Lime pickle
Ingredients
6-7 large limes
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp salt
1-2 tsp dried chilli flakes or powder (or to taste)
1 rounded tsp curry powder
1 rounded tbsp sugar*
1/2 cup mustard oil**
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
Method
Wash the limes and put in a bowl. Pour boiling water over the limes and leave for about 10-15 minutes (this helps to soften the rind).
Drain the limes and dry well.
Cut each lime into eight pieces - cut into quarters lengthwise and cut across each quarter into halves - and put the pieces and any juices that come out in a shallow bowl.
Sprinkle salt and turmeric and toss or stir gently. Cover (with cling wrap or a plate) and set aside overnight.
Next day, remove the cover and put the limes in the sun to dry. Toss gently a couple of times during the day to ensure all pieces are exposed to the sun. Leave in the sun until all the liquid has evaporated. Depending on the weather, this can take between one to two days.
When the limes are dry, heat oil until it is smoking. Remove from heat and allow the oil to cool slightly.
Reheat the oil gently and when hot, add the mustard seeds and remove from heat. The oil should be hot enough for the mustard seeds to pop but don't let it get to smoking point as this will burn the seeds.
Set aside to cool.
Add curry powder, chilli and sugar to the lime and mix well.
When the oil has cooled, add it to the limes and stir through gently.
Taste and adjust seasoning (salt, sugar, chilli).
Spoon into a sterilised glass jar with a good lid*** and set aside for at least a week. During this time, put the jar out in the sun two or three times for an hour or so each time. The pickle is ready when the rind has softened - usually a week to 10 days - but the pickle improves with age and should keep for at least a year.
* You can substitute sugar with jaggery.
**I usually use mustard oil when I make pickles as it adds to the flavour. It is more pungent than other oils and has a very high smoking point so make sure you have your exhaust fan on high when heating this oil. You can use any other oil such as peanut, sunflower, or canola - in which case skip step 6.
*** If the jar you use has a metal lid, it's a good idea to cover the mouth of the jar with a piece of muslin or cotton cloth before putting the lid on as the acidity may cause the metal to rust over time. I use jars with plastic or glass lids.
Very few Indian households would be without a few different jars of pickles sitting on the kitchen shelves and very few Indian meals, especially vegetarian meals, are served without either some kind of pickle or chutney. In Fiji, green mangoes, limes, cumquats, carambola (star fruit) and amra (spondias mombin) were most commonly used for pickling. While I am particularly fond of mango pickles, my little lime tree keeps me well supplied with limes and so make at least one batch of lime pickles each year. My mother used to make two types of lime pickles: a salted lime pickle and this one. Both go very well with steamed rice, dhal and yoghurt, or even with just some rice and yoghurt.
