Lemon Pickle | Nimboo ka Achar Recipe

I have posted many mango pickle recipes last year in my blog which were sourced from my MIL. The lemon pickle recipe which I am posting today is also sourced from her during her recent visit.Apart from the lemon pickle she brought various other pickles and powders. We also prepared a few varieties of pickles together and you might have already seen a few of them on my blog. I intend to post a few more shortly.

Lemon pickle pairs really well with Curd rice.If you get fresh lemons you must try this lemon pickle as it is not only delicious to eat but also keeps your body cool in the summers.

Lemon Pickle Recipe:

shelf life: up to 1 year

Ingredients:

30-35 big sized Lemons

1 cup Salt

1 cup Red chili powder

2 tbsp Turmeric powder

1 tsp Fenugreek powder

1 cup Sesame oil

1 tbsp Mustard seeds

1/4 tsp Asafoetida

Method:

• Wash and wipe the lemons with a clean cloth.Cut them into 8 pieces lengthwise or quarter them into 8 pieces.
• Mix the lemons with 3/4 cup of Salt and turmeric powder until they are mixed nicely.

• Put this mixed lemons in a clean and sterilized glass bottle and close it with lid and leave it aside for 10 days.You can mix it once in a while in 3 days.By this time the lemons would leave water.
• After 10 days add red chili powder,fenugreek powder and 1/4 cup salt to the lemon mixture.You should not remove any water which oozes from the lemons.

• Heat sesame oil and crackle mustard seeds and asafoetida and cool the oil completely.
• Add the oil(which is cooled down) to the lemon pickle and mix well.
• Leave it for 10-15 days to get marinated.

Serve it with Curd rice or you can even serve it with any Upma variety,it tastes nice.

Notes:

1. After 10 days when lemon is mixed with salt and turmeric powder,check the salt and increase the salt amount accordingly from 1/4 cup if needed.
2. Few squeeze the lemons slightly and remove the seeds and mix the lemons with lemon juice and follow the same procedure.You can follow this method too if you want.Do not squeeze the lemons hardly as it will make the pickle bitter.
3. You can also store just the marinated lemons with salt and turmeric powder through out the year.When needed you can take out some portion and add red chili powder according and temper it with sesame oil,mustard seeds and asafoetida.You can even avoid the tempering with oil and add just the red chili powder to it.

Check out the recipes for various Andhra style Mango Pickles and North Indian Achar here.