Lemon pickle#cherunaranga achar recipe in Kerala style

 

                                                    Lemon Pickle

Pickles are salty,spicy,sweet n sour food mainly used for giving extra taste or flavor to the meal.We Indians are using all types of pickles and the pickling method is difft in each part of India.Even in Indian grocery stores we can see North Indian pickles,South Indian,Kerala brand pickles and so on..But we know all these commercial products are full of chemicals for preserving this from microbes.Since we mallus are very fond of pickles and having pickles for our daily meal,home made version is safe and healthy for us.I know some people simply ate pickle as such...In my home,we mainly use pickles as a side dish if curries are very less or for a spicy flavor or during lent season.Also Lemon pickle is a very good side dish for kanji(boiled rice with water)when we are sick.

Things needed

1. Lemon – 10 (Wash and pat dry)
2. Ginger - 1 medium piece
3. Garlic – 5-6 ,medium 
4. Kashmiri Chilly powder – 1.5  – 2 tbsp
5. Fenugreek powder – 1 pinch
6. Asafoetida/hing – 1 pinch
7. Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
8. Curry leaves – 1 sprig (optional)
9. Gingelly/sesame oil/Nallenna – 2 – 3 tbsp
10. Con.Lemon juice - 1/2 cup
11. Salt – To taste

Method

 1.  Steam the lemon for around 5-7 minutes or until it becomes soft. careful,lemons should not break.or you can keep the lemon in hot boiled water for 5-10 minutes.

2.  When it cools down,pat dry each lemon and  cut each lemon into  4 pieces. Mix it with enough salt and 1/4 tsp sugar. Keep aside for 1 hour.

3.  In a pan, heat gingelly oil and splutter the mustard seeds. Add chopped ginger - garlic and  curry leaves.  Saute until the ginger - garlic turns golden-brown.  Lower the heat.

4.  Now add chilly powder, fenugreek powder and hing.  Saute for a few seconds and add 1/2 cup Lemon juice + 2 Tb sp water.  Bring it to boil. When the gravy becomes thick, switch off the flame.

5.  When the masala cools down, add  lemon pieces.  Mix well. Check for salt,add if needed. Transfer to a clean and dry airtight container. Heat 2 tbsp sesame oil / nallenna in a small pan. Cool completely. Pour the cooled oil on the  top of the pickle.  Keep for at least 2 – 3 weeks for the flavors to set. 

Notes:

• Store this lemon pickle in refrigerator if you are planning to keep it for long and always use a clean, dry spoon while serving.
• I have used the juice extracted while cutting the lemon itself.otherwise add vinegar.
• Instead of steaming lemon,you can simply shallow fry it  in gingely oil.(vattuka).
• I have taken the pickle image after 2 weeks.slowly by around 1 month,you can see the lemon skin,zest becomes brown.
• If you don't have gingely oil,simply use your normal vegetable oil.It works fine for me.
• Some times  after preparing this pickle it becomes bitter,due to the over steaming for lemon.
• I got small lemons from Mexican store.You can either use this small one or big yellow or green lemons.Make sure to cut into small pieces.
• You can use crushed mustard seeds for pickling or use seeds as such.
• add more chilly powder if you wish.

enjoy this spicy pickle with any good meal or with a  spl biriyani dishes.

Thank you
Kottayam Kitchen