Elumichai oorugai (lemon pickle)
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Lemon pieces pickled with chilli, fenugreek and gingelly oil, a standard partner for curd rice.
Region: Puducherry and Tamil NaduOccasion: Everyday; with curd riceTime: 30 min + 1 week maturingServes: About 500 gVegan
Ingredients
- 10 lemons, cut into small pieces, seeds removed
- 3 tbsp salt
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 3 tbsp red chilli powder
- 1 tsp fenugreek seeds, roasted and powdered
- ½ tsp hing
- ¼ cup gingelly (sesame) oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
Method
- Mix the lemon pieces with salt and turmeric in a dry glass jar. Keep for 5–7 days, shaking daily, until the skins soften.
- Heat the oil, crackle the mustard seeds and add the hing. Turn off the heat.
- When the oil is warm, not hot, add the chilli powder and fenugreek powder.
- Pour the spiced oil over the lemons and mix well. It is ready in 2–3 days and keeps for months.
History
Salt-cured lemon pickle is one of the oldest ways to keep the fruit through the year in South India.
Significance
A little lemon pickle with curd rice ends most Tamil meals, and it is packed for travel.