Description
Spicy Indian lime pickle delights taste buds with its bold, tangy flavors. Zesty ingredients blend seamlessly, offering a traditional condiment that you’ll savor alongside meals from the Indian subcontinent.
Ingredients
Scale
Mains:
- 8 medium-large limes, thin-skinned preferred, washed, dried and quartered or cut into 0.5-inch pieces
- 1 cup avocado oil or any neutral oil (mustard oil preferred)
Spices and Seasonings:
- 2 teaspoons fenugreek seeds (methi seeds)
- 2 teaspoons nigella seeds (kalonji)
- 1 tablespoon fennel seeds (saunf)
- 2 heaping tablespoons cayenne pepper (or paprika or Kashmiri chili powder)
- 1 tablespoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon asafetida (hing)
- 2 tablespoons mustard seeds
Salt:
- 0.25 to 0.5 cup salt (Himalayan pink salt or any finely ground salt)
Instructions
- In a skillet over medium heat, toast fenugreek, fennel, and nigella seeds until intensely aromatic, approximately 3-5 minutes. Allow seeds to cool completely.
- Pulverize toasted seeds with asafetida in a spice grinder until uniformly ground into a fine powder.
- Transfer lime pieces into a pristine, arid glass container. Incorporate ground spice blend, cayenne, turmeric, and salt. Thoroughly coat lime segments using a sterile utensil.
- Return skillet to heat and warm oil. Introduce mustard seeds and wait until they crackle and pop vigorously, then immediately extinguish flame.
- Cautiously drizzle sizzling oil and mustard seeds into lime mixture, maintaining safe distance to prevent potential splattering. Blend components comprehensively.
- Migrate entire concoction into a sanitized mason jar, ensuring complete transfer of spices and liquid.
- Position jar in direct, intense sunlight for 5-7 days, guaranteeing 6-8 hours of solar exposure daily. Rotate jar periodically to promote uniform flavor distribution and spice integration.
- Once fermentation reaches desired consistency with softened limes and melded flavors, transfer immediately to refrigeration. Pickle will continue developing complexity and can maintain quality for several months under proper preservation.
Notes
- Seed Toasting Technique Carefully toast whole spices until they release a rich, nutty aroma without burning, which unlocks deeper flavor profiles and enhances the pickle’s complexity.
- Sterilization Matters Use thoroughly cleaned glass jars to prevent unwanted bacterial growth and ensure pickle’s safety during fermentation process.
- Sunlight Fermentation Placement Choose a consistent, direct sunlight spot with temperatures around 80-90°F to support proper fermentation and develop robust tangy flavors.
- Dietary Adaptations Swap cayenne with smoked paprika for milder heat or use fresh green chilies for extra punch, making the pickle versatile for different spice tolerances.
- Prep Time: 5 days (or up to 7 days)
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Snacks, Appetizer, Dinner
- Method: Pickling
- Cuisine: Indian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 152
- Sugar: 0 g
- Sodium: 1720 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 6 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg