If there is a condiment that no Indian can live without, it has to be achar. It's spicy, tangy, sour, and salty. The best part is that it goes with every single meal you make. And I am sure our love for achar is so much that you must be having containers full of them lined up in your kitchen! Some might buy them from outside, and some might make them at home. Recently, celebrity television personality Padma Lakhsmi was also seen making some yummy neembu (lemon) achar. Ms. Lakshmi is quite a foodie and often posts about having various delicacies. And that's not only it; if you follow her on Instagram, you will also find multiple reels of her cooking!
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In her recipe, she first shows that she had pickled the base of the lemons around six months ago by cutting lemon pieces and mixing them with sea salt. After a few months, she also added ginger and chilli into it. For the next step in her recipe, Padma says that she will be roasting and grinding whole spices like jeera, saunf, cayenne, turmeric powder, and more. Then she heats a pan and adds some oil, and throws in the roasted spice mix. To this, she adds the lemon ginger mix and combines it with masala! And voila, the recipe is ready.
In the caption of her post, she also informed her followers, "This is a classic recipe for a puckering, hot pickle that I learned from my granny, Jima. This is super easy to make, but it does require some planning ahead since the lemons take six months to pickle." Take a look at her video of making neembu achar here:
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This isn't the first time that Padma Lakshmi has been vocal about her love for achar. Just a few days ago, she posted a video on Twitter where she was talking about how she used to lick the spoon that was used in pickle making. She also added that she really enjoys its sweet, salty, and sticky taste!
Have you ever tried making an achar at home? Let us know in the comments below which one is your favourite recipe!