Lemon Dates Pickle – Sweet and sour pickle
Kerala-style lemon dates pickle is a traditional South Indian condiment made by combining lemon, dates, spices, and sometimes other ingredients like ginger, garlic, and mustard seeds. There are many versions of Lemon and Dates Pickle made across Kerala. This sweet-sour lemon pickle has a burst of different flavors & tastes. Pickles are a kind of side dish that is served during a meal in Indian cuisine.
Selecting the right kind of lemons are very important to get that lip-smacking tangy taste. Otherwise, it may turn bitter and spoil the taste of the pickle. Make sure to use ripe yellow lemons for this recipe. The green ones will be raw and may have a bitterness to it
Store-bought pickles have preservatives and are too high in salt compared to homemade ones. Lemon and Dates Pickle is an ideal taste enhancer side dish that can be served with the choice of any rice variant or with parathas
Lemon Dates Pickle
Ingredients
- 500 gm lemon (Note 1) 5 large lemon or 10-15 small lemon/lime
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1/2 cup garlic (10 cloves) sliced or halved
- 1 tbsp ginger 1/2 inch thinly sliced
- 4 green chilies
- 2 spring curry leaves
- 2 whole red chill
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1 tbsp Kashmiri chili powder
- 2 1/2 tbsp chili powder (Note 2)
- 1 tsp mustard seed
- 1/4 tsp fenugreek roasted powder
- 1/2 tsp Asafoetida
- 2 tbsp vinegar (Note 3)
- 1 tsp sugar (Note 4)
- 5 tbsp oil ( Note 5)
- 1 cup boiled water (Note 6)
- 20 dates (cut in to small pieces)
Instructions
Marinate Lemon
- Wash the lime/ lemons and put them right into a steamer.
- Steam lemon for 5 to 8 minutes or until the skin is softer, make sure the skin does not split.
- Allow it to cool fully and then cut into small pieces (½ inch sized). Remove any seeds you find when cutting the lemon into pieces.
- Try to preserve as much juice as possible.
- Place the sliced lemons in a glass jar and add 1 tbsp salt and 1 tsp sugar.
- Mix well, cover, and keep it aside for 10-15 days. This further makes the lemon very soft and juicy.
Preparation
- Heat 5 tbsp oil, when oil is hot add 1 tsp mustard seeds and allow it to splutter. Then add 2 red chilies and fry for 15 sec.
- Add 1 tbsp ginger and 1/2 cup garlic, over medium heat, fry until light golden color
- When the garlic turns fragrant and light brown in color, add 4 green chilies, curry leaves, fry for another 2-3 min,
- Reduce heat to low, this is to make sure the spices don’t get burned which makes the pickle taste bitter.
- Add 1 tbsp Kashmiri chili powder, 2 1/2 tbsp chili powder. Stir until the raw smell of spices is gone (1-2 min)
- Add 1/2 tsp of Asafoetida powder, 1/4 tsp roasted fenugreek powder.
- Add dates cut into small pieces, 2 tbsp vinegar, 1 cup of boiled water, bring the curry to boil. Simmer all together for 2-3 minutes until the gravy is thick.
- Turn off the heat and set it aside to cool. Add the salted lemon pieces and combine very well so that spices get coated to each lemon pieces.
- Once it is cooled you can store it in a airtight glass jar.
- Heat 1/2 tbsp sesame oil in a small pan. Cool completely. Pour the cooled oil on top of the pickle. (Optional)
Notes
- Make sure you use ripe yellow lemons. The green ones will be raw and may have a bitterness to it
- You can add more or less chilly powder based on your spice tolerance. I usually add less chilly powder and salt to my pickles since I consume them often.
- Do not add too much vinegar upfront, only add a little at a time
- The amount of sugar added will depend on the sourness of lemon and the chili powder used. Adjust the amount of sugar according to your preference.
- sesame oil/(നല്ലെണ്ണ) is good for all Kerala type pickle recipes
- Usually, lemon juice is enough to get the right consistency of pickle, but if you prefer a slightly loosened form of a pickle then use boiled cooled water.
Ingredients
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