Ingredients:
Lemons (nimbu), washed, wiped, slit in
Quarters without separating the pieces 2 kg
Juice of lemons (nimbu) 1 kg
Sugar 1 cup / 150 gm
Black salt (kala namak) 250 gm
Black cardamoms (badi elaichi) 25 gm
Black peppercorns (sabut kali mirch) 15 gm
Dry red chillies (sookhi lal mirch) 25 gm
Cumin (jeera) seeds 2 tbsp / 12 gm
Black cumin (shah jeera) seeds 2 tbsp / 12 gm
Carom (ajwain) seeds 15 gm
Asafoetida (hing) a pinch
Ginger powder (sonth) 100 gm
Method:
1. Grind the sugar, black salt, black cardamoms, black pepper, dry
red chillies, cumin seeds, black cumin seeds, carom seeds, asafoetida,
and ginger powder together to a fine powder. Mix ½ cup lemon juice with
the powder and stuff the slit lemons with this powder mixture.
2. Arrange the stuffed lemons in a glass jar, with a layer of the
powder mixture between them. Repeat till all the lemons and powder
mixture are used up. Pour the remaining lemon juice. Cover with a thick
cloth for the first 2 days and then put the jar out in the sun for 2
weeks, shaking occasionally. This pickle aids digestion and can stay
for up to 25 years.
