Lime Pickle - with a twist!

Flavour Notes

Punchy. Peppery. Sour. A Murabba-like scent

Inspiration

"Lime achar is quintessentially Indian. When Chef Hussain brainstormed a grain-based salad for The Bombay Canteen, he aimed to use ingredients which are inherently Indian and not commonly used in a commercial kitchen. Barley and Jowar specifically stood out.

Chef incorporated different textures in what would become the Barley Salad by puffing the grains, dehydrating them and frying them. In this way, he uplifted ordinary ingredients and gave each one a unique twist. Intending to use garnishes and spices that were also intrinsically Indian, Chef Hussain turned to lime. Inspired by his mother’s ghar-ka-achar – a simple lime, sugar and chilli recipe – Chef reimagined the ordinary lime pickle. He incorporated the pith of the lime into the Barley Salad after the pickling process was complete. In his research on how best to preserve the limes, he drew inspiration from a Mediterranean technique of making preserved limes with just a little salt and sugar."

Process

• Cut 2kgs of large limes into quarters halfway from the top
• Add limes into a mason jar
• Add 20gms of salt to the chillies
• Add 1.5kg of rock salt
• Add 500gm of granulated sugar
• Add 15-18 bay leaves
• Add 30 gms of roasted black peppercorns
• Let the jar sit in the sun for 1 month and allow the natural preservative (bay leaf) to do its trick.
• You will know the limes are done when the they turn brown

Tip: Make sure to remove the limes before they become too mushy!"

The Bombay Canteen uses this for

"Our favourite – The Barley Salad. But we only use the rind of the lime. Discard the rest of lime as it absorbs the salt and becomes inedible.

You can use this for

Tangy Vinaigrettes.Pickle!