Lemon Pickle

Hi, am back :). Happy to know that you liked Jose’s bachelor salad recipe. Am also happy, but for another reason. For once, I didn’t have to worry about the photo lighting, whether I’ve written the correct measurements in the recipe etc ;).

Anyways coming back to this recipe, this is the first pickle recipe in my blog. Some of you were asking me for pickle recipe since a long time. Am sorry for the delay, but as they say, its better late than never :). This is my mom -in -law’s recipe and I absolutely love this pickle. I dont mind having it at any time of the day, I love it anytime, anywhere :). Mummy’s pickles and cutlets are something that I always look forward in my India trip.

This recipe is a bit time consuming compared to the other recipes posted here but the result is worth it. So please go ahead and give it a try.

Hope you too will like it and here is the recipe ..

1. Ripe lemon – 10 nos
2. Dates chopped – 100 gm(1 cup)
3. Sesame/gingely  oil(nallenna) – 1 cup
4. Sugar – 2-3 tablespoon
5. Mustard seed – 1 teaspoon
   Fenugreek seed(uluva) – 1 teaspoon
6. Green chilly -  4, sliced
   Ginger  – 1 tablespoon, sliced
   Garlic – 1 tablespoon,sliced
7. Ginger and garlic paste – 1 teaspoon each
8. Kashmiri chilly powder – 1 tablespoon
   Turmeric powder – 1 teaspoon
   Asafoetida (kayam)- 1 teaspoon
9. Vinegar – ¼ cup
10. Salt

Boil 4 cups of water with salt in a medium – big size saucepan. Remove from gas. Add lemon to it & stir well. Keep it covered for 10-15 minutes till the lemon skin becomes soft.

Once the skin becomes soft, strain the water completely. Dry the lemon with cloth or kitchen towel. Cut the lemon into 2-3 pieces. Add salt, half of the sugar (1- 1 1/2 tbsp)& asafoetida to the lemon pieces and mix well. Store this at room temperature for 3 days.

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan & splutter mustard & fenugreek seeds. Add sliced ginger, garlic and green chilly. Fry till it becomes golden brown. Keep it aside. Add some more oil to the pan, when it becomes hot, add chopped dates. Cook till it becomes soft. keep that also aside. Add some more oil and when it becomes hot, add ginger garlic paste. When it becomes golden brown, add kashmiri chilly powder, turmeric powder and 1- 1 1/2 tbsp sugar (the powders should be added at lowest flame). Stir well till the gravy becomes dark red (make sure that you don’t burn the masala). Add vinegar to this masala and let it boil.

Once the vinegar boils, add the previously sauted ginger, garlic, green chilly & dates to this. Mix well. Add the lemons stored at room temperature. Combine everything well. Check salt and add more, if needed. Remove from gas & let it cool completely. Store the pickle in airtight jars/containers.

Boil the remaining oil in another pan & cool it completely. Pour the cooled oil on top of the pickle stored in the container/jar.

Notes: For the best results, use the pickle after a week of making it. It allows the flavors to settle in.  If you are planning to keep the pickle for a long time, I will recommend refrigerating it.