Padma Lakshmi shares her grandmother’s special lemon pickle recipe

As such, Indian-American author Padma Lakshmi took to Instagram to share the recipe for a “puckering, hot” lemon pickle that she learned from her grandmother. “This is super easy to make, but it does require some planning ahead since the lemons take six months to pickle,” she wrote.

She added that you can enjoy this delicious pickle with almost anything – from meats and sandwiches to sautéed vegetables. “My favourite way to enjoy it is with a big bowl of thayir sadam (yoghurt rice),” she shared.

Here’s how you can make Padma Lakshmi’s lemon pickle at home.

Ingredients

*6 lemons
*6 tbsp coarse sea salt
*2-3 tbsp neutral oil
*5 big black cardamom pods
*½ tsp black peppercorns
*½ tsp fennel or anise seeds
*½ tsp cumin seeds
*3 heaping tsp cayenne
*1 tsp turmeric
*½ tsp asafetida

Method

*Cut the lemons into chunks, place them in a large glass, airtight jar, and cover with sea salt. Store the jar in a dark pantry cupboard for 6 months. (Optional: add chopped ginger and green chilli after ~4 months)
*Put a small, dry pan over medium heat and roast the whole spices until fragrant.
*When the spices are cool enough to handle, add them to a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle along with the powdered spices. Grind everything into a coarse powder.
*Set the same pan you used to roast the spices over medium heat and add the oil.
*Add the spices to the hot oil, stirring for about 10-12 minutes. When the colour has changed to a darker brown, turn off the heat.
*Add the lemon and salt mixture to the spices and stir well. Keep this pickle in an airtight glass jar, where it will last for up to a year.

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