Elumichai Oorugai is an instant lime pickle from the southern part of India (Tamil Nadu). It is sweet, and tangy, and will definitely tickle your taste buds with its incredible taste. Here is how to make it.
Want to try a few more pickle recipes, then here are some of my other favorites – Kerala Style Mango Pickle, Vadu Mango Pickle, Chilli Pickle, Avakaya Pachadi, Hing Ka Achar, Nimbu Mirch Ka Achar, and Allam Avakaya.
Jump to:
About This Recipe
If you are craving a lime pickle, then try this Elumichai Oorugai which comes together in just 30 minutes.
It is a South Indian style(Tamil Nadu) instant lime pickle that gets a sour taste from limes, spicy from the red chili powder, and sweet from the use of jaggery.
Limes are boiled, dried, and then mixed with sesame oil, spice powders, and jaggery to get this sweet and sour pickle. Make it in small batches and enjoy it fresh!
Ingredients
This pickle is slightly different from the regular pickles that are prepared in our Indian homes. This version needs a few basic ingredients such as – limes, sesame oil, asafetida (hing), Kashmiri red chili powder, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds powder, turmeric powder, jaggery, and salt.
Get your hands on fresh limes, which are yellow or light green in color and are a little firm to touch.
This pickle is prepared in sesame oil which gives a distinct taste to it. You can easily find sesame oil at any Indian grocery store or online.
Asafetida adds a beautiful flavor, but if you want it to be gluten-free you can completely avoid adding it.
I prefer to use Kashmiri red chili powder, as it adds a nice bright red color to the pickle without making it too spicy.
Serving Suggestions
This instant lemon pickle tastes great when served on the side with South Indian curd rice. It can be served with the humble combination of sambar rice, rasam rice, or any other South Indian or North Indian meals.
It also tastes great when served with tawa paratha or stuffed parathas for breakfast.
Storing Suggestions
Elumichai Oorugai will last in the refrigerator for about 2 months, but I prefer to make it in small quantity that gets over in a month. It tastes great when prepared fresh. Make sure you store it in a clean and dry glass bottle.
Use a clean and dry spoon to take out the pickle from the container and close the lid tightly after every use.
You Might Also Like
Recipe Card
Elumichai Oorugai Recipe (Tamil Nadu Style Instant Lime Pickle)
Ingredients
- 1 pound limes (500 g)
- 4 tablespoons sesame oil
- ¼ teaspoon asafetida (hing)
- 2 tablespoons Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1 tablespoon mustard seeds (powdered)
- ½ teaspoon fenugreek seed powder (methi dana powder)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon crushed jaggery
- 1 tablespoon salt
Instructions
- Wash the limes with water and add them to a pressure cooker along with 1 cup of water.
- Pressure cook for 2 whistles on high heat.
- Note – You can also cook the lime in an instant pot for 5 minutes at high pressure.
- Remove the cooker from heat and let the pressure release naturally.
- Open the lid of the cooker and drain the water.
- Spread the limes on a kitchen towel for 3-4 hours until they are nicely dried.
- Chop the limes into small pieces (¼ inch). Discard the seeds.
- Heat sesame oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
- When the oil is hot, reduce the heat to low.
- Add asafetida, Kashmiri red chili powder, mustard seeds, fenugreek seed, turmeric powder, jaggery, and salt to the pan.
- Add the chopped lime and mix everything well.
- Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove the pan from heat and cool the pickle.
- Transfer it to a clean glass bottle and refrigerate for up to 2 months.
Bill Bencze
Hi Neha … do you use roasted or raw sesame oil for this recipe? I want to make this!! Thanks
Neha Mathur
I used cold-pressed sesame oil.
Bill Bencze
Fantastic recipe! Easy to make and very tasty. I found that my Kashmiri chili, while nice and red, was pretty bland head-wise (expected) so I added 2 tsp of ground Karnataka byadagi chili to the mix heat it up a bit.