This is a legendary pickle.. As a child I have witnessed my mother making it, my Nanaji making it and for all we know his ancestors made it too. Pickles are typically made in summers and the process is more of a ritual that involves the entire household and then you wait for a few weeks until its done to savor the first bite into this sweet and sour delight!
Whats more.. the older it is, the better it tastes! And it gets darker with time. This Sweet and Sour Lemon Pickle goes great with parathas, rotis, puri or just by itself. It is highly recommended for pregnant women during the first trimester. The black salt, black pepper, carom seeds and other spices in this pickle help settle one's queasy stomach and even aid in minimizing the symptoms of morning sickness.
So here goes:
INGREDIENTS:
Lime - 500 gms
Salt - 1/3 cup
Sugar - 500 gms
Water - just enough to melt the sugar
Black Salt - 1 tbsp
Garam Masala - 1 tbsp
Black Cardamom Whole - 2
Black Pepper Whole - 1 tbsp
Cloves - 1/2 tsp
Carom Seeds - 1 tbsp
PROCEDURE:
1. Wash the limes thoroughly, then pat them dry with a clean kitchen towel. The limes should be completely dry.
2. Then cut them into 4 or more pieces as desired and place them in a sterilized glass jar.
3. Add the salt to the jar and give the jar a good shake to mix the salt evenly.
4. Cover and keep under direct sun for about 20 days. I needed around 25 days to get them soft in the sun. Giving them a good shake or stir with a clean spoon everyday. This is how they look after 25 days.
5. The next step is adding the spices. Starting with dry roasting the black peppers, carom seeds and whole black cardamom on low heat. Just until they are rid of any moisture they may have.
6. And adding the black salt, garam masala. Peeling the whole cardamom, ground together all the spices and seeds to a coarse powder. Check the salt in the lemons and adjust to taste as needed.
7. Let's prepare the sugar syrup next. Take sugar in a thick bottomed pan and add just enough water to melt the sugar. Heat this on medium high heat and bring to a boil.
8. Then add the limes and mix.
9. Once this comes to a boil, turn off the heat. Add the prepared masalas and mix well.
10. Let it cool completely before storing in an airtight glass jar. Enjoy with roti, puris or parathas or even mathris!
No comments:
Post a Comment