Lemon Pickle
How is the climate at your place? Here in Joburg its freezing cold. In the night temperature does down to even to 1 degree. So we have decided to have something very simple in the night. Hot kanji, pickle and some pulse is the best combination for that. My husband tried to buy lemon pickle in couple of shops here, but since he couldn’t get it, I decided to make it. It’s a very simple recipe, quick and easy to make. Since no preservative is added you need to keep it in the fridge for long use. Always try to have little oil on the top. This will also help to keep pickle for long.
Naranaga Achar Recipe
Ingredients:
- Lemon – ½ kg
- Gingely oil/Nallenna – 4 Tbsp
- Mustard seeds – ½ tsp
- Garlic – 8 cloves
- Ginger – 1 inch piece
- Turmeric Powder – ½ tsp
- Fenugreek/uluva powder – ½ tsp
- Red chilli powder – 1 ½ Tbsp
- Kashmiri chilli powder – 2 Tbsp
- Asafoetida – ¼ tsp
- Water – ¼ cup
- Vinegar – 4 Tbsp
- Sugar – 1 Tbsp
- Curry Leaves – few
- Salt
(Note: Vary the amount of chilli powder as per you spice level. Please don’t substitute kashmiri chilli powder with red chilli powder. Kashmiri chilli is less spicy and it helps to make gravy thick and gives good red color.
Please note some measurements are written in Tbsp
1 Cup = 250 ml)
Method:
- In a steamer or appachembu, steam the lemons for 8-10 min or until soft. Do not let the lemon crack.
- Cut lemon into small pieces. Add salt and mix well
- Length wise cut ginger and garlic into thin slices and keep it ready
- Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds
- Add sliced ginger, garlic and curry leaves and saute till it becomes soft.
- Reduce the flame and add all spice powders and sauté for a min or two
- Add water and vinegar and bring it to boil. (The water helps to make pickle with gravy, if you want to store pickle for long you can avoid adding water)
- Switch of the stove and add sugar and lemon pieces.
- Mix well and allow the pickle to cool down.
- Transfer the same into an air tight container and pour 2 Tbsp of gingely oil on top. (Keep for a week for the flavors to set in and refrigerate if you are planning to use more. Always try to have little on the top of the of the container, this will also help to keep pickle for long)