Lime Pickle

Lime pickle is one of the oldest ways of preserving citrus in South Asia. The fruit is cut, salted and left to cure until the peel softens and loses its raw bitterness, then mixed with chilli, turmeric, fenugreek and oil. North India calls it nimbu ka achar, Tamil Nadu elumichai oorugai, and Sri Lankan Tamil kitchens have their own sharper Jaffna style. Lemon pickle follows the same method with larger fruit. It sits beside mango pickle in our pickles.

Styles range from hot and salty to sweet. Hot lime pickle is punchy and eaten in small amounts; sweet lime pickle, cooked down with sugar, is softer and mellow; lime and chilli adds green chilli heat; South Indian versions preserved in lime juice without oil are lighter and very sour. If you are unsure where to start, the sweet style is the easiest to love.

Lime pickle is a natural partner for curd rice, known in Tamil as thayir sadam, for upma, and for a plate of dal, rice and poppadoms, and a small spoon mixed through mayonnaise makes a sharp dip. Keep the peel covered by oil or juice so it stays soft. For a milder partner, pair it with a sweet mango chutney, or for more heat try chilli pickle.