Nimbu Achar. This simple north indian style lemon pickle is made with lemons, spices and salt. It is made without oil and needs sun fermentation for preserving. Also known as nimbu ka achar, you need very few (5-6) ingredients to make this recipe. It is a vegan recipe which is unique because it is very low in calories (oil free) as compared to most indian achar.
Indian pickles have a burst of flavor and taste. There are many varieties of achar made in every region of India. There are instant , cooked, fermented achar. The spice selection and methods vary from cook to cook as well as from home to home. What remains constant is that no matter which region, they are super delicious. Tangy, spicy, salty, sweet - they add a punch to any meal. In my home, achar was always served with dal chawal. Sometimes mom would spread the achaar inside a paratha and pack for lunch. So delicious!
Whenever someone comes from Delhi or whenever I go, we lug back a few bottles of this nimbu ka achar. It is my most favorite with khichdi. Once you make it, this achar can be preserved for many years and is sure to add a punch to your meals.
My Nimbu Achar Recipe
- Needs Very Few Ingredients. Lemons, spices and salt. That all you need.
- It is salty and tangy. You can increase the amount of sugar if you want khatta meetha (sweet & sour) nimbu ka achar.
- Low Calorie - This nimbu achar is oil free. The lemons are preserved in salt and acid (lemon juicie. One small serving is 20-30 calories.
- This recipe will yield a raseela (juicy) achar.
- Needs Sun Fermentation. This is not an instant lemon pickle recipe.
Benefits of Nimbu Achar
- This nimbu achaar is extremely good for digestion. This recipe uses spices like ajwain, hing (asafetida) and kala namak (black indian salt). All these spices are regarded very good for gut health when consumed in moderation.
- Lemon is a power house of nutrients and is rich in minerals like magnesium, calcium, potassium that are considered good for health. It has water soluble fiber which promotes digestive health.
- Sun Fermentated pickles are full of anti oxidants and probiotics that boost gut health.
Please note that I am not a doctor, I am writing down what I heard from my grandmother and mom about the pickles. Please consult an expert for medical explanation of achar benefits.
Sun Fermented Indian Pickles
Indian summers present a perfect oppurtunity for sun-aided pickling. Sun fermented achar are the most common kind in the subcontinent. These achaar have a sharp sour taste and the texture of vegetables is nicely crisp as compared to ones that are either instant or cooked on stove.
Compared to traditional pickles from the western world that have an accurate ratio of brine, sun pickling (or rather we should call it sun fermenting) is a bit dependent on impulse, smell and feel. I often saw my grandmother would add extra oil or salt or lemon juice a few days after the fermentation process has begun. Anytime, she noticed something, she knew how to fix it for best results.
The tricky part is having sun, not just sun, strong sun aka hot dry weather. That's why making pickles was such a busy business for her during summer months.
When you make it, you will notice that as this lemon achar ferments under the sun, firstly the skin of the lemons will give off their bright color followed by the spices noticeably swelling up as they absorb the lemon juice. Eventually after a week or so, the bitter taste of lemon skin will go away and they will turn soft and really really tangy and salty. This irrestible "no oil" lime pickle is a tease to the tastebuds. Really addictive!
Ingredients
- Lemons or Limes- Choose limes or lemons. A few things to keep in mind that will help you in your election. 1) Firstly the citrus should be juicy. To check it press and select when your purchase at the store. 2) Secondly, choose ones that have thin skins (usually small limes and lemons fall in that category). During spring - summer I have seen baby lemons and limes at stores, I go for those. 3) Lastly just sniff the fruit- it should smell strong and nice.
- Spices - Ajwain, Balck Peppercorn (dont use ready to use ground black pepper), Red Chilli Flakes (or red chili powder),hing(asafetida).
- Salt & Sugar - I use two kind of salt - kala namak (indian black salt) and regular table salt. Kala namak adds a wonderful tangy taste. If you dont have, skip. Raw or granulated sugar, use either.
How To Make Nimbu Ka Achar
Here are the few easy steps to make lemon pickle at home. Use clean knife and dishes/spoons when you make this achar. Also use non reactive dishes and jars made of glass or stainless steel. I used glass dishes.
- Wash the lemons thoroughly. Lay them on a towel and air dry completely.
- With clean hands, using a clean sharp knife, cut the lemons into small pieces. You may quarter them if they are small else cut into bite sizes pieces.
- Place the lemons in a glass bowl and sprinkle salt. Mix thoroughly to coat. Cover the bowl with a cling wrap, poke few holes and set in the sun for 1-2 days. This is to draw out moisture from lemons. You will see after 2 days that their skin is brownish and the edges will be dried out.
- After 2 days, grind the ajwain and black peppercorn into a powder (not too fine nor too coarse). Add on top of lemons. Also add rest of the spices. Using clean hands mix very well.
- Pack the lemons into a sterilized jar (see below on how to sterlize). Pour the lemon juice to cover the lemons. Dont over stuff, pack loosely. If needed you can use two jars. We want air circulation in the jar during the fermentation process.
- Close the top of the jar with a muslin cloth. Or you can use lids but dont tighten them too much.
- Place in sun. In 12 -15 days your pickle will be fermented. Time depends on where you live and how hot it is. Ideal season to make this pickle is during peak summer. In Las Vegas severe heat, it takes about 10 days. Shake the jars 1-2 times a day.
- At the end of fermentation, the skins will be soft and the achar will be tangy. Its ready to consume.
How to Sterilize Pickling Jars
Use glass Jars to store pickles. Bring a large pot of water to boil. The pot should be large enough to hold the jars and there should be enough water that the jars remain completely submerged.
Once the water is boiling, using tongs lower the glass jars and their metal lids into the boiling water. Continue to boil the water for 10 minutes.
Remove using tongs and place the jars inverted on a drying rack (or use clean cookie rack). Let completely dry before using.
Tips For Best Lemon Achar
- Storage - There is no need to refrigerate once the pickle is ready. Sun-cooked pickles keep well at room temperature. Store inside your kitchen cabinet.
- Serving - Always use a clean spoon to serve the pickles. If you are careful, they will last for months or years together.
- Always use clean hands or dishes or spoons while making or serving the achar. This will make sure that there is no fungal formation.
- Make sure that the dishes, pickling jars and your hands are dry. Wipe them to make sure because even a few drops of water will make achar go bad.
- Shake the pickles once or twice a day to avoid fungal formation.
- Dont leave a lot of empty space at the top of jar when you are stuffing the pickle. Choose the jar according to the quantity of lemons you have. I used a 16oz jar.
Nimbu Achar- No oil Indian Oil Pickle Recipe
Ingredients
- 10 lemon medium sized
- 1.5 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon ajwain carrom seeds
- 1 tablespoon black pepeprcorn
- 2 teaspoon red chilli flakes adjust taste
- ½ teaspoon hing asafetida
- 1.5 teaspoon kala namak rock salt
- ½ cup lemon juice fresh squeezed
- 2 tablespoon sugar use ⅓ to ½ cup if you want sweetish pickle
Instructions
- Place lemons in a colander and wash thoroughly under running water. Let drain in the colander over the kitchen sink for at least 15-20 minutes. Spread the limes on clean kitchen towels and let air dry. . Make sure that the limes are fully dry before you start cutting them.
- Next, with clean hands, quarter or half the lemons (depends on the size you like) and remove as much seeds you can. Once cut, transfer on to a large glass dish, spread them in an even layer. Sprinkle salt and with clean, dry hands or spoon, mix to coat the lemons. Cover the glass dish with a cling wrap, poke few holes in the it & let sit in the full sun for 1-2 days. You will see that the lime wedges will have brown skin and they start to dry (slightly) & there is liquid at the bottom.
- On the third day, grind the ajwain and black peppercorn. You can use coffee grinder or mortar pestle. Dont grind too fine or too coarse.
- Sprinkle over the lemons along with hing, chilli flakes and kala namak. With clean hand or spoon, thoroughly mix everything together very well.
- Pack the lemons into a sterilized jar (see post on how to sterilize). Dont stuff the lemons tightly, pack loosely. At the same time don't leave space at the top of the jar, this aids in bacterial formation which we dont want. If needed you can use two jars. We want air circulation in the jar during the fermentation process. Pour the lemon juice to cover the lemons.
- Place in a sunny spot for next 12-15 days to ferment. Time will depend on how hot and dry it is where you live. Shakes 1-2 times a day. You will see that as the days progress the skin of the limes starts softening & turning brown along with liquid at the bottom getting thicker than on the very first day.
- Pickle will be ready in about two weeks. It gets better with time.
- There is no need to refrigerate once the pickle is ready. Sun-cooked pickles keep well at room temperature. Store inside your kitchen cabinet. Always use a clean spoon to serve the pickles, they keep for months or years together.
Notes
- Always use clean hands or dishes or spoons while making or serving the achar. This will make sure that there is no fungal formation.
- Make sure that the dishes, pickling jars and your hands are dry. Wipe them to make sure because even a few drops of water will make achar go bad.
Kavita Iyer
I am reading the recipe and salivating at the same time!! I totally love pickles :)) I will surely try this recipe PRONTO. Thanks for sharing.
Kavita
Radhika @ Just Homemade
It is amazing how many myriad ways lemon can be pickled in India.. Pickled lemons for the first time ever with some gorgeous Meyer lemons some time back. What a gratifying experience it was to be able to make it on my own! Can relate to you totally!
Deepa
Very tasty and tangy looking nimbu ka achar. The perfect pickle for all seasons.
Deepa
chinmayie @ love food eat
Love how simple the recipe is. I have never been a great fan of lime pickle but my mom loves it.
Rosa May (@RosasYummyYums)
Oh, fantastic! I have never heard of that pickle before.
Cheers,
Rosa
Notyet100
Omg this looks so delicious,..happy weekend,
Nandita
I had never come across this version of lime pickle. Looks fabulous. Have a great weekend Tanvi 🙂
dassana
the pickle as well as all the pics are so good. i just made lemon pickle some few months back when the summers had just begun. making your own pickles is fun as well a very satisfying experience.
A Table in the Sun
I've been using a lot of limes lately, so I was really excited to find this recipe. The variety of spices that you have chosen sounds divine.
Sublime Palate
It's amazing how simply talking (in this case, reading) about a particular food can recreate the same feelings that one felt when one had that food before. More so when it relates to your childhood. When we were kids, my mom used to make different types of achaars at home. Neembu ka achaar was one of the frequently made achaars. She used whole limes and pickled them. My favorite part was the skin of the neembu achaar! The first tiny bite of the achaar is just one experience in itself - unforgettable! Just writing this is making me drool! Love the 2nd pic - very nicely styled.
Asmita (@FoodieAsmita)
Nothing like a home made pickle. Would love to eat this with some hot dal-chawal.
magicofspice
I have never seen limes pickled this way, but the spices are heavenly so no doubt I would love them 🙂
Jean
I'm sorry to be so cluelesss, since I have yet to know enough about South Asian cuisine: but how does one use pickled limes?
Tanvi
Hi Jean,
Pickles are served with indian meals as an essential side.As I already mentioned in my post,they are made with fruits and vegetables which maybe stuffed or mixed with oil and spices.Natural preservatives like salt,vinegar,sugar and coconut/mustard/sesame oils are used for preservation.
Often, indian meals are incomplete without them.They add a tangy,spicy or sweet dimension to the meals.Indians enjoy pickle with flatbreads, mixed with lentils & rice or on their own.I should mention that the pickles can have a sharp taste on their own.
In addition to flavor,some of the pickles like lime aid in digestion due to concentration of citrus juices as well as kind of spices used.
Hope this helps 🙂
Reem | Simply Reem
Beautiful!!!!
I love lime pickles specially the one with no oil....
Perfect Tanvi!! now all I need is some paratha n raita... I am seriously drooling at the thought.
TasteFood
I'm not sure if I'll be able to make this, but I am sure going to try. Beautiful photos!
Terra Baltosiewich (@CafeTerraBlog)
How beautiful, and so unique! They sound really delicious, especially topped on a cracker! So happy Ilke from from Ilke's Kitchen sent me your way:-) Take care, Terra
Beth Michelle
So glad to have come across your blog. It is absolutely beautiful. Your photos are stunning and your recipes mouthwatering!! I just love this post. I know what it feels like living far from home and finding the tastes you remember from home and being so excited to make an old favorite. This lime pickles sound and look incredible. Lime season here in Israel is about the shortest season of all but I will definitely be trying this when I see baby limes or lemons again.
Nami | Just One Cookbook
I've never seen any pickled citrus fruits before. I was so interested to read your post and now I learned something new. I can imagine you running to grab the limes in store. How cute! And I can totally see myself not wanting to empty the jar... Your writing is amazing. I can really visualize all the delicious flavors and everything! Thanks for introducing lime pickle to us!
Tina
its new to me...sounds flavourful and tempting.
Nadia
I also love fresh achaars, but have never made them and no one in my family has so I don't know where to start! I will definitely try your recipe - are these labelled as key limes here?
Beautiful pics - love the one of just the limes after they've been sundried! 🙂
shuhan
I really love the look of this pickle, and I really love pickling myself. very curious how this would turn out because it includes many spices which Id on't own so have never tasted before, including carrom seeds. Oh and re: black salt, what's the difference between that and regular salt anyway?
purevegetarianbites
I totally love pickle .Thanks for wonderful recipe.
All your recipes look amazing ! thanks for the lovely blog 😉
I don't know if you've visited my new vegetarian food blog (cooking and baking) but if you haven't - I'd like to invite you (you can enjoy it even if you're not vegetarian).
Feel free to stop by, say hello and follow the blog so that you'll be getting daily updates (-:
http://purevegetarianbites.wordpress.com/
Jane
Is it normal for there to be condensation on the inner side of the plastic wrap? (During the initial stage of putting the cut limes with black salt in the sun) A lot of moisture has accumulated on the inside of the plastic wrap, though I have poked holes in it. Do I need to do anything about that? In just a few hours of sunlight, the lime pieces are starting to turn brown on the edges.
Tanvi
Hi Jane,
Yup..a bit of condensation is normal due to lime wedges drying out.But if its a lot, you can change the wrap after a couple of days. You have pointed a really nice fact, I will update the recipe for this.
Thanks so much.
Jane
Thanks for the response! The pickle looks so awesome in the pictures that I had to try it. It is now on day 2 of the initial 3 day period. It is summer in upstate NY and I want to use that good hot sun while I can. I love lime pickle so of course the next step is trying to make it myself. Dal, rice and lime pickle is all you need for a tasty dinner.
Jane
Another question - it is drying out more than I expected - I am at day 10 and still putting it in the sun every day (with the spices mixed). The mixture very thick - almost like tar. Can I add some more lime juice to make it easier to stir at this point? Thanks! Oh, and is it okay to taste it along the way or is that not safe to do? It smells really good.
Tanvi
Jane,
If the syrup has thickened, then I m sure that the lime skins would have softened too & the limes would have shrivelled ? The time of sun cooking depends on the strength of sun as well as the quality of limes used as I already mentioned in the recipe.
You can taste it with a clean spoon & if it tastes & looks done ( I mean tangy-bitter bite) then I think your pickle is ready to savor. Hope this helps.
Tanvi
Jane
My husband sneaked a bit last night (he's fasting so eats at night), and told me in the morning - 'you better start another tray right now - this won't last long!' meaning he loved it. I tried it today with dal and rice, and it is awesome!
Tanvi
Awesome! So glad that you guys liked it..its one of my fav pickles too with anything indian. If I may suggest, try eating it with pooris or mathris ( indian snacks) ..it pairs best with something fried.
Shinder
It's delicious! I was always scared to try making acchar because I didn't think that I could do it but this recipes is very easy to follow and turned out perfect! My husband was very impressed too.
lakshmi
no picture
Radha
I'm in the US. Are these key limes or a type of key lime. How to get these? I never see thin skinned lime or key limes with thin skin.
Tanvi
Hi Radha,
These are not key limes. I got these at a Asian store and they called these 'baby limes'. Maybe you can try there?
Thanks
anuradha r.
hi, i liked the recepy. i,m going to try it.
Farha
It looks very tasty, I'll try to make, but timing to complete very long.
Can you short it?
anita
FInally! Just like my Mom's. Thanks!
Tanvi
YAY...glad you liked it!
Kiron Johri
Yummy! Shall try tomorrow only- from nimbus from my own tree! Kiron.
Kamal
Hi Tanvi, Thanks for the recipe.This was the method perhaps my mother used to make lemon pickle.I was searching the net for the recipe. Can we buy this Nimbu Ka Achaar – No Oil Indian Lime Pickle anywhere in India or abroad ?
Tanvi
Thank you Kamal. I am not sure if its available in stores abroad but I have seen it in India, so you can try there.
Kamal
Thanks a lot Tanvi. Is there a specific brand name which you can recommend? And which city in India can I buy it from? Here in Singapore and in the U.S. all lime pickles I have seen in stores are with oil. I am planning to buy in India during my next visit. Please, please let me know if you have specific details where I can get. Appreciate your kind gesture.
Kcook
Hey! Your recipe looks fantastic! How much longer would you recommend leaving the limes in sun if you're in the UK and in winter? I'm desperate to do this for a Christmas present, but I'm not sure it will be ready in time 🙁 It might be a silly question, but would ambient room temperature (with the heating on) and leaving in the sun be okay?
Thanks!
Tanvi
Totally!! The sun here in Las Vegas is strong but the temperatures are quite less outside. I usually stituate the pickle jar by the side of the window were it gets sunlight daily (plus the warmth of inside).You still have a about a month for limes to ferment. If you ferment them in small mason jars (you can gift those itself), instead of trying to ferment a big jar by itself, it should be ready.
All the best!
keath90K
Hurray! Thank you! So excited to make it 🙂
keath90
hurrray! Thank you! Looking forward to making it 🙂
keath90
Hi! Your recipe looks amazing! I'm really keen to make this for a Christmas present, but I'm concerned I might be limited by the amount of sun I'll be getting between now and then being in the UK! Would you say that keeping the limes in a warm ambient temperature with the heating on and in the sunlight would be sufficient? Does it need to be kept for longer perhaps?
Thanks!
Richa
I cannot tell you how much I appreciate this recipe. My mom is no longer around and I have a vague recollection of her making this nimbu ka achaar but did not know how to make it. Thanks a ton! I will try this for sure. ☺