Lemon Pickle 6, With Dates
Neembu ka Meetha Aachar
Reeta Kumar
Note from Reeta: Lemon pickles are very refreshing and good for digestion. There are many, many different types, this one is one of our family favourite. It is easy to make and has no fat in it. You can eat it with Indian meals, in sandwiches or even with grilled meats like steak/lamb chops/pork/chicken.
Takes approximately 3 weeks to mature in the sun.
Ingredients
1 kg. limes (you can use lemons instead)
125 gm. dry dates (Chuara in Hindi)
250 gm. ginger, peeled and sliced into strips
1 tbsp. raisins
25 gm. salt
2 kg. sugar (adjust to taste)
1 1/2 tbsp. black salt (available from Indian grocers. You can use rock salt, if blak salt is not available, but the flavour will not be as intense)
1 tsp. cumin powder (freshly dry roasted cumin seeds, coarsely ground
1 tsp. fresh Garam Masala
Instructions
Stone and shred dates into thin strips.
Slice limes into halves and squeeze the juice out.
Add sugar, black salt and garam masala and roasted cumin powder to the juice. Mix well. Keep the juice in a jar, in the sun, for 2-3 days.
Using sharp scissors, cut spirals out of the lemon skins. Do not worry if some spirals break.
Add salt, shredded dates and raisins to the lime/lemon skins and fill in separate jar. Keep it in the sun for 3-4 days or until skin softens.
Add juice and skins together in one jar now, and leave in the sun again for 7 days.
Your pickle is now ready to eat.
Also see Pickle and Chutney Selection.
