This is the first pickle recipe in my blog, actually this is the first pickle i made ever. But i soo enjoyed making it and eating it, that i cant wait to try out many more pickle recipes. I have always been afraid to make any sort of Indian pickle. There is too much labor involved. No instant gratification as they take months to pickle. I usually get them made by my aunt, who makes the most amazing pickles. Or else i get it easily from stores, there is an entire aisle in the Indian store dedicated to all kinds of pickles.
But i am glad that i made this at home because this pickle turned out to be really good. Whether you bite into the citrus lemon or the lusciously soft and sweet date, each is a treasure in spicy vinegary syrup. And moreover it was not as difficult to make as i thought it would be. So please do go ahead and give it a try. Im sure you will like it.
Recipe courtesy: Maya Akhil of yummyoyummy.com
- Large lemon – 4 (If you are using small lemon / lime, use 8 – 10)
Sugar – 1.5 tsp
Salt – To taste - Gingelly oil / nallenna – 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
Dry red chilies – 2 – 3
Ginger – 1/2 inch, thinly sliced
Garlic – 10 cloves, sliced or halved if large
Green chilies – 3 – 4, slit (optional)
- Dates – 20, finely chopped
-
Kashmiri chilly powder – 2 – 2.5 tbsp
Fenugreek powder – 1/4 tsp
Asafetida / hing – 2 pinches
Sugar – 1 tsp -
Hot water – 1/2 cup
Vinegar – 2 tbsp -
Salt – To taste
- Heat 1 tbsp gingelly oil in a pan. Add the lemons and stir until their skin becomes soft, turning them on all sides. It takes about 5 – 8 minutes. (Alternatively, you can steam the lemons for 8 – 10 minutes until they turn soft). Cool them completely. Cut into 8 pieces. Transfer into a glass jar or a bowl. Add enough salt and 1.5 tsp sugar to the lemon pieces. Mix well and set aside for 1 – 2 days or a minimum of 2 hours.
- Heat 2 tbsp gingelly oil in a deep pan. Splutter mustard seeds and fry dry red chilies. Add sliced ginger, garlic and green chilies. Fry until lightly golden. Next add chopped dates. Cook until soft, about 3 minutes. (Add 1 more tbsp gingelly oil, if required). Bring down the heat to low. Add chilly powder, fenugreek powder, hing and 1 tsp sugar. Saute for a minute. Next add hot water, salt and vinegar. Boil for 2 minutes until thick. Switch off. Set aside to cool. Add the lemon pieces. Combine well. Check for salt. Cool down and transfer to an airtight jar.
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Heat 1 tbsp oil in a small pan. Cool completely. Pour the cooled oil on top of the pickle. You can have it after 2 – 3 days but it tastes best after 2 – 3 months. Keep refrigerated in order to increase its shelf-life.
Sweet and Sour Date-Lemon Pickle
Ingredients
INGREDIENTS
- 1. Large lemon – 4 If you are using small lemon / lime, use 8 – 10
- Sugar – 1.5 tsp
- Salt – To taste
- 2. Gingelly oil / nallenna – 2 tbsp
- Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
- Dry red chilies – 2 – 3
- Ginger – 1/2 inch thinly sliced
- Garlic – 10 cloves sliced or halved if large
- Green chilies – 3 – 4 slit (optional)
- 3. Dates – 20 finely chopped
- 4. Kashmiri chilly powder – 2 – 2.5 tbsp
- Fenugreek powder – 1/4 tsp
- Asafetida / hing – 2 pinches
- Sugar – 1 tsp
- 5. Hot water – 1/2 cup
- Vinegar – 2 tbsp
- 6. Salt – To taste
Instructions
DIRECTIONS
- Heat 1 tbsp gingelly oil in a pan. Add the lemons and stir until their skin becomes soft, turning them on all sides. It takes about 5 – 8 minutes. (Alternatively, you can steam the lemons for 8 – 10 minutes until they turn soft). Cool them completely. Cut into 8 pieces. Transfer into a glass jar or a bowl. Add enough salt and 1.5 tsp sugar to the lemon pieces. Mix well and set aside for 1 – 2 days or a minimum of 2 hours.
- Heat 2 tbsp gingelly oil in a deep pan. Splutter mustard seeds and fry dry red chilies. Add sliced ginger, garlic and green chilies. Fry until lightly golden. Next add chopped dates. Cook until soft, about 3 minutes. (Add 1 more tbsp gingelly oil, if required). Bring down the heat to low. Add chilly powder, fenugreek powder, hing and 1 tsp sugar. Saute for a minute. Next add hot water, salt and vinegar. Boil for 2 minutes until thick. Switch off. Set aside to cool. Add the lemon pieces. Combine well. Check for salt. Cool down and transfer to an airtight jar.
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a small pan. Cool completely. Pour the cooled oil on top of the pickle. You can have it after 2 – 3 days but it tastes best after 2 – 3 months. Keep refrigerated in order to increase its shelf-life.
I am taking this pickle to Angie’s fun filled fiesta friday. 🙂
Whaaaat? This looks completely amazing! I can’t wait to try it, two of my favorite things together in a pickle!!!
Thank you Sue. Do try making it. 🙂
Wow love this pickle/condiment. Sounds delicious. I have to look up what gingelly oil/nallenna is I have never heard of that.
Gingelly Oil = Sesame Oil
Also called Nalla Ennai
Oh thank you
Nalla = Good
Ennai = Oil
Nalla Ennai = Good Oil! 🙂
🙂
Thank you Aruna! 🙂
Thank you dear! Hope you can find nallenna there. 🙂
I have both lemons and dates at home…. This pickle is so up my alley. Cannot wait to try it!
Do try making it. Cant wait to know how it turned out for you.
Yumm.. the pics are so beautiful as always. I’ve never tried this pickle. I will.. Soon 🙂 Thanks for sharing Sadia.
Please share the same love to my new blog as you did at Taleoftwotomatoes 🙂
Support me @the all new Food Blog- Something’s Cooking
Thanks for the sweet comment shalzz. Yess will definitely follow your new blog too. 🙂
Your pictures are stunning!
Thank you Dana! 🙂
I would just order a crate from you but I suspect I have to make this myself…it looks divine, I love date pickles and the combination with ginger and lemon promises to be wonderful 🙂 thanks for posting I am saving this one!
Thank you dear! 🙂
achars intimidate me – very impressed that you made it!
It used to be the same for me too. But this one was quite easy to put together. 🙂
Would love to have this pickle with curd rice
Oh woow! That would be a great combination. 🙂
The pickle looks beautiful! So colourful, and sounds so flavoursome as well. I’d love to try it with our winter citrus. What a delicious dish for sharing with Fiesta Friday this week, and I hope you are enjoying the party!!
Yep i am enjoying the party as usual. Thank you dear for the kind words. 🙂
Great combo…dates to the sweetness and lemon to the sourness!!
Yeah exactly. Thanks. 🙂
Jolly well done on making pickle.. i never have.. yours looks cool
Thanks Mr. Fitz. 🙂
Sadia, your photos are all so beautiful and what a fabulous combination of flavours to bring together for this pickle! Happy Fiesta Friday to you! 🙂
Thanks Margot. 🙂
This pickle has such an unusual combination of flavours (to my country Aussi palate) i just have to try it. Thanks for bringing it to Fiesta Friday. It’s such a great place to sample all kinds of different things.
Thanks also for telling us gingelly = sesame. I’ll already be doing more than enough googling the ingredients list.
Thank you dear for the lovely comment. 🙂
1. Yummy mouthwatering pickle
2. Great photographs
3. Simple recipe
4. Killer post
Aww how sweet namrata! Thanks! <3
Lovely recipe and beautiful pictures, Also, it is great to connect <3
Thank you Garima! Btw i love your name. Very different and nice. 🙂
Thanks Sweetie ♥♥ means Glory 🙂
Sadia, thank you for following my blog! Your pictures are so beautiful. I love seeing recipes for food that I wasn’t exposed to growing up. I look forward to going through yours!
Thanks a loot. Glad that you liked this. 🙂
Sounds good!
Thanks. 🙂
Wow, this dates pickle must be delicious,
btw, can i add orange peel within the pickle???
i guess i’m gonna stuffed my chicken breast with it and i’ll report the result here…
I think it would be ok if you use orange peel, it might be more sour then. Hmm stuffing chicken breast…never thought of it. But don’t add too much as this pickle has got very strong flavors. If you are trying it out, lemme know how it turned out for you. Would love to know.
What a lovely condiment, thanks for bringing it to the party:)
Thanks for the nice comment. 🙂
Thank you nimmi. Do make this for your mom for sure and lemme know if she liked it. 🙂
Soo happy your family loved your the lollipop. 🙂
What a gorgeous pickle! You have a great pickle talent, wow 🙂
Thank you petrao. Nooo, this was my first pickle attempt. I really do wanna try making more. 🙂
Sadia, this looks and sounds absolutely delicious! Love the addition of dates to the pickle. And your photos are beautiful! Happy Fiesta Friday 🙂
Thanks a lot selma! 🙂
The addition of pickle actually gives that sweetness to the pickle which is great.
Sadia, thanks so much for this recipe! One of my distant aunts makes this lemon/date pickle and I always somehow manage to get some from my sister! I love to eat this with paranthas! I have been wanting to get the recipe from this aunt but never got a chance. Now I have your recipe! Lovely! 🙂
Same here. My aunt used to make delicious pickles and i always try to get a small jar from her. I was out of pickle and thought of making it myself and it turned out great. 🙂 you try this too and lemme know how it turned out for you.
The pickle sounds delicious! Such a deep colors! Beautiful photos as well:)
Thanks a lot! 🙂
Very interesting pickle, Sadia. I have never thought of dates being pickled, but it sounds very good. So colorful and delectable.
Dates are perfect for pickling. It is a good combination with beetroot too. 🙂 thankyou for the feedback fae. 🙂
Nice! That sounds delicious!
Thanks a lot Nell. 🙂
Your Pickle is amazing and what a great combination Sadia, I’m a huge fan of date 🙂 I hope you had a lovely Eid!
If you love dates, you will definitely love this pickle. Try it sometime. 🙂
Wow Sadia. …just looking at the name am Drooling….lemon and dates what a combo, never thought this would make such wonderful recipe …thanx for this dear. …
Thank you Chitra! 🙂
Looks fantastic, Sadia! I love pickles and have been curious to try my hand at an Indian pickle. Thanks for the recipe and method!
great recipe and beautiful pictures!
I had to read the title of this recipe twice, just to make sure. Wow – really! What an amazing combination of flavours. I have never even heard of a mixture like this but looking at your pics I can taste it – fabulous!!!
Hey it’s an excellent recipe… Loved it, and I love pickles.. It’s great to connect…:)
Thank you!
Stunning photographs and a great recipe. Thank you for sharing. Emma.
Thank you emma! 🙂
Wooow dis is incredible has to try for sure
Thanks. Happy you liked it. 🙂
Can you please advise the approximate weight of the total amount of lemons. Weight of each lemon differs. Lovely recipe !!
Hello Anita! Really sorry for replying so late. Missed this comment somehow. I am really sorry but I didn’t weigh the lemons. If you get the large yellow lemons there, then use 4-5. If you have the small green ones, use 8-10.
Thanks for replying. Have you tried this with limes?
No Anita! I didn’t try with limes.