Kerala Naranga Achar|Spicy Lemon Pickle Recipe Kerala Style without steaming

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 Naranga Achar / നാരങ്ങ (Lemon) അച്ചാർ(Pickle) is a lemon pickle recipe Kerala style. I think at every home in Kerala there will be some kind of achars for sure especially, any Mango pickle or lemon pickle. Isn't it amazing how a little lick/pick of a pickle when served as a condiment with any meal, is enough to make the meal more appetizing and finger-licking? No wonder why pickles are an important sadya food item /Grand Kerala feast food item and also, the best friend of the famous wholesome Biryanis.

I am not a huge fan of pickles, just a lick tricks my tongue and when it comes to pickle, I am often tempted to open the complaint box of my hubby who is such a die-hard fan of achars that he can eat/complete a small jar of a pickle in no time if I don't dare to stop him as if it was a sour-tangy-spicy dessert in a jar #HolyPickle😂😡. 

All complaints here 😎> RELATED:Kadumanga Achar|How to make cut mango pickle Kerala style

Today,I am trying my best to curb that temptation to complain full on as I am a little corrupted, my hubby bribed me 😎😉😜😄. Well, it is OUR b'day month and last week was our B'days, just a few days apart. Since he is in US and I am here, he had been sending me gifts till my b' day . And I love surprises and it makes me smile like an idiot.#JaiHoForBeingThoughtful #BVisGrateful🙌💝

However, I am unbribeable (I found that word,I've my own oxbored dictionary!😝) but then honestly speaking/ollath ollakoott parayanavallo, my friends often complain that their husbands/wives do forget their b'day and/or anniversaries, but my hubby hardly forgot till date and he always gifts me which are mostly, expensive, that, most of the time intimidates me too. So, I truly admire and appreciate from the bottom of my heart everything good he does for the family, like, in spite of his tight work schedule, he does remember all these important days of our life and all his efforts and wishes to make the days special.👏💖 #MereJeevanSaathiPyaarKiyeJaaFromZiddiWifeSatyamShivamSundaram💃💞

I usually make these important days of our life special by cooking special and sometimes buying him something. However, this year, I (mainly) and Corona screwed up all these special days of our life. But I will make it up to him for sure and he knows it...And learning/mastering how to make homemade pickles for the achar kodiyan/the Pickle lover is one of the step ....#WorkInProgress #YouAreInGoodRoughHands

There are some lemon pieces not good which my little lady threw into the plate....

This lemon pickle is easy to make and very tasty and homely. Amma says with the same spice mix, I can make any pickle I wish. So,I am super excited. So, honey P is in for a variety of pickle surprises😎😍.I hope he won't stop eating pickles after eating mine though😁. Well, that I won't regret in a way, as he can be really unstoppable, which is not good for his health and it just drives me mad. If he will play with his health, that is unacceptable.PERIOD. Another good thing about my hubby is that he loves everything I cook. So,I will not end up finishing the pickle alone probably. Thank God!🙏🙌😆

By the way, I must admit that if I love any pickles the most, then those are the varieties of lip-smacking Andhra pickles . There is something about it! I first tried and fell in love with them, when my Telugu/Andhra friend used to bring pickles in her lunchbox at school...O My...I only wanted her pickles 😀...So, I can guess where my hubby got this pickly addiction from...Can't blame him in a way....#DearArunaWhereAreYouMissYouGirl....

Coming to the Kerala pickle, this is how Kerala style lemon pickle is made at our home ...We don't steam lemons for making the pickles like I saw in many blogs, so I am sharing with you our unique way of making the Kerala pickle our traditional style ...

Lemon Pickle Kerala style|Naranga Achar

Ingredients

Lemons  10 Nos

Salt  4 Tbsp or to taste

Vinegar 1/4th cup

Red chili powder  4 TBSP

Fenugreek powder 1 TBSP

Turmeric powder 1/2 TBSP

Asafoetida 1 TSP

Sesame oil/Any oil used for pickling  1/2 cup approx

Mustard seeds 1/2 TSP

Sugar to taste/Jaggery (optional)

STERILIZED DRY BOTTLE/JAR

Preparation method to make lemon pickle

1. Clean/Wash the jars, sterilize it in hot water completely and dry it in and out. Keep it aside.
2. Clean the lemons under water and pat them dry.
3. Cut them into half and then into 4-7 slices vertically.
4. Coat them with salt nicely and store them into the dry glass jar/Ceramic jar/Bharani for a week at room temperature till the lemon juice oozes out. Every alternate day, give a quick stir using a dry spoon.
5. Heat the vinegar in a pan and allow it to cool off completely.
6. Meanwhile, heat a Kadai/wide pan, splutter the mustard seeds, and switch off the flame.
7. Mix all the spices and keep it aside.
8. Carefully, place the Kadai onto the countertop and add all the spices and saute it for a minute or two continuously. This way we can prevent the spices from getting burnt, which may otherwise make the pickle taste bitter.
9. Then transfer all the lemons stored in the glass jar into the above spice mix in Kadai and coat them well.
10. Pour the cooled vinegar all over the pickle and mix well.
11. Let this almost ready lemon pickle sit for a few days or a week for the best flavor.
12. That's it naranga achar or lemon pickle Alleppey tyle is ready to serve.
13. Time to lick your fingers!

NOTE:

1. The jar used to store pickles should be completely dry .

2. Use fresh lemons without any discoloring or marks for best and bitter free taste.

3. Serve it ONLY with a dry spoon or the pickle will be spoiled with fungus.

4. Sesame oil gives the best taste.

5. The more this pickle sits,more tastier it will become gradually and also will change its color.

OR, watch this pickle video that will demonstrate the step by step method to make the naranga achar Alleppey style .

Pickles are in fact good for health when eaten in moderation and when they are homemade, they have no strange preservatives or artificial colors, we can use fresh organic vegetables and control the amount of oil, salt, and spices if required. So, I am happy that I finally learned how to make homemade pickles which would make our big boss/Pati Parmeshwar happy and will also remind me of amma and stories attached to every pickle later...

By the by, by the time I will reach the US, my hubby will be hoarding bottles of pickles, probably spread all over the kitchen island 🙈 and if the pickle bottles are of glass, he will save it for me for sure as he knows I will recycle them somehow 😁.

Patidev/ketiyavvan/Hubby is not eating food properly it seems. Junk mostly 😔. Well, he can cook really well , though they don't have any names particularly 😆. After marriage, he didn't enter the kitchen for cooking and I don't feel comfortable either (OK ladies pls don't roll your eyes, my friends do so 😃) as he is already working so hard and I don't want him to work hard in the kitchen as well. Also, there is a possibility of doubling my chores ...😁 #SuperBharyaSyndrome 😉

Then God intervened,I came to India,Corona became the monster-in-law ,pinne thodangi illey ammaiamma pozhu / bhayanak Corona saas ke atyaachar ..Shiva Shiva....He had no choice but to enter the kitchen and cook the food by himself.Looks like by the time I'll reach US,he can start his own cooking blog 😄.He claims he now knows very well how to make dosa-Idli,Dhokla,rava ladoo ,a few curries etc ...However, he complains that because of workload he is not able to cook food that often. Once he starts working, he has a tendency to forget to even eat 😐.So, I am going...

***Moreover, didn't I spill about all his health issues in the recent blog posts so far. That was a part of my conspiracy theory. I was not comfortable sharing but there was a purpose. It was all a part and parcel of my plan.I mean I feel very uncomfortable talking anything negative about my hubby in public even to my parents.I would rather say it on his face.However,I took a chance,a difficult approach and thought of taking advantage of my blog to tackle it if possible.I've a hunch that he reads my blog too sometimes chori chori chupke chupke (Achcha ji,Mone Dinesha 😎). 

I was publicly challenging him to take seriously stuffs he is otherwise taking for granted. Thought that would prompt him to be damn serious and take the apt actions required ASAP. I mean he is mostly so engaged with his work day and night that he is messing up his health. We do spend quality family time though but when it comes to his health, he takes it for granted. If I don't pay attention, remind him to be serious,them he will ignore and screw his health. He doesn't entertain too many reminders as well...Leo is his zodiac sign you see...#MySherSinghAndKroorSingh😉😋😀

And Since I am in India now and it's been a while here, I couldn't manage him up, close and personal.SO, I did that through my blog! 😜😁.I wanted to publicly challenge him to be physically active and lose weight especially that pot/pett/kodaVayarru/bloated tummy which is a storehouse of all diseases. Now that we were not there, he could kill any leisure time he gets by working out/exercising seriously , I thought. Alas, it didn't work out the way I wished though. 😒

He is physically active, at least pretends to be, whenever I video call him. He will be walking around in his office room, going out to smell roses, telling me he has to fix the attic etc etc 😀 .By the way, my hubby can do/fix all the electrical works like fans, etc,by himself. He is a great handyman and can also do great DIYs as well but ONLY when he takes time out of his work schedule, which he struggles/ignores. He is head over heels loyally in love with his 1st wife, work laptop 😀😜.So, it's high time, I am planning to go soon, anyways this Corona doesn't seem to be improving a bit and vaccine looks like a distant dream, a time taking work in progress...

Traveling is going to be risky,I am scared, nervous but may God and angels guide us, lead us, and keep us safe as always ...AMEN! Hence the truth or the secret (***) revealed as there is no point to continue my fruitless plan, I was feeling uneasy too..#MissionUnaccomplished #MissionAbortedForNow #InPersonIsTheKey

Well, hubby often forgets that not only his, mine too zodiac sign is LEO and ONLY a lioness can tame the lion !!! #ROARS😉😎😂🙊 

By the by, Onam is nearing. So, do try lemon pickle our Alleppey style for sure ketta .Not sure if Keralites are in a mood to celebrate Onam though. But life is so unpredictable so do celebrate if possible. Anyways, do try my naranga achar for sure, you may not regret it.

I am excited I can now stop buying readymade pickles from store that I always regretted and make fresh batches at home...#ForMyMAN ...enthokkey aanu paavam bharyamaar cheyandey bharthaavnndey santhoshathinnu vendi alley/What all things a wife is supposed to do for her hubby's happiness you see.. the list is endless OMG ...But Praveen chetta you are so lucky, do you have any idea ???😉😛😆😄😄

He married me within a week even though my father insisted for a six-month gap and he had no idea what he was getting into #ShaadiKarrKePhanssGayaYaarAchchaKhaasaThaKuwaara eeehaann 😉😂😅😆😇

And to my braveheart / dearest Honey P, by all powers vested in me, I hereby declare you honey P.ICKLE...eeehaaa 😉😋😂😂😂🙊🙉🙏

You know right even though I appreciate you for being thoughtful and making my b' day special, I am not completely sold coz 💕#Presence ≥ Presents 💕 #NokkethaDoorathuKannumNattu

A song for the one who dared to marry me and for tolerating all my nonsense so far 😉😇 , my favorite lines from my favourite song , from my favorite movie with my fav actress Jaya ji sung by my fav singer Kishore da....#KhoobBhalo

Movie: Piya ka ghar 

Dhan se naa duniyaa se ghar se na dvaar se
Saanso ki dor bandhi hai pritam ke pyaar se

Duniyaa chhute, par naa tute,Ye aisaa bandhan hai .....

Thode gam hai thodi khushiyan
Yahi hai, yahi hai, yahi hai chhaanv dhup
Ye jivan hai,is jivan kaa

Yahi hai, yahi hai, yahi hai rang roop......

(Translation: Not with money or worldly happiness not with home or door

                         Lovers breathe is linked with his beloved's/lover's love

                        One may leave this world but this is such a relationship that won't break..

                        There is a bit of sadness and a little bit of happiness

                         As a bit of shadow, a bit of noon, 

                        These are the colors of this life
                        This is the way of life, this is LIFE !!)

So, if you add little sugar/jaggery/sweetness to this pickle, it will truly justify the song above as well. Life is nothing but a combo of sourness, tanginess, bitterness, and sweetness and that's what makes life interesting and worth exploring/living.Haina/Allaie?

Add this pickle to your menu today and hope it'll add a zing to your life too.. in moderation😎😉😍

Take good care of yourself,

(CNN (<-Click for the link))If people washed their hands regularly, wore masks, and kept their social distance from each other, these three simple behaviors could stop most of the Covid-19 pandemic, even without a vaccine or additional treatments, according to a new study. PLS DO NOT FORGET!!