Nimmakaya Uragaya - Lemon (Nimbu / Limbu) Pickle - Telugu Recipes

Wash, clean and dry all the 24 lemons. Cut 10 lemons only, each into 8 pieces and remove the seeds. Take remaining 14 lemons and extract juice. Strain this juice to remove seeds. Add the lemon juice to the cut lemon cubes. Add salt and turmeric powder. Mix well with a dry spoon. There should be some salt left at the bottom—that should be the amount of salt required so that this pickle can be preserved for long time (Saturated salt solution, SANTRUPTA DRAVANAM in Telugu). Cover and keep it aside for 2 full days. See that this vessel, preferably ceramic or glass does not come in contact with water. On the third day we will make the pickle. In these 2 days the lemon cubes become soft.

Method:

Heat a pan and add the fenugreek seeds. Dry roast the fenugreek seeds till they are brown in color. Take care and fry only on low flame. Cool the seeds and powder them in a mixie jar. To the prepared lemons add the fenugreek seeds powder and red chili powder. Mix all well and the pickle is ready. Store this pickle in a dry bottle. Once the bitterness of the fenugreek seeds powder minimize the pickle is ready to eat.

Points to Notice:

Place these lemon pieces and lemon juice in a ceramic or glass bowl. Do not keep this in a steel or aluminum vessel. As lemon is sour, glass or ceramic bowl only should be used.

Note that we have not added any oil in this pickle. So it tastes fresh even though the color is changed to dark. The more this pickle matures the taste enhances.

There is another method of preparing this pickle.

To the cut lemon cubes add the lemon juice, salt and turmeric powder. Mix well and see that some salt is left at the bottom of the bowl (Saturated salt solution, SANTRUPTA DRAVANAM in Telugu). Transfer this mixture to a clean and dry glass jar and store. Whenever you feel like having this pickle, take some portion and add roasted and powdered fenugreek seeds and red chili powder. Mix well and use once the bitterness of the fenugreek seeds powder minimizes. This way the color of the pickle is bright red.

Serve this pickle with curd rice and enjoy the freshness of lemon.

Sometimes the lemons may be sourer. In such instances you can moderate this sourness by adding more salt, fenugreek powder and red chili powder as per your taste.

Anitha said...

Dear Gayathri garu,

Thank you for your prompt response on a query of mine regarding lemon pickle of several days ago. I did try the recipe and it has come out quite well. I think it would have been perfect with Indian lemons which have a soft skin. The lemons I used were huge with a really thick skin.

Thanks and best wishes,

Anitha

Anonymous said...

Hello Gayatri garu,

This is Lahari. Rajmah curry and nimmakaya vooragya chala bagundi. try chesi ela vachindo cheptanu. But i have one doubt in vooragaya before doing i.e., long back okasari nenu cheste nimmakaya chekka rasam padi koncham cheduga vachindi. ala vaste daniki remedy enti?

March 7, 2009 12:18 AM

Gayatri Vantillu said...

Lahari Garu,

Take Nimmakaaya Uragaya after 6 months of pickling. During this period the pickle matures whereby the bitterness vanishes. That is the reason in the Text of the recipe I suggested to pickle Nimmkaya twice in a year.

March 7, 2009 4:33 AM

swathi said...

Hi Gayatri garu!!

Thanks for this mouth watering dish. Nenu US lo untanandi.Ikkada pedda nimmakayalu matrame labhistunnayi.Nenu meeku aa nimmakaya pic pampistunna.Daani batti meeru naaku measurements ivvagalara please...

PIC: http://www.hort.purdue.edu/ext/senior/fruits/lemon1.htm

April 17, 2009 1:40 AM

Gayatri Vantillu said...

Swathi Garu

The lemons in the picture appears to be of the same size which i have used in the recipe. However in the next season i would be able to give you the average weight of each lemon i have used.

April 19, 2009 9:45 AM

Anonymous said...

Dear Gayatri,

A dear friend from A.P. shared his mother's Lemon pickle recipe with me about 25 years ago ;

Lemons finely cut,salt,red chilli powder,dry roasted Fenugreek powder,bit of lemon juice,pinch of hing. I have been making it successfully but unfortunately I have misplaced the hand written recipe and my mind has blanked out on proportions. All I remember is 1 kg. lemons and 200 g salt and juice of 5-6 lemons.Please help. Regards, Gulshan

July 19, 2009 11:38 AM

Gayatri Vantillu said...

Gulshan Garu,

The word "Garu" in Telugu is equivalent to "Ji" in Hindi. For Lemon pickle you may kindly visit my website. e.

July 20, 2009 5:20