Naranga Achar

the Kerala lime pickle: whole limes quartered, salted, and left in the sun until the rind darkens and softens, then dressed with chilli, fenugreek, asafoetida, and gingelly oil and matured in the jar

Origin: India

From the journey of Lime.

Lime pickle is amongst the oldest surviving forms of Indian preserving and one of the very few in which the fruit provides the entire pickling liquor itself. No vinegar is added and no water; salt alone draws the juice out of the quartered limes over a fortnight in the sun, and the fruit sits and softens in its own acid until the rind, which is bitter and leathery at the start, turns dark, translucent, and tender enough to eat whole. The Kerala version, naranga achar or naranga curry, is distinguished from the drier North Indian nimbu ka achaar by its wetness and by the tempering that finishes it: mustard seed and curry leaf crackled in gingelly oil, with asafoetida, roasted fenugreek, and a great deal of Kashmiri chilli, so that the pickle is dark red, oily, and hot rather than pale and salty. It belongs to the sadya, the vegetarian banquet served on a banana leaf at Onam and at weddings, where a smear of it sits at the top corner of the leaf and is eaten in tiny quantities with rice, and it is also what accompanies curd rice, plain kanji, and the invalid's meal. A jar is expected to last a year and to improve for the first three months of it.

Ingredients

Salting

20 whole small thin-skinned limes, unwaxed
100 g coarse rock salt or non-iodised sea salt
1 tsp ground turmeric

Tempering

120 ml gingelly (untoasted sesame) oil, or coconut oil
2 tsp black mustard seeds
2 sprig curry leaves
20 g fresh ginger, finely chopped
6 clove garlic, finely chopped
4 whole green chillies, slit lengthways
0.5 tsp asafoetida

Spice

1 tsp fenugreek seeds, dry-roasted and ground
4 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tbsp jaggery, grated (optional)

Method

Wash and dry the limes completely, then quarter each one lengthways without cutting quite through the base, so that the quarters stay attached. Pack them into a large sterilised glass or ceramic jar in layers with the rock salt and the first teaspoon of turmeric.
Seal the jar with a clean cloth tied over the mouth and stand it in the sun for 10 to 14 days, shaking it once daily. The salt will draw out the juice until the limes are submerged, and the rind will darken from green through brown and soften.
Dry-roast the fenugreek seeds in a small pan over a low heat for 2 minutes, until they darken a shade and smell nutty, then grind to a powder. Mix with the chilli powder and the second teaspoon of turmeric.
Heat the gingelly oil in a pan until it shimmers. Add the mustard seeds and wait for them to pop, then the curry leaves, ginger, garlic, and green chillies, and fry for 2 minutes. Take off the heat, stir in the asafoetida and the ground spice mixture, and let it cool for 5 minutes.
Pour the tempering, oil and all, into the jar of salted limes, add the jaggery if using, and stir thoroughly with a dry spoon. Seal and leave in a cool dark place for a further 2 weeks before eating, stirring every few days with a clean dry spoon.

Notes

Small, thin-skinned limes are far better here than large Persian limes, whose thick pith stays bitter however long it is salted; Indian, Mexican, or Key limes are ideal. The pickle is fiercely salty and sour and is eaten in very small quantities, a teaspoon at most, with rice, curd rice, kanji, dosa, or as one of the small tastes at the edge of a sadya leaf. It matures for three months and is at its best from about the second month. A simpler and much older version omits the tempering entirely and consists of nothing but limes, salt, and turmeric left in the sun for a month, which is what is given to a convalescent. Jaggery is a matter of household preference and is more common in the south of Kerala than the north.

The Gastrographer

Name: Naranga Achar
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 10 min
Yield: 40
Cuisine: India
Ingredients: 20 whole small thin-skinned limes, unwaxed; 100 g coarse rock salt or non-iodised sea salt; 1 tsp ground turmeric; 120 ml gingelly (untoasted sesame) oil, or coconut oil; 2 tsp black mustard seeds; 2 sprig curry leaves; 20 g fresh ginger, finely chopped; 6 clove garlic, finely chopped; 4 whole green chillies, slit lengthways; 0.5 tsp asafoetida; 1 tsp fenugreek seeds, dry-roasted and ground; 4 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder; 1 tsp ground turmeric; 1 tbsp jaggery, grated (optional)

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Journey Point Map Key

Ingredient originTrade or transit route

Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control