Nimbu Ka Achaar (Spicy Lemon Pickles)

Name: Nimbu Ka Achaar (Spicy Lemon Pickles)
Total time: PT0D0H0M
Yield: makes About 4 Cups
Ingredients: 10 small lemons, preferably Meyer, quartered, seeded, and sliced ¼" thick; 1 ⁄ 4 cup kosher salt; 1 tsp. ground turmeric; 1 ⁄ 2 cup canola oil; 1 ⁄ 2 tsp. brown mustard seeds; 1 ⁄ 2 tsp. cumin seeds; 1 ⁄ 2 tsp. fenugreek seeds; 12 small green Thai chiles or 6 serranos, halved; 8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced; 1 (2") piece ginger, peeled and thinly sliced; 1 ⁄ 2 cup white vinegar; 1 ⁄ 2 cup sugar; 1 tbsp. red chile powder or cayenne

Serves
makes About 4 Cups

PHOTOGRAPHY BY INGALLS PHOTOGRAPHY

A salt and spice cure transforms fresh citrus into tart, briny pickles that perk up many Indian meals. Cookbook author Smita Chandra uses them as a condiment to punch up soft naan flatbreads and steamed white rice. This recipe first appeared in our August/September 2014 issue with her story Preserving Culture.

Ingredients

10 small lemons, preferably Meyer, quartered, seeded, and sliced ¼" thick
¹⁄₄ cup kosher salt
1 tsp. ground turmeric
¹⁄₂ cup canola oil
¹⁄₂ tsp. brown mustard seeds
¹⁄₂ tsp. cumin seeds
¹⁄₂ tsp. fenugreek seeds
12 small green Thai chiles or 6 serranos, halved
8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 (2") piece ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
¹⁄₂ cup white vinegar
¹⁄₂ cup sugar
1 tbsp. red chile powder or cayenne

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Instructions

Step 1

Rub lemons with salt and turmeric in a bowl; pack into a sterilized 1-qt. glass jar. Cover with lid; place near a window with direct, warm sunlight. Let sit 1 week; shake jar daily to disperse brine. After 1 week, heat oil in a 10″ skillet over medium-high; cook mustard, cumin, and fenugreek seeds until they pop, 1–2 minutes. Add chiles, garlic, and ginger; cook until golden, 4–6 minutes. Stir in vinegar, sugar, and chile powder. Pour over lemons; reseal lid. Shake to combine; chill 1 week to infuse flavors. Keeps up to 1 year.