Lime Pickle (Limbiya Nonchey)

If there is one food item which I devour again and again and not get tired, its PICKLE. I have tried numerous amounts of Pickles here in US, but none came close to Mom's pickle. Best I decided I would try and make one of my own. Quickly called my hotline - MOM. She gave me all the essential tips and I followed them to the final detail.

My final flavour of the pickle was yummy. I could not believe this morsel of spicy tangy delicacy in my mouth.

Simply out-of-the-world feeling. It took me a week's time to have the lime salted, treated with powders and finally packed to perfection to marinate for month's together. This is the way my mom makes pickle, I am sure there are other traditional methods as well. I love the taste of this lime especially once its marinated and ready to eat. I cannot wait for my turn.

Storage suggestions: Cover the Pickle Jar with a cellophane square tightly adjusted to the lid and then clasp the jar tight. I have stored my jar in a cool, dry place in the kitchen. Once marinated and you begin to use it, you could store in the fridge for better shelf life. You will notice after a month, the pickle will have liquor slowly oozing out and that's a sign that your pickle is ready for consumption.


Recipe Source: Mom
Serves: 40 pieces of lime = 40 servings.

Ingredients:
Lime - 10
Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 Tbsp
Red Chillies - 25
Mustard seeds - 2 T
Turmeric powder - 1/2 t
Asfoetida powder - 1/4 t
Salt - 6-9 Tbsp ~ I found the salt less, added some later ~ My judgement: 10 tablespoon of salt, the appropriate the salt the long lasting your Pickle.

Method:
I bought 10 lime from local grocery store here for around $2.00. I washed them with water thoroughly and wiped them dry with a dry towel. Once you are ready, roast the lime on a mildly hot skillet for few minutes. This ensures there is no moisture and also improves the absorption capacity of the lime pieces. Take the lime off the stove, cut them into quarters and add 6-9 table spoon of salt. Give a good stir and keep aside in a mixing bowl covered for a week. Everyday at the end of the day give it a gentle stir to ensure the juices mix evenly.

At the end of the week, get the masalas ready. Dry roast each of the items - Red Chillies, Mustard, Fenugreek seeds. Be careful not to over roast them as this would render a bitter taste and ruin the taste of the pickle. Mix the powder with the pre-cut lime in salt and stir well.

Store in a moisture free jar for a month. Resume use after a month. You will enjoy the flavour of pickled lime, just the way I did.