A delicious and easy recipe of sweet and spicy lemon pickle made in Instant Pot. A lip-smacking instant lemon pickle made with Meyer and Persian lemons that is perfect for both rice and paratha.
Pickles are popular condiments in the Indian subcontinent. This lemon pickle is known as “Nimbu ka Achaar” in Hindi, and “Elumichai Oorugai” in Tamil. And it is quite easy to prepare. My mom always makes “Neer Elumichai” – no oil lemon pickle recipe with green chilies and ginger. When needed, she makes the spicy version with the soaked lemons or the neer elumichai.
She also makes an instant version by soaking the lemon in hot water, more like a boiled lemon pickle. That boiled lemon pickle concept is the inspiration behind this recipe of mine.
As much as I like the spicy mango and lemon pickle, I love sweet and spicy ones too, especially for the parathas. So when my colleague gave me a few lemons, I decided to make it a sweet and spicy one this time. I used the spices that we regularly use for pickles in our home but added some jaggery as well. I didn’t follow any particular style and gave my spin to this recipe. So this is more like South Indian style lemon pickle with jaggery. :-)
Nothing can beat the fresh produce, and thanks to my colleague for sharing the freshly picked lemons. I had a mix of Persian lemon variety and Meyer lemon variety. (PS- I am still learning about these hybrid lemon varieties) Both these varieties are not as acidic as the regular ones and are comparatively sweeter. So it was perfect for this pickle. You can make this pickle with either one variety or with the type that you have in hand.
Just taste a drop of lemon juice and see how acidic/sweet it is and adjust the jaggery and salt according to it. You can take my measure as a base for four lemons and adapt accordingly.
Shelf Life & Storage-
Even though this lemon pickle would be ready in less than an hour, I would recommend using it after cooling down. It’s not quite an instant pickle like the carrot pickle or the cut-mango pickle. Also, as the pickle ages and marinates more in the brine, it tastes fantastic.
This pickle stays good for months in the refrigerator. Make sure to use a clean spoon during every use.
These days, I am opting for more dump and go kind of recipes, and this pickle is one such recipe. Please check the recipe notes for the pressure cooker version.
All you have to do is,
- Chop the lemons.
- Dump into the Instant Pot along with salt and spices and let the IP do its work.
- Once the cooking part is complete, we need to add jaggery and let it simmer.
- I love to temper my pickle. Not all pickle recipes call for tempering. But I like the texture of tempered fenugreek and mustard seeds in my pickle. So I always add it.
That’s it. Not complicated, right?
If you find some fresh lemons, do give this pickle a try. You won’t be disappointed.
How to serve the pickle or how to pair it?
An Indian thali/meal plate is incomplete without a pickle. You can serve with yogurt rice, stuffed flat-bread like parathas, dal rice, etc. If you ask my husband, he would say serve pickle with yogurt rice. But if you ask my mom, she would say pair it with anything and everything. She can relish pickle with sambar rice, any variety-rice she can mix pickle with plain steamed rice and enjoy it too.
As for me, I love it with my dal rice, yogurt rice, upma, and of course with parathas. If you are getting acquainted with Indian cuisine, I would recommend relishing it with dal and rice or with yogurt rice.
Now let’s see how to make this pickle.
How to make to sweet and spicy lemon pickle in Instant Pot-
Prep-Work-
- Trim the edges of the lemon and cut them into bite-sized pieces. Try to remove the seeds as much as you can and discard them.
Pressure Cooking the pickle with spices-
- Add 2 tbsp of oil to the inner pot of the Instant Pot and spread it evenly. Evenly coat the bottom of the inner pot with the oil. Now add the cut lemons.
- Next, add all the spices one by one – red chili powder, mustard seed powder, turmeric powder, and salt.
- Add the ½ cup of water on top—no need to mix.
- Now close the Instant Pot. Make sure the sealing ring is on, and the vent is in the sealing position. Pressure cook for 20 minutes at a high-pressure setting. Let the pressure release naturally. Open the instant pot and mix the pickle now. It will look watery, and it’s ok.
- Set the IP in saute mode and add the jaggery. Mix it and let it simmer for about 12 to 15 minutes. Partially cover the IP with a lid to avoid the splashing. Mix in between so that the pickle doesn’t get stuck in the bottom.
- The pickle will thicken slowly, and as it cools down, it will thicken more. If you like pickle brine, then simmer it just for 7 to 8 minutes. You can use the pickle brine to make pickle pulav/rice or mix with wheat flour and make spicy pickle brine paratha.
Tempering-
- In a separate tempering pan, add the remaining 3 tbsp oil. When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, and hing. Let the mustard seeds splutter.
- Turn off the heat and add it to the pickle.
- Mix it well and let it cool before storing in an air-tight container.
Recipe Notes-
- I used gingelly oil/sesame oil for this recipe. That’s what we regularly use for pickles, but you can use oil of your choice.
- As always, adjust the spices according to your taste plus based on the tartness of the lemons.
- I did not add any nigella seeds/kalonji in this pickle. But you can add a tsp of kalonji seeds, and it elevates the flavor of the pickle.
- I used powdered jaggery for this recipe. You can use grated or shaved ones. If you feel the jaggery may contain impurities, simmer ¼ cup of water and add the jaggery. Once it dissolves, filter it and add this mixture to the pickle.
- Twenty minutes of pressure cooking is sufficient for this lemon variety. But if the skin is thick, you can increase the cooking time to 25 minutes but not more than that.
- Pressure Cooker Version
- You can add oil to the pressure pan or cooker and add the cut lemon. Then add the spices, turmeric, and salt. Add water and mix it and pressure cook for 4 to 5 whistles. Let the pressure subside and open the cooker. Add the jaggery and simmer it over medium-low heat for about 12 to 15 minutes. Then add the tempering and let it cool.
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📖 Recipe
Sweet and Spicy Lemon Pickle | Easy Indian Lemon Pickle Recipe
Equipment
- Stove-top pressure cooker or Instant Pot
Ingredients
Measurement details - 1 cup - 240 ml, 1 tbsp - 15 ml, 1 tsp - 5 ml
- 4 medium-sized lemons I used 3 Persian variety and 1 Meyer variety when chopped approx 2 cups heaped
- ½ cup water
- 5 tbsp gingelly oil divided (2 tbsp + 3 tbsp)
- 1.5 tbsp red chili powder
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- ½ tbsp mustard seed powder
- 1 tbsp salt or to taste
- ⅓ to ½ cup jaggery or as required ( I added ½ cup store-bought powdered jaggery, check recipe notes for more details)
- 2 tsp mustard seeds
- 1.5 tsp fenugreek seeds
- ½ tsp asafoetida
Instructions
Prep-Work-
- Trim the edges of the lemon and cut them into bite-sized pieces. Try to remove the seeds as much as you can and discard them.
Pressure Cooking the pickle with spices-
- Add 2 tbsp of oil to the inner pot of the Instant Pot and spread it evenly. Evenly coat the bottom of the inner pot with the oil. Now add the cut lemons.
- Next, add all the spices one by one - red chili powder, mustard seed powder, turmeric powder, and salt. Add the ½ cup of water on top—no need to mix. Now close the Instant Pot. Make sure the sealing ring is on, and the vent is in the sealing position. Pressure cook for 20 minutes at a high-pressure setting. Let the pressure release naturally. Open the instant pot and mix the pickle now. It will look watery, and it's ok.
- Set the IP in saute mode and add the jaggery. Mix it and let it simmer for about 12 to 15 minutes. Partially cover the IP with a lid to avoid the splashing. Mix in between so that the pickle doesn't get stuck in the bottom. The pickle will thicken slowly, and as it cools down, it will thicken more. If you like pickle brine, then simmer it just for 7 to 8 minutes. You can use the pickle brine to make pickle pulav/rice or mix with wheat flour and make spicy pickle brine paratha.
Tempering the pickle
- In a separate tempering pan, add the remaining 3 tbsp oil. When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, and hing. Let the mustard seeds splutter. Turn off the heat and add it to the pickle.
- Mix it well and let it cool before storing in an air-tight container.
Notes
- I used gingelly oil/sesame oil for this recipe. That's what we regularly use for pickles, but you can use oil of your choice.
- As always, adjust the spices according to your taste plus based on the tartness of the lemons.
- I did not add any nigella seeds/kalonji in this pickle. But you can add a tsp of kalonji seeds, and it elevates the flavor of the pickle.
- I used powdered jaggery for this recipe. You can use grated or shaved ones. If you feel the jaggery may contain impurities, simmer ¼ cup of water and add the jaggery. Once it dissolves, filter it and add this mixture to the pickle.
- Twenty minutes of pressure cooking is sufficient for this lemon variety. But if the skin is thick, you can increase the cooking time to 25 minutes but not more than that.
- Pressure Cooker Version
- You can add oil to the pressure pan or cooker and add the cut lemon. Then add the spices, turmeric, and salt. Add water and mix it and pressure cook for 4 to 5 whistles. Let the pressure subside and open the cooker. Add the jaggery and simmer it over medium-low heat for about 12 to 15 minutes. Then add the tempering and let it cool.
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist. The nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It varies depending upon the product types or brands.
Made this fast pickle. Turned out perfectly. Next I’ll try the same with raw mangoes. Glad I found this easy recipe. Full of fabulous flavours. I used mustard oil and hence skipped the mustard powder. Thank you.
Thank you so much. Glad it came out well.
Hi Srividhya
I really love this recipe. I am actually a chef and run a vegan Indian food delivery business in the UK, please check mine out too . I have been trying to create a great lemon pickle for some time. After trying your recipe I then added jaggery to mine and it really helped. Thank you and wishing you a blessed day.
Thanks so much.
Can we use limes instead of lemons?
I haven’t tested this with limes. But lime pickle might get little bitter so I would recommend lemons.
When using a pressure cooker for this recipe you advise to “pressure cook for 4 to 5 whistles”. I am not sure what that means. Do you mean to cook for four to five minutes?
In Indian pressure-cookers, we do get whistles/hisses and that’s what I meant.
Thank you for your prompt reply, Srividhya. Can you please tell me how long I should cook the lemons in the pressure cooker?
I would do two to three hisses, depending upon the thickness of the lemon. Sorry for the delayed response.
This is one of the most unique lemon pickle recipes that I have come across. However, if you are looking for a traditional lemon pickle that can also be used as a chutney and dip, check out this Lemon Crush Pickle from FarmDidi.
I made this yesterday, its Absolutely delicious and so easy to make! Thank you for the recipe 🙂
Awesome. Glad you liked.
Tried it turned out great. Thanks for sharing.
Great. Thanks :-)
Hi vidhya, can I make the same recipe (without jaggery) in the instant pot with nelikkai?
Yes, the timing might vary. Is it frozen gooseberry or fresh ones? I have nellikkai thokku on my blog. Kindly check that too.
Fresh
In that case, just slit the gooseberries and steam them in IP for 5 to 6 minutes and deseed them. Then mash it and make the pickle more like thokku style.
Hi, vidhya. Can I use the same recipe (without jaggery) for nellikai? Just bought an instant pot so excited to use it.
Sorry just responded back to the other comment.
I made the lemon pickle with 20lemons and used less of fenugreek and mustard for tempering and more jaggery It turned out very good Yummy Thanks
Thanks so much.
Thank you, really liked the recipe but a little confused about the shelf life. I had hoped that with volume of natural acid from the lemons plus salt and oil this would be shelf-stable for at least 6 months.
Any further information would be really helpful
Many thanks
With the weather fluctuating I always refrigerate. The shelf life of cooked pickles especially with sweet is different. You can read more about it here.
I made today this pickle it’s tasting bitter added more jaggery hope it will improve
It should. The bitterness depends upon the lemon varieties.
I tried the recipe but my pickle is tasting bitter. Will the taste improve with time or will it remain bitter only
Sorry to hear that. I would try adding a little bit more jagger and simmer again. Thanks
Why my pickle taste bitter? I had removed all seeds and followed the recipe.
Sorry to hear that. Sometimes it could be the variety. I would try adding a little bit more jagger and simmer again. Thanks
I just made this lemon pickle today and it turned out really tasty! I have a tendency to improvise any recipe I look at but followed this precisely and am so happy the way it turned out! Do you have a ginger pickle recipe? Thank you!
Thanks a lot. I have ginger chutney(thokku kind) but not a pickle. https://www.vidhyashomecooking.com/inji-thokku-ginger-pickle/ I will share the pickle soon.
How do you for this? Does it need refrigeration? I’ve make it and it’s yum…. But concerned about storage as there was water added to it
Yes you can refrigerate it in an air-tight container. Don’t keep it out. If you have made it in bulk, you can try freezing also.
Where can I buy your ready made Pickles?
I don’t sell pickles. Sorry.
I made this pickle just now. As of now I liked the taste n its yumm.
Thanks a lot. I hope you like it throughout.
Adding water won’t spoil pockle????
No. As we cook it again it’s not a problem.
Not sweet at all.
Too many fenugreek and mustard seeds.
Mine did not have this dark brown colour.
Disappointed.
Cooking more lemons now to dilute the mustard seeds and fenugreek and adding more sugar. ??♀️
I wish there were open comments after the recipe so could’ve seen what other people’s experience was.
Hi Reena, sorry to hear that. We love mustard and fenugreek so went with that amount (1.5 tsp of fenugreek seeds & 2 tsps of mustard seeds). Also, I used dark jaggery hence the color. If you are adding sugar, you might not get the brown color. When I posted it on FB groups, few folks tried and shared their feedback https://www.facebook.com/groups/1165748826888213/permalink/2835565003239912/.
As I mentioned in the post, we like the texture so I went with tempering. The more it soaks, the fenugreek becomes soft. I hope this helps and thanks for your feedback.