Nimbu Hari Mirch Achar Lemon Green Chilli Pickle No Oil Pickle

Pickles are such a great addition to any Indian meal. A little bit of pickle with meal improves the taste, add some spice to otherwise bland tasting meals like khichdi etc. The lemon and chilli pickle is very easy to make. Though I don’t make too many of them, Thanks to the Mom there is a constant supply of seasonal pickles at home :). She makes a delicious variety of Punjabi pickles. This Nimbu mirchi ka achar is one of her recipe.

I made this Nimbu Hari mirch pickle same day as I made Nimbu ka Khatta meetha achar (sweet and sour lemon pickle). Don’t get confused 😉 here In India we use lime and lemon interchangeably. But most of the time commonly available citrus is lime only. The good thing is you can make this pickle with both lime or lemon. This again is no oil pickle, no sugar either so the technique is slightly different for making nimbu mirch ka achar.

Cut lime and green chilli are mixed with spices, and then lemon/lime is crushed slightly so that they release some juice. The pickle is then bottled and kept in sun for 15-20 days. After that you can keep this Nimbu ka achar for 3-4 months in the refrigerator.

Things to Remember While Making Nimbu Mirch ka Achar / Lime and green chilli Pickle

As with other pickles, keep shaking the pickle every day so that fungus does not form. Since there are not many preservatives used here the shelf life is not that great. SO make a smaller batch which can be consumed soon. When making lemon pickle make sure to use a clean and dry Airtight container to store them. For storing any pickle wash the jar first and either sun dry or dry in the oven to remove any moisture. Keeping the pickle in for the few days in sunlight is important.