This nimbu ka achar is a sweet-sour (khatta meetha) vegan pickle prepared with lemons, jaggery and spice powders.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 15 minutes
  • Cook time: 15 minutes
  • Total time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 1 · 1 medium bottle
  • Category: Condiment, Side Dish
  • Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

  • 500 grams of lemon (or 10 big sized lemons)
  • 1 cup jaggery, (grated)
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1.5 teaspoon red chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder ((ground coriander))
  • ½ teaspoon roasted cumin powder
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric powder ((ground turmeric))
  • ¼ teaspoon asafoetida ((hing))
  • 3 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon oil

Method

chopping lemons

  1. Keep all the ingredients ready.
  2. Rinse the lemons and wipe them with a cloth. The lemons shouldn't have any trace of moisture in them.
  3. Chop the lemons into bite sized pieces.

making nimbu ka achar

  1. Heat a pan. Lower the flame and then add 1 cup of jaggery in it.
  2. After a minute, the jaggery powder will start melting. Keep stirring the mixture.
  3. Then add 1.5 teaspoon red chili powder, 1 teaspoon coriander powder, 1/2 teaspoon roasted cumin powder, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1/4 teaspoon hing and 2 teaspoons sugar & 3 teaspoons of salt.
  4. Keep stirring the mixture on low heat. Then add a teaspoon of oil.
  5. Stir the mixture for a minute or until it begins to bubble. Switch off the flame.
  6. Add the chopped lemons into the hot mixture. Stir and mix very well.
  7. The mixture should nicely coat the lemons.
  8. Remove the lemon mixture into another vessel or bowl. Allow to cool.
  9. At room temperature transfer the pickle into a sterilized bottle. Cover tightly with a lid and allow the pickle to rest in the jar for 2 to 3 days. You can even keep for 4 to 5 days.
  10. After 3 to 4 days the lemons would leave moisture and blend well with the spices and jaggery mixture. If you want then you can also keep the pickle in the sun for 2 days. When the pickle is ready, then refrigerate.
  11. Serve nimbu ka achar with aloo parathas, rotis or onion paratha. This achaar would stay good for about 2 months in the fridge.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.