Here is another pickle from my kitchen. In my family everybody loves pickle, so I prepare it often. I cannot eat curd rice without pickles. In fact I prefer pickles as a spread for bread rather than jam. Luckily I do not have a sweet tooth.This pickle goes well with parathas also. Today we will learn how to make lemon pickle/Elumichai oorugai following this easy recipe.
Lemon Pickle-Elumichai Oorugai
Prep Time : 10 mins
Cook Time : 15 mins
Yields: 1 Cup
Recipe Category: Pickle
Recipe Cuisine: Indian
Yields: 1 Cup
Recipe Category: Pickle
Recipe Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients needed
Lemon -6 juicy ones
Rock salt powdered -1/4 cup flat
Turmeric powder -a generous pinch
Chilli powder -5 tsp
Fenugreek seed powder -1 1/2 tsp
For the seasoning
Oil -1/4 cup (sesame seed oil)
Mustard seeds -1 tsp
Asafoetida/hing – 1/2 tsp
Preparation
Dry roast fenugreek seeds and powder it. (Since I make pickle often, I usually dry roast 1/4 cup of fenugreek seeds and powder it. I use needed quantity and store the rest in an airtight container.)
Wash the lemons and wipe it dry with a towel. Cut lemon into 8 small pieces. Remove as much seeds a you can. If there are a few seeds, it does not matter. Add turmeric powder, salt and mix well. Leave it for a minimum of 3 days. Every morning, just mix it well with a dry spoon or shake it well and keep it closed.
On the fourth day
Method
Heat oil, add mustard seeds, asafoetida, when mustard seeds splutter, add the lemon pieces along with the lemon juice and fry well until most of the juice evaporates and the mixture thickens (can you see the difference between both the pictures below – (first one is before cooking, next one is after cooking)
Then add chilli powder and cook for a few more minutes until the raw smell of the chilli powder goes.
Then add fenugreek powder, mix well and switch off the gas. Leave it to cool.
Storage
After it cools, store it in a clean glass bottle inside the refrigerator. If handled properly, it stays good for 6 months in the refrigerator. You can keep the bottle inside the refrigerator and take only needed quantity daily from the bottle.
Note – If using iodized table salt or iodized rock salt, reduce it a little. Also I have used homemade chilli powder which is not hot. If using store bought chilli powder, reduce it a little than the quantity mentioned.
More Pickle Recipes
I have compiled all the pickles recipes in one page. Do check out more variety of Pickle Recipes.
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I love lemon pickle..drooling now
Padhu, I love lemon pickle..lovely presentation Dear..
Great job dear….the color rocks…!
i love the way you present,iam your great fan,padhu.
Lemon pickles looks delicious. I love the two lemon guys.
The tiny lil fellows look so cute with a turban on them….the recipe is making my togue tickling to taste it…..
Looks so yummy dear, that presentation is really cute…
http://treatntrick.blogspot.com
Delicious pickle..drooling here
lemon pickle looks so tempting..mmmm!!
aww…cute pics…i just LUV the lemon pickle…nice blog…on my way followin it!!!
Nice one… should give it try …
Hi dearie, hru doing? Been so long since I came here na! 😉
Pickles..yummm! Where's my share ya! 😀 hehee take care!
Ha ha so cute lemons with mouthwatering pickles…
I am fond of pickles and lemon pickle ismy favourite. Thanks for your lovely recipe. Lemon pickle looks tempting and feel like having it now. Wonderful presentation.
looks tempting padhu..love to gobble up with curd rice..nice presentation.
Those cute lemons are really good…I love lemon pickle too
heehee! these two lemon guys are so cute!!
Pickles looks delicious, too!
mouth watering and easy too …..
looks nice..and so mouthwatering…yumm yumm
The lemon pickle looks so yummy!! I love the pickle but have never made it!! Would love to try it out!!
FIngerlicking pickle..yummy..
Love any pickle !! Yummy Yummy
Lavanya
http://www.lavsblog.com
Lovely presentation as allways. Mouthwatering pickle dear.
Wow, that's a lovely presentation again. I always love the way you present the food. Love the recipe of pickle too.
lemon pickle is always my fav, beautiful picture
Oh I can drool on that pickle with anything that cook in my kitchen 🙂
SSSSSSSSS very yummy.
nice presentation, u r all pickle varieties /
hi padhu
i made lemon pickle…it came good…it was sour….how to correct it next time?
Hi Padhu,
Which oil is advisable for seasoning for this lemon pickle?
I use sesame seed oil (gingerly oil for all my pickles)
Hi Padhu,
how do i remove seeds when i cut lemon… i have more than a dozen to make pickle….i am hoping, if you respond today i will make it tomorrow…
Thanks,
G
Unknown – You have to cut the lemon into half and remove the seeds manually with a knife tip or spoon. It does not matter if there are a few seeds but try to remove it as much as you can.
can we use sunflower or coconut oil for lemon pickle
Manjula -use only sesame seed oil/gingelly (nallaennai) for pickles
Hi, great recipes thank you.. I have left the lemon, salt and turmeric for 5 days and now want to fry the seems etc with the lemon, what do I do with the juice ? Is it drained off or added with the lemons? Thank you
My apologies for not replying to you immediately.I was on a vacation to UK and was back only yesterday. You can add the juice also as it is only lemon juice. It will not spoil the pickle. Thank you.
I did not even add fenugreek powder, even before it, the pickle turned so bitter, I couldnt even taste anything else… Should we even cook the lemons?
Is there anything I can now do to correct this?
May be the lemon you used was bitter. Some lemons have thick skin which may be bitter. You have to cook the lemon well in oil and then only add chilli powder. I have written that clearly.
I hav tried this but the pickle became bitter (kasapu) how to correct this plz reply i hav dozens of lemon waiting for done
You would have over fried the fenugreek seeds or you would have added more of it. After adding fenugreek powder,mix well and switch off the heat. Another reason could be – lemon variety.
Is it necessary to keep the pickle in the fridge?
We can't keep it outside?
Yes, you have to keep it in the refrigerator.
Awesome presentation… I'm going to try it…
I prepared today… its too bitter….plz tell me how to correct….i hope u reply me asap
It might be due to the quality of lemons or you must have used green ones.
Every steps said by you was followed but the pickle came bitter
The problem is not with the recipe but with the lemons. Some lemon skin has a bitter taste. This recipe is followed for generations in our home.
Hi padhu today i tried lemon (lemon from the tree at home first time plucked..sema smell) pickle folliwing ur receipe. Let me tell you abt tbe taste after few days. Thanks dear
Nice.. Thanks for the recipe.. Can you please post bitter gourd pickle recipe
It turned out really well. Thanks Padhu.
Excellent results. Thank you Padhu
I use your recipes for most veg cooking
hi is there any specific reason for it to be out for 3 days? i have cut and mixed the lemon in salt and turmeric today. can i saute it today in sesame oil or should i wait 3 days?
It will turn a little soft in 3 days and will get mixed well with the chilli powder and oil.
Huge fan of yours Padhu. This recipe came out well even with the larger lemons available in Dubai. The slight bitterness goes away after a week
Hii, should i leave the marinated lemons out for 3 days or inside the refrigerator for 3 days??
Marinate at room temperature.
Thx for your publishing. I tried it and it came out well. How do I get the bitterness off the lemon? Any thoughts?
Hi Padhu, Suppose I have to use 25 lemons, should I proportionally increase all ingredients (multiply by4) ?
Yes but now a day the chilli powder is very spicy and the salt is too salty,we get only iodised. So add a little less.
Just made pickle for the first time. Followed the recipe step by step. Came out excellent. Thank you!