Lime Pickle -- നാരങ്ങ അച്ചാർ

Summer here and don't you think this is the best time to make pickles, powders, Jams and no matter what. In-laws are here with us during this summer, kids enjoying summer vacation with their grands. Or maybe I should better say grandparents enjoying with kids, it is really wonderful to watch the bonding of kids with their grands. No matter how much they love their parents and vice-verse, when me or hubby scold them for even a simple or silly issue they run to their grands. They are not satisfied until the granny scolds me or hubby and they believe granny can make us do anything.

Memories explodes seeing kids doing all the pranks. Recollecting the childhood days with my granny, the most beautiful women on earth, with magical hands, managing anything and everything around, with no so called big degrees but with simple common sense she could manage the world around her and make it beautiful. During summer vacation at granny used to make all these 'Achars'/Pickles. A bottle of pickle wouldn't last for more than a week and my granny use to recycle the achar bottle and fill them with next batch of fresh pickles. Mostly mango pickles used to be eaten right away after pickled, we used to scoop them into a bowl and eat those spicy, tangy ones

My MIL, queen of pickles as I call her, makes wonderful pickles. This recipe is from my MIL who is more than happy to make pickles asked at any point of time. I'm not into making much pickles these days other than simple cut mango pickle if I ran out of her homemade pickle in my pantry. To be precise after getting married I hardly make any pickles as I mostly have my MIL's pickles handy. Her pickles always tastes way better than store bought one's and of course the homemade one's are always fresh and without preservatives. So do try out this simple and ezee Lime Pickle and Enjoy !!!

Ingredients:-

1. Lime - 3lbs
2. Garlic Pods - 10 numbers
3. Green chilies chopped fine - 5
4. Curry leaves chopped fine - 2 sprigs
5. Sea Salt/Salt - 4 tbsp(as required) 
6. Sesame Oil - 2 tbsp
7. Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
8. Chilly powder - 3 tbsp(depends on the spice level of the powder and the spice tolerance level)
9. Fenugreek seeds roasted and powdered - 1 tbsp
10. Asafoetida Powder/Hing Powder - ½ tsp

Preparation Method:-

• Wash the lime well, pat dry fully with paper napkins or kitchen towels
• Cut the lemon in squares and move to a wide bowl or bottles. Put garlic pods and chopped green chilies into the bowl and toss.
• Sprinkle salt on top and set aside for three-five days till the skin becomes bit tender and change the   color.

• Heat up a Kadai/Pan, pour oil, splutter mustard seeds. Switch off the stove and add curry leaves. Let the oil reach to medium heat.
• Add chilly powder and asafoetida powder to the oil and gently mix(if the oil is too hot chilly powder will burn and taste bitter)
• Add the salted lemon, fenugreek powder to the pan with oil and chilly powder mix an mix well with a spatula to combine well. Let it cool completely

• Move to air tight containers and keep it at room temperature for couple of days or a a week before you use till the flavors blend in well with lemon. The skin of lime become soft and bitter-less by then.
• Lime Pickle/Naranga Achar is ready to serve with Rice or anything you wish. Splash a tsp of them on top of Yogurt Rice/Curd Rice and feel the awesomeness 

Tips: 

The shelf life of pickle last based on the preparation method. If pickled without any external moisture it will stay fresh for more than a month when kept at room temperature.