khattu mithu limbu nu athanu or lemon pickle is an easy pickle served with Gujarati thepla, gathiya, or leftover Rotis. It is marinated lemon pieces combined with sugar and spices. Lemon skin is slightly bitter in taste so I marinated lemon pieces with salt and turmeric powder to remove the bitterness of lemon skin and make it soft for pickle. Once lemon pieces are marinated then with this method you can make lemon pickle in a few hours. It also has a very long shelf life and can be stored in an airtight container for 1-2 years.
I share the perfect ingredient ratio and a few no-fail tips help you to make the perfect lemon pickle on the first attempt. Do try this!
- Choose juicy, yellow, and thin-skin lemons for pickle.
- Marinating lemon pieces with turmeric powder and salt helps to decrease the bitterness of lemon skin and also makes it soft.
- When marinated lemon slices change their color and are easily tare with a hand means it is ready for pickle.
- The proportion of sugar is 50 grams more than the weight of lemon pieces or you can take an equal amount of sugar and lemon pieces.
- Store lemon pickle in an airtight glass jar.
Recipe videoย
Khattu mithu limbu nu athanu | lemon pickle recipe | nimboo ka achar
Ingredients
- 500 g lemon pieces
- 550 g or 2.5 cup sugar
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tsp roasted cumin powder
- 2 tbsp kashmiri red chili powder
Instructions
- Wash and cut lemon into 8 small size pieces.
- In a mixing bowl, add turmeric powder and salt in it. Mix well
- Transfer lemon pieces into a glass bottle and keep it for 5 days. Stir the bottle occasionally.
- After 1 day adds 2 lemon juices into pieces.
- After 5 days, when lemon pieces are marinated and the skin changes its color and becomes soft, the lemon pieces ready for pickle
- Then add sugar and stir till 50-70% sugar -dissolves.
- Put the pan on medium-low heat and stir continuously. After ย 5-10 minutes you will notice that mango shred become transparent and sugar syrup have one string consistency, at that time turn off the stove.
- Let the mixture cool completely.
- Add roasted cumin seeds powder and red chili in it. Mix well.
- Store lemon pickle in a clean and dry glass jar.
Notes
- cook mixture on low flame.
- stir the mixture continuously on medium-low flame. Do not cook the mixture on high flame.
- do not overcook the mixture otherwise when the mixture cools down sugar crystals will form.
- cook mixture till sugar dissolves and sugar syrup reaches 1 string consistency.
- add red chili powder when the mixture is completely cooled down.
- Store lemon pickle in an air-tight container.