A Lemon Pickle recipe from Tamil Nadu that follows a traditional Kanchipuram style. Makes about 1 cup
Total Time:168 hours 10 minutes
Yield:1 Cup
Ingredients
8 Lemons
1/4 Cup Red Chili Powder
2 Cups Gingelly Oil
1 Tsp Turmeric
Salt to taste
Instructions
Wash and dry lemons Wash and dry the lemons
Place lemons in a bowl Place the lemons in a bowl.
Add turmeric and salt to the lemons. Mix Add turmeric and salt. Mix thoroughly. Cover with lid.
Stir every day for 2-3 days Stir every day for 2-3 days.
Add red chili powder to the lemons. Add Red Chili Powder.
Add gingelly oil and combine. Add in the Gingelly oil and combine well.
Make sure you add this to a pan or kadai and cook for 5-10 mins, if using Meyer Lemons or lemons with thicker rinds. Failure to do so could result in mold.
Transfer to a pickle jar Transfer to a pickle jar when cooled.
Store away from sunlight. Store away from sunlight.
Consume after a week. The pickle is ready to be consumed within a week.
Notes
You can use regular lemons or Meyer lemons.
Dry your lemons thoroughly. Not doing so can cause mold to form.
I prefer Kashmiri Mirch chili powder
Add salt according to your preference. As a rule, pickle requires more salt and Indian pickles must taste saltier than the ocean. Salt cooks the lemon naturally and prevents mold from forming on the pickle. Doing this allows the lemons to absorb the salt evenly.
You should stir the pickle every now and then. This redistributes flavor to the entire jar and allows stagnant oil on the top to saturate the drier bottoms.
