This homemade instant lemon pickle recipe is so easy to make, packed with bold spice flavors and it’s so much better than bottled stuff! Made with fresh lemon, red chili powder, pickle masala, and sugar.
This instant lemon pickle is crunchy, spicy, with a balance of sweet and sour taste and it is one of the most preferred Indian condiments.
Indian meals are almost incomplete without a tiny spoonful of achaar on the side. It uplifts the palate at every bite. There are ton load varieties of Indian achaar, ranging from vegetables to herbs to even seafood.
INGREDIENTS REQUIRED FOR THIS LEMON PICKLE:
- Lemon- Lemons with thin skin or Meyer lemons work best for this recipe.
- Pickle Masala – Use your favorite pickle masala, either homemade or store-bought. I have used store-bought one for this recipe.
- Oil – You can use any flavorless, less pungent oil e.g. canola oil, corn oil, peanut oil, sunflower oil.
- Sugar – You can use white sugar, brown sugar or even jaggery for this pickle
- Salt – Use Sea Salt in any pickle recipe for enchanced flavor and longer self life
- Red Chilli Powder – Add as per your preferences.
HOW TO MAKE INSTANT LEMON PICKLE:
Step by Steps pics of making Instant Lemon pickle in Stove-top,
- Add 3 cups of water to the pot, add the lemon and cook for 10 minutes on medium flame.
- Drain the lemon and cut them into small pieces. While the lemons are still warm, add in all the spices (salt, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and pickle masala) and sugar, give it a good mix until well combined.
- You will notice the juice getting released as you mix and forming a nice sauce. The sauce has a tendency to thicken as it cools.
- In another pan, heat oil and add pinch of hing. Adding it to the pickle and mix well.
- The Instant Lemon pickle is ready to be served. At this point, the peel may have a slight bite but the more it sits the better it will taste.
TIPS AND IMPORTANT NOTES:
- Lemons with thin skin or Meyer lemons work best for this recipe.
- Thicker skinned lemons will take longer to cook and marinate. May also have slight bitter taste.
- Take time to deseed the lemons. The seeds can impart a bitter taste to the pickle and hence better to take those out.
- Adjust sugar based on how bitter the lemon skin is.
- You can use white sugar, brown sugar or even jaggery for this pickle but the later two will change the color of this pickle (more towards brown).
- Use your favorite pickle masala, either homemade or store-bought. I have used store-bought one for this recipe. There could be slight taste variations in the store bought ones so adjust the salt and spice levels to your liking.
- The cooked pickle peel might still have a bite to it at this point but it only gets better and soft as it ages!!
- To prevent the pickle from spoiling, alway use a clean dry spoon every-time and keep it refrigerated.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS:
I love pickle with my everyday food as side. Its a great way to add flavor to any dish.
STORAGE SUGGESTIONS:
Allow the pickle to cool completely and keep it refrigerated in either glass or ceramic jars. I would suggest transferring some portion enough for a few days into a smaller container and using that to minimize contamination and spoiling. Also use a clean dry spoon every single time.
MORE PICKLE RECIPES TO TRY,
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Instant Lemon Pickle
Ingredients
- 10 lemons small-sized
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tbsp red chilli powder
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup pickle masala using store bought
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup oil using sesame oil/mustard oil
- pinch of hing
Instructions
- Add 3 cups of water to the pot, add the lemon and cook for 10 minutes on medium flame.
- Drain the lemon and cut them into small pieces. While the lemons are still warm, add in all the spices (salt, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and pickle masala) and sugar, give it a good mix until well combined.
- You will notice the juice getting released as you mix and forming a nice sauce. The sauce has a tendency to thicken as it cools.
- In another pan, heat oil and add pinch of hing. Adding it to the pickle and mix well.
- The Instant Lemon pickle is ready to be served. At this point, the peel may have a slight bite but the more it sits the better it will taste.
Notes
- Lemons with thin skin or Meyer lemons work best for this recipe.
- Thicker skinned lemons will take longer to cook and marinate. May also have slight bitter taste.
- Take time to deseed the lemons. The seeds can impart a bitter taste to the pickle and hence better to take those out.
- Adjust sugar based on how bitter the lemon skin is.
- You can use white sugar, brown sugar or even jaggery for this pickle but the later two will change the color of this pickle (more towards brown).
- Use your favorite pickle masala, either homemade or store-bought. I have used store-bought one for this recipe. There could be slight taste variations in the store bought ones so adjust the salt and spice levels to your liking.
- The cooked pickle peel might still have a bite to it at this point but it only gets better and soft as it ages!!
- To prevent the pickle from spoiling, always use a clean dry spoon every-time and keep it refrigerated.
