Sweet and spicy lemon and raisin pickle

Pickles in India fall into three broad categories based on how they are preserved: salted or brined, and sweet with oil and sugar or jaggery. Sweet pickles are found in every region of India and serve an essential role on the Indian table. They serve to add a pop of sweetness to the dishes that may otherwise be bland; the sweetness activates the salivary glands and stimulates the appetite.

This pickle is an excellent example of a sweet pickle that is loaded with flavours. It's a flavour bomb, sweet, spicy, and tart exploding together. The sticky sugars add a pop of flavour to the dish, and the pickle finishes with a trail of heat on the after-palate, making you crave more. The spices round out the pickle adding complexity. I loved how it turned out, and it is a staple on the table currently.

This cookbook specialises in the cuisine of Syrian Christians in Kerala. This community traces its ancestry back to the supposed arrival of St. Thomas the Apostle to Kerala in the 1st century. The cuisine has a distinct Anglo-Indian influence from the Portuguese influence and cooking techniques. It is very meat-heavy, with duck, beef and mutton taking centre stage. The cuisine is rich and bursting with flavours, loaded with heavy spices. This book is packed with traditional recipes that define this cuisine. This cookbook is for those who want to experience this fabulous cuisine at home.

For more recipes from this cookbook, click here.

Ingredients:

12 lemons

1/4 cup salt

1/4 cup oil

12 curry leaves

1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds

8-9 garlic cloves, sliced

1 tablespoon ginger paste

1/2 tablespoon mustard powder

1/4 cup chilli powder, Kashmiri preferred, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

A generous pinch of asafoetida

1/4 cup jaggery or palm sugar

1/2 cup raisins

Wash the lemons and dry them thoroughly. Cut the lemons in half horizontally and then each half into four wedges. Toss the salt with the mixture in a container, preferably a glass with a tight-fitting lid. Allow the lemons to pickle for 10 days. During this period, toss the lemons about twice a day.

After the week, heat the oil in the pot and add the curry and stir for 20 seconds. Add the fenugreek seeds, garlic, and ginger and cook for 1 minute till the ginger no longer smells raw. Take off the heat and add the Mustard powder, chilli, turmeric, and asafoetida. Give a quick stir and add the sugar. Return to low heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved and formed a thick syrup. Add the salted lime and stir until well combined. Cook for 1 minute, until just simmering, and then remove from the heat. You want the sugars to form a thick sauce. Cooking the mixture for too long will cause the limes to disintegrate. Take off the heat.

Put into sterilised bottles while still hot and seal. Store in the fridge for up to 1 month before eating.