If you are a fan of probiotic foods, you will love this spicy Indian lime pickle or nimbu achaar. It is filled with good-for-your-gut bacteria and tastes amazing served with a simple Indian meal of dal and rice. Plus, it couldn't be easier to make, especially when you have the hot summer sun playing sous chef.
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What is an Indian lime pickle?
An Indian lime pickle is a fermented condiment of limes or lemons pickled in spices, including fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds, nigella seeds, mustard seeds, red chili powder and turmeric. It is spicy, salty, tangy and indescribably delicious, and it adds lots of flavor - and nutrition benefits - to a simple meal of dal and rice.
If you've been to an Indian restaurant, you've probably had some served to you alongside poppadum and chutney. But those restaurant pickles, and in fact all store-bought Indian pickles (which are easy to find at Indian grocery stores), fall terribly short when compared to a homemade pickle. Not only does a homemade version taste much better, it also has something that those off-the-shelf versions, which are heavily pasteurized, don't: probiotic bacteria.
I never saw myself making homemade pickles until a few years ago when I began digging deeper into the benefits of probiotic foods, like sourdough breads and sauerkraut. I had grown up eating Indian pickles, and everyone at home, including Jay, loves them, but even so we only ever bought them at the store. As I looked deeper into the process of making pickles, it seemed a shame not to try making a version at home that would have the added probiotic benefit.
Unfortunately, in India, too, making homemade pickles is a dying art and I couldn't really find any good recipes online. So over the years I've created my own recipe for lime pickle or nimbu ka achaar, which is my favorite Indian pickle, tweaking this and that and arriving at a flavorful condiment we love. (Also check out this carrot pickle or gajar ka achar).
Recipe card
Indian Lime Pickle
Ingredients
- 8 medium-large limes (make sure they are as thin skinned as possible. Wash and dry the limes thoroughly. Quarter or cut them into ½-inch pieces.)
- 2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds or methi seeds
- 2 teaspoon nigella seeds (kalonji)
- 1 tablespoon fennel seeds (saunf)
- 2 (heaping) tbsp cayenne (or paprika or Kashmiri chili powder)
- 1 tablespoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon asafetida or hing (hing)
- ½ cup salt (I use Himalayan pink salt but any finely ground salt is fine. Don't use less because you need the salt as a preservative for the pickles)
- 1 cup avocado oil or any neutral oil (mustard oil is preferred, but any vegetable oil that can withstand high temperatures without burning, like peanut oil, safflower oil, canola oil and sunflower oil, will work.)
- 2 tablespoon mustard seeds
Instructions
- Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the fenugreek, fennel and nigella seeds to the skillet and toast until very fragrant, 3-5 minutes. Remove to a bowl, let them cool, then add asafetida and powder everything together in a spice grinder or blender.
- Place the limes in a clean, dry glass or ceramic bowl. Add the ground spices in step 1 along with the paprika or cayenne, turmeric, asafetida and salt. Mix well with a clean, dry spoon.
- Heat the oil in the same skillet you used to toast the spices. Once it's hot, add the mustard seeds. Wait until they begin to sputter, then turn off the heat.
- Carefully, standing back to avoid any sputter, pour the hot oil into the bowl with the limes and spices. Mix thoroughly, then transfer to the sterilized mason jar.
- Place the mason jar in the hot, full sun on your deck, porch or stoop for 5-7 days, for at least 6-8 hours each day. Turn the mason jar upside down and around each day to ensure the sauce and spices move around the jar.
- Once the pickle is ready, refrigerate immediately.
Nutrition Information
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How to make Indian lime pickle
- Begin by sterilizing a quart-sized mason jar in boiling water. Let the jar dry thoroughly before using.
- Place the nigella, fenugreek and fennel seeds in a small skillet and roast them for 3-5 minutes over medium heat until they are very fragrant and just a shade or two darker. Powder them in a spice grinder and set aside.
- Wash the limes and dry them thoroughly with a clean kitchen towel. You want to make sure there is no water clinging to them. Then cut the limes into bite-sized pieces. If using smallish limes, quarter them. If they are larger, cut them into ½-inch pieces. Place them in a bowl.
- Add the powdered fennel-fenugreek-nigella mix to the bowl with the limes. Add cayenne or paprika or Kashmiri chili powder, turmeric and salt to the bowl. Toss with the limes.
- Heat the oil over high heat. Once hot, add the mustard seeds and let them begin to sputter.
- Turn off the heat and carefully pour the hot oil into the bowl with the limes. Use a spoon to mix everything thoroughly.
- Transfer the pickles to the mason jar. Seal with the lid. Place in full sun every day for 5-7 days for at least 6-8 hours. Bring it in at night and turn the jar around, without opening it, to ensure the ingredients move around and mix.
- After your pickles are ready, refrigerate them. They should last you in the refrigerator for a year.
Key food safety tips
With any fermented food, there is a chance of mold developing. It should not happen if you ensure there is no water remaining on the limes and the mason jar you use to store the pickles is thoroughly sterilized. Also make sure you don't cut down on the amount of oil--it might seem a lot, but remember, that jar of pickles has at least 40-50 servings. If you do see mold develop on the pickles at any point, discard it immediately.
It is also important to know that with all homecooked and preserved foods, including pickles, there is a risk of botulism - a rare but serious and sometimes fatal illness caused by certain bacteria that are naturally present in many places. Botulism is not easily detected without lab tests, so make sure you educate yourself thoroughly before making any pickled and preserved foods.
Indian lime pickle FAQs
Try and pick limes with a thin rind for pickling. If the rind is thick, cut the limes into very small pieces.
Yes. A hot summer sun is definitely best for pickling, but in cooler weather place the jar of pickles on a sunny window sill or sunroom where it will get some direct sunshine during the day.
Dal and rice are a perfect meal to serve this pickle with. I'd serve this with a simple and easy dal like tomato dal and basmati rice or jeera rice. Or serve it with this Masala Khichdi.
Eidolon says
I have read several chefs' recipes for sauerkraut of various forms and they all say that you should not use iodized salt in pickled recipes, because the iodine kills or inhibits the beneficial bacteria which causes the fermentation process. Just my 2 cents...
Vaishali Honawar says
Good to know! I recommend pink salt or sea salt and both of those would work just fine.
Richard Martin says
We live in Tenerife, so sun is no problem. Made this a month ago and it really is easy and delicious. My lime skins were not as thin as I would have liked so let it ferment for 9 days to achieve the best tenderness.
Geoffrey Newbury says
hi just completed the recipe per instructions I have used mustard oil
Vaishali Honawar says
Awesome! Hope you love it.