off in helping you tide over rainy and wintry times when provisions aren't easily available. Eat it with roti-sabzi, rice-dal, onion-tomato, any which way this Indian lime pickle is flavourful and finger-licking.
Ingredients
Ingredients for Nimbu ka Achar Recipe
- 100 limes (or lemons) (chopped into halves or quartered wedges, use thin-skinned lemons/limes. Halve the amount if preparing for a small family. This goes for the other ingredients too)
- 110 gms salt
- 30 gms saffron (or turmeric powder)
- 15 gms fenugreek seeds
- 15 gms cumin seeds
- 70 gms sugar
- 500 ml oil (peanut/sunflower/canola/rice bran)
- 220 gms ginger (washed/cleaned)
- 220 gms garlic (peeled, or use the ready peeled variety)
- 60 gms Kashmiri chilli (or chilli powder)
- 2-3 cups vinegar (Goan/Apple cider/Filipino Datu-Putu)
Instructions
Preparation of Nimbu ka Achar Recipe
- Wash and dry the limes (or lemons). Chop them into wedges, and deseed them as far as possible.
- Apply salt to the chopped limes and sundry them for a couple of days.
- Roast the fenugreek seeds and cumin seeds. Cool them before grinding (next step).
- Grind the two types of roasted seeds together with red chillies (or chilli powder), turmeric/saffron, ginger and garlic in vinegar only.
- Next, heat some oil in a deep non-stick pot.
- Fry the ground masala paste on low-medium heat for 5-8 minutes.
- Add the sugar and 1 cup vinegar. More sugar may be added if the limes are too sour. Fry for a further 5 minutes.
- Then add the sun-dried lemon wedges, draining off excess water. Add salt (if required).
- Cook for another 20 minutes or longer if the limes are thick-skinned on medium heat. Stir occasionally to avoid sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Cool and empty into sterilised glass jars.
Notes
A Pickle for your Thoughts
My preference is for wide-mouthed glass jars which I am ever happy to shop for. Pickled jars sit prettily on my kitchen tabletop beckoning me to remember them every now and then.