Salty-spicy Indian lemon pickles are a perfect condiment for Indian meals. They are similar to many other delicious Indian-style pickles
, a firm bite and powerful flavour is the hallmark of this type of condiment.
They start with a simple, salt-fermented lemons, which are mixed with roasted spices.
If you’ve never toasted your spices before, it takes a bit of intuition to get it right. My husband learned to cook Indian while living in New Zealand, and he passed along some of the skills to me. The trick is to heat the spices until they just start to become fragrant, then take them off the heat so they don’t burn. A cast iron frying pan
(affiliate link) is perfect, because you can add the spices right to the hot pan, and they only roast for 1-2 minutes.
How to use Indian Lemon Pickles
- Lemon pickles are the perfect accompaniment to an Indian meal. Yum!
- Serve Indian lemon pickles with a Buddha bowl for a bit of extra zip.
- Pickles can be the star of the show when served with rice and yogurt. or a piece of roti or naan.
Indian Lemon Pickles
Indian lemon pickles are a powerful and delicious condiment. They are the perfect with rice, naan or roti. This simple recipe starts with salt-fermented lemons, which are mixed with spice for a unique and probiotic pickle.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 1 pint jar 1x
- Category: Pickles
- Method: Fermented
- Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients
- 500 g (1 lbs) lemons
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 2 tbsp non-iodized salt
- 1/2 tsp fenugreek powder
- 1 tsp yellow mustard seeds, ground
- 1/2 tbsp chili powder
- 2 tbsp sunflower seed oil
Instructions
- Wash the lemons well, then place them in a pot with the turmeric and cover with water. Bring to a boil and boil for 8 minutes.
- Drain well and allow the lemons to cool before handling them.
- Cut each lemon into 8 sections and remove the seeds. They will be quite juicy, so cut them over a bowl to catch all the pulp.
- Sprinkle the lemons with the salt and pack into a sterilized glass jar with a tight-fitting lid.
- Allow to ferment at room temperature, turning the jar over every day.
- After fermenting for 1 week, dry roast the spices, then mix them into the lemons.
- Pack the lemons back into the jar. Top the lemons with the oil to act as a barrier for storage.
- Store in the fridge and consume within 6 months.
Notes
- Mustard powder doesn’t have the same flavour as mustard seed, however, you can replace the seed with mustard powder if required. You can also grind your own fenugreek seeds, it’s just fairly difficult as fenugreek is really hard.
- This recipe is perfect for a 500mL mason jar with a metal ring lid because it provides a good seal. The metal won’t stop the fermentation process, but the acidity isn’t good for the metal, so don’t reuse the lid for canning.
Keywords: spicy, probiotic, vegan, gluten free, keto, paleo, whole 30, spring, summer, fall
Hi,
I’ve made lime pickle however didn’t fill the jars to the top like your pic- instead about an inch below the lid. Also when inverting the jars they leak a very small drip- I think because there’s no ring seal. Will they still be okay to eat? They’ve been doing their thing for a week.
Thank you
If they look and smell good, then they should be fine.
Why non-iodized salt in particular?
If I were canning these for a longer period, could I just skip putting the oil in and water-bath can them? I’d be looking to make extra and then store it.
Iodized salt will prevent the fermentation. I have kept them in the fridge fore 2-3 months without spoiling. But if you wanted to can them for gifts or long-term storage, then I would still add the oil. It helps with the flavour.
Very yummy. Simple to make, and turning the jar every day was something I even looked forward too!
★★★★★
Thanks!
Pickles are always the best way to spice up your dinner menu. This recipe is interesting and simple. I am going to try this pickle recipe at home and eat with rice and curd. Thanks for sharing this impeccable recipe. Keep sharing such culinary posts. Also share more pictures of each stage of preparation.