Lemon pickle South Indian style recipe (2024)

This Lemon pickle South Indian-style recipe is hot, spicy, and tangy and stays good for up to a month. This recipe is also perfect for thick-skinned lemons available in Western countries.

I cannot imagine a day without pickles in my life. If no sides are available for breakfast or dinner, I can happily have anything, along with a spoonful of pickles.

Imagine how it would be for lunch if I could have pickles for breakfast and dinner. Everyone will make fun of me that I have pickles, even for Biryani. No worries at all; my food and pickles are always inseparable.

I usually make Lemon pickles in a South Indian-style recipe in small batches; I feel this way pickles are fresh and tasty. I find this recipe very simple, and I love and repeat this recipe again and again.

My mom also makes pickles this way. I usually store this for 3-4 weeks and then go for another variety of pickles.

How to make Lemon pickle South Indian style recipe

The proportion for making this lemon pickle South Indian recipe is 7:3; that is, if you are chopping 7 lemons, then squeeze 3 lemons for the juice.

Chop the lemons into 8 or 12 pieces, depending on the size of the lemon. Repeat the same for the remaining lemons. Then squeeze 3 lemons for its juice.

Heat a pan on medium flame, and add ¼ cup of cooking oil, preferably gingelly oil. Then, add mustard seeds and allow them to crackle.

Add chopped lemon pieces and the lemon juice. Then add ¾ teaspoon of asafoetida.

Add 4 teaspoons of pickle powder, but adjust according to your intake spice level.

Add salt and cook for 3-4 minutes on medium flame.

Allow it to cool to room temperature. Then, transfer it to a glass or ceramic container.

It can be served immediately, but it does taste great after 4 days.

Few tips

• When you make any pickle, clean and wipe the lemon, cutting board, knife, and bowls with a kitchen towel or kitchen tissue for a longer shelf time.
• For cleaning the lemon, wash and pat dry with tissue paper.
• In this Indian lemon, do not discard the squeezed-out lemon shells; use them for cleaning the kitchen sink or utensils.
• After adding all the spices, cook the lemon pickle for about 3-4 minutes. The juice should be reduced to ¾th of the quantity, and the lemons should not get overcooked as they may turn mushy and bitter.
• Gingelly oil does taste great for making any South Indian pickle. But you may also use other cooking oils.
• Increase the quantity of cooking oil to double if you plan to store it for more than ten days over the kitchen counter.

Other condiments you may like,

• Cucumber raita
• Moru Milagai
• Sriracha aioli sauce
• Spicy condiments

Printable recipe card

Tips and Variations

• You can also use store-bought pickle powder instead of the homemade powder in this Indian lemon pickle recipe. Or, for a quick pickle recipe, add chili powder.
• Store them in the narrow-mouthed jar.
• Ensure that oil floats on the top, acting as a preservative.
• While serving, scoop out the lime by leaving the oil in the jar behind.

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