No Oil Sweet n Sour Lime Pickle (Nimbu ka Achar)
By: Easyfoodsmith
Published: Tuesday, December 10, 2013 - 11:27pm

Ingredients




½ kilo limes (ensure they are thin skinned, shiny and plump)
2½ tbsp salt
250 grams sugar (this is the amount if you like it more on the sour side. Increase the amount if                                                      you like your pickle more sweet)
5 black cardamoms (seeds only)
5 cloves
1 tbsp dry ginger powder
1½ tsp – 2 tsp chili powder (depending on how hot the chili powder is)

Preparation

1 Scrub and wash the limes and soak them for 8 hours (overnight) in water. Wipe them well with a kitchen towel and slice them into roundels (as shown in the pic) and remove the pips. 2 Transfer the sliced lime in a non- reactive container and sprinkle with salt. Let them marinate in salt for approximately 3 hours; the limes will release water. 3 Remove the slices and use the water form making the syrup. (I could procure ¼ cup water from the limes). Transfer the water in a thick bottomed non-reactive pot and add the sugar. Cook the two together on a low flame, stirring in between, till the sugar has dissolved. 4 While the syrup is getting dissolved, pound the cloves and cardamom seeds to a coarse powder and add the rest of the dry ingredients to it. Add the dry ingredients to the syrup and cook for half a minute. Remove from the heat and let the syrup cool. 5 As soon as the syrup cools down, add the lemon slices and stir well. Let the pickle sit for half an hour in the container. 6 Transfer the pickle to a glass jar. Cover the mouth of the jar with a muslin cloth or a cheese cloth (doubled) and keep the jar in the morning sun (if you are living in a cold place, keep it in the sun when it is at its strongest) for 3-4 hours. Repeat this exercise for 10 days. The pickle is now ready to eat. 7 Note: Pick the lemons that are soft, juicy and without blemishes. 8 Note: I let the pickle age for at least a fortnight before I start using it. By then the lemon juice becomes syrupy and less sharp.

About

This Christmas give this tangy pickle as a food gift!