As I finish up the cleaning in the kitchen one night here comes my daughter asking for a rubber spatula. I ask her curiously why she needs it and she says she wants to scrape the bottom of the achar bottle!!!!! My silence gave her the message and she left in the same speed she came asking for the spatula :)))
I go nuts seeing the way pickles get over here. My constant dialogue and request to her is ” achar is not main food it is for taste only” and she nods teasingly and I know everything falls on deaf ears when it comes to scooping pickles.I have come to a point where either I make only very less quantity or put into two bottles and one bottle is hidden from plain sight. Not that I want to but I am forced to do so. Hope she reads this after some years and smiles.
Recipe adapted from here
Ingredients:
Naranga / Lemon -8
Ginger -1 inch piece
Garlic – 2 pods (skip if u are making for sadhya)
Kashmiri chili powder- 1 tsp
Red chili powder- 1 tsp
Turmeric powder-1/3 tsp
Asafoetida – a pinch
Sugar- 1 tsp
Vinegar- 1 tbsp
Mustard-1/2 tsp
Curry leaves- few
Sesame oil- 2-3 tsps
Salt to taste
To dry roast and powder:
Mustard-1/2 tsp
Fenugreek seeds-1/2 tsp
Method:
1.Wash the lemons and steam them in an appachembu or steamer for about 10 minutes till the peel becomes soft but it should not break or crack.
2.Wipe the lemons with a clean dry cloth or paper napkin .Do not cut lemons immediately, allow them to cool completely and come to room temp then cut each into 8 pieces.
3.In a pan heat sesame oil add mustard when it splutters add ginger saute for few minutes then add garlic,green chili and curry leaves saute for few minutes until the raw smell goes then switch off flame and add the chili powder,Kashmiri chili powder,turmeric powder,asafoetida and salt saute until well combined and the chili gets a nice cooked smell now add the vinegar switch on flame let it boil for a minute then switch off flame.
4.Add sugar and add the lemon pieces mix well and finally add the dry roasted powder mix well.
When it cools store it in clean dry bottles/jars with tight lids.
Start using the achar only after 2-3 days when the flavors sink in well.
Achar stays good in room temperature for upto a month.
**Note: You can use both yellow lemon or green lime for this pickle both will taste good.
Omit garlic if u are serving for traditional style sadya.
Hope you like it.
Meena
The sight of pickles during any time of the day leaves me literally drooolingggg! Sathyam..I can never blame your daughter for wiping up the pickle bottle, when mommy makes such awesome pickles then she won't be able to resist herself…entha cheyyaa!!
Thats applies to me. I eat it as a main course, my husband always comment on that. Love this tangy pickle.
Delicious naranga achar…………Beautiful styling……and I love ur basket…….and awesome clicks………… 🙂
Delicious lemon pickle.. would be lovely with some curd rice..
Meena, this is exactly how my younger sister used to behave/still behaves. Long back she used to get told off by my mother. Now, I have taken up the job ;P
The photos look really good. They scream 'pick me'! 🙂
I am not an achar crazy person…. the only achars I have is eathapazham and garlic, nothing else… but your pictures are definitely making me salinate… love the mix, maybe can try with garlic if somebody could peel all of them for me… 🙂
Mouthwatering lime pickle. Love it
amma makes the same method but she did not add garlic there.interesting meena
My daughter started asking pickles.have to save it for me somewhere after some years hehe.its a really tempting pickle.Perfect for curd rice.
Sounds familiar. I too eat achar as though its main dish. Never enough until my other half is puzzled. Tried a couple of Kerala pickle when I was there and loved the originally. Your version is equally splendid.
M also pickle lover..but Never tried ym self.this luks só gud n temtping
I am not much into pickle but hubby is and no meal is complete without achar for him 🙂 Your achar looks delicious Meena
njanum kurachu acharukkal undakki draft cheythu thudangi,noyambu kaalthaan acharinte polling…I was a big achar fan like ur daughter,mummyude pickle ellam choru mathiri kazhichirunnu esp hostel days..mouthwatering one and loved the first click very much dear 🙂
drooooling here…
mouthwatering pickle…loved all your clicks