Sweet and Sour Date-Lemon Pickle

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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.

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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.

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Recipe courtesy: Maya Akhil of yummyoyummy.com

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  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)

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  1. Dates – 20, finely chopped
  2. Kashmiri chilly powder – 2 – 2.5 tbsp
    Fenugreek powder – 1/4 tsp
    Asafetida / hing – 2 pinches
    Sugar – 1 tsp

  3. Hot water – 1/2 cup
    Vinegar – 2 tbsp

  4. Salt – To taste

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  1. 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.

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  1. 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.
  2. 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.

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I am taking this pickle to Angie’s fun filled fiesta friday. 🙂

79 thoughts on “Sweet and Sour Date-Lemon Pickle

  1. Whaaaat? This looks completely amazing! I can’t wait to try it, two of my favorite things together in a pickle!!!

  2. 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!

  3. 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!!

  4. 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.

  5. 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!

    1. 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.

  6. 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! 🙂

    1. 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.

  7. 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. …

  8. Looks fantastic, Sadia! I love pickles and have been curious to try my hand at an Indian pickle. Thanks for the recipe and method!

  9. 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!!!

  10. Can you please advise the approximate weight of the total amount of lemons. Weight of each lemon differs. Lovely recipe !!

    1. 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.

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