A quick and easy Instant Pot recipe for a Sweet & Spicy lemon pickle, also called Nimbu ka Achaar in Hindi. This preserved lemon condiment is extremely popular in India and goes great with Indian dal and rice.
There are endless variations of this pickle and almost every family has their own spin on it. This recipe is inspired from my father-in-law's delicious family recipe, that he had inherited from his grandmother! It is an Instant Pot pressure cooker adaptation of his recipe.
Quicker and Easier than Traditional Recipe
Typically, lemon pickle is made in summer by brining lemons in their own juice, salt and a blend of spices, and sugar in some variations. The pickle is then matured in sunlight and this process takes a few weeks. This is my version, except this one got ready in 45 minutes!
In this recipe, I made this sweet 'n' spicy lemon pickle in my electric pressure cooker, Instant Pot, but it can be made in any programmable or even a stove-top pressure cooker.
What to Serve with Lemon Pickle
Lemon pickle is one of the most popular condiments in Indian cuisine. It goes great with lentils, curries, vegetable biryani, rice, stuffed flatbreads and naan. I personally love it with Dal tadka and Cumin Rice.
Recently, I served it on my cheese platter, along with crackers and creamy brie and it was such a big hit. So many of my friends asked me for this recipe. It is now a staple on my cheese board!
Pro Tips for the Best Lemon Pickle
This pickle tastes even more delicious as it ages. I make it and refrigerate it for a couple of weeks before taking it out. This time allows all the flavors to marinate with each other and the flavor intensifies as it sits.
Life of Instant Pot Lemon Pickle
When stored in an air-tight container, this pressure cooked Lemon pickle stays good in the refrigerator for a few months at least! Always use a clean dry spoon to scoop out the pickle, this prevents any cross contamination and prolongs its life.
Instant Pot Lemon Pickle- Variation
In this recipe, I use brown sugar to sweeten the pickle. Brown sugar also gives it a gorgeous dark color. You can also use Jaggery instead of brown sugar.
Jaggery is evaporated cane juice powder, which has a deep color and a distinct floral sweet smell. It works equally well in this recipe. I use the same quantity as brown sugar, but you can adjust it to taste and add another tablespoon or two, if you like your pickle sweeter.
Lemon Pickle using Meyer Lemons
Recently, I picked up a bag of gorgeous Meyer Lemons from Trader Joe's.
I decided to try this recipe using those instead. But, I made one change though. Since I was out of Panch phoran, so I used a combination of mustard seeds, fennel seeds and fenugreek seeds instead.
Meyer lemons are sweeter, juicier and have a thinner peel as compared to regular lemons. So, the pickle is naturally more sweeter, which was a plus 🙂
Since the peel was thinner and there was more juice and fibers in the lemon, the pickle is more like a chunky preserve, as you can see from the picture.
This pickle with Meyer Lemons was a bigger hit in my house. My kids just loved it. They smeared it all over their Parantha (stuffed flat-bread) and enjoyed it! Definitely a keeper for us!
More Jams and Preserves from my Kitchen
★ Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating below! For more quick & easy recipes, FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Youtube.
Sweet 'n' Spicy Lemon Pickle in Instant Pot | Nimbu ka Achaar
Ingredients
- 6 medium lemons
Roasting Spice mix- (see instructions on how to roast and grind)
- 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon Fenugreek Seeds
- 1 teaspoon Fennel Seeds
For Tempering
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon black mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder (or ¼-1/2 teaspoon cayenne)
- 6 tablespoons Brown Sugar
Instructions
- Wash and dry 6 lemons. Turn on the Instant Pot. Pour 1 cup water in the inner pot and place a trivet. Place lemons in a bowl and place on top of the trivet. Close the lid. Set the vent to Sealing position. Hit Manual (High Pressure) for 15 minutes.
- In the meantime, roast the spice blend for grinding. Place spices listed under the "Roasting spices list" on a microwave safe plate and heat in microwave for 3 minutes in 30 second increments, stirring in between. Cool for 5 minutes and grind to a fine powder in a spice blender.
- Wait for natural pressure release from the Instant Pot. Open lid and remove the lemons. Cut in halves and remove seeds. Turn on the Instant Pot on sauté mode and let it heat up, about 30 seconds. Add oil and mustard seeds. When mustard seeds begin to splutter, add lemons, salt, sugar and all spices. Stir well.
- Continue to sauté for 4-5 minutes till the liquid reaches a jam like consistency. Turn off the Instant Pot. For best results, let the pickle rest in the refrigerator for 4-5 days before eating.
Video
Notes
- Cook time= Time to set for pressure cooking.
- For best results, refrigerate the pickle in an airtight container for 1-2 weeks.
- Variation: You can use jaggery instead of brown sugar.
Adriana says
Hi. Can I bottle this hot for a longer shelf life and not refrigerate?
Aneesha says
Hi Adriana, I'm afraid you'll have to refrigerate it.
Glen says
Dumb question- but I couldn't tell from the description or the video, if you drain the water from the IP along with the lemons, before adding the oil and frying the mustard seeds. It didn't *look* like there was water in the video, but it wasn't explicitly mentioned. I drained it, since I expected a lot of splashy mess adding oil to water on a high heat! My finished lemons are in a jar in the fridge, awaiting the Big Reveal next week or so. 🙂 Can't wait!
Aneesha says
Hi Glen, pretty valid question, I'll add clarity to that step in the recipe. I hope you're enjoying the pickle.
Parthenia says
Thanks for sharing your thoughts about expansive soil.
Regards
Liz says
Next time I will use less chili and perhaps Meyer lemons, but otherwise this recipe is a lovely flavor combination. I am sure it will mellow a bit in the fridge, too.
Aneesha says
Hi Liz, I'm so glad you liked it. And yes, it mellows down as it sits. I would recommend leaving it in the refrigerator for a week, for best results.
Shreemayee says
Hi Aneesha!
I will be making this in a pressure cooker. How long do I have to cook it for? Or how many whistles..?
Aneesha says
Hi Shreemayee, I haven't made it in a traditional PC yet, but I would guess 1 whistle, reduce heat to medium, cook for 15 minutes. I would love to hear how it turns out.
Sanjeev Srivastav says
Made it yesterday, and it came out well! The lemons I used were these monster 6-inch ones we got off a friend's tree, and they have a very thick (half-inch) skin. That brought a bit of a bitter taste, but I like that too.
Aneesha says
Hi Sanjeev, thank you, I'm glad it turned out well. You are right about the thick skin causing the bitterness. It will tone down after about a week. Enjoy!
Anita Gupta says
Much too bitter for me. I did not like the end taste/result. I will go back to a more traditional recipe.
Aneesha says
Hi Anita, sorry you didn't enjoy it. But the bitterness could also be due to any seeds left in the lemons or the taste of lemons. Did you try using these lemons in other recipes?
Vidya Pradhan says
Hi, thanks for the recipe. I too felt that the cooking time could have been reduced a bit. And the fenugreek seeds are quite bitter and can be reduced a little. But it is a super easy recipe and I can't wait to see what it's like after a few days.
Aneesha says
Hi Vidya, The end texture is a personal preference. You can cook it a few minutes less next time. I made it similar to my father-in-law's recipe in which the lemons have a jam-like consistency. As for fenugreek seeds, their taste dulls down in a few days. But if you still find them bitter, feel free to skip them next time. Methi seeds do have a subtle bitter aftertaste. I hope you enjoy it after a few days.
Aiman says
Can this be made with regular lemons instead of Meyer ones?
Aneesha | Spice Cravings says
Hi Aiman, Absolutely! I've used Meyer lemons a couple of times, but mostly use regular lemons. The latest version with jaggery was with regular lemons. Hope you try and love it!
Bobby says
Just tried to make some and it didn't turn out well. The 15mins on high seem too long, so I did 10 mins and even then my meyer lemons are more mushier than I like. Somehow the sauce is also bitter. Tried to improvise my adding more brown sugar. Next time probably I will skip the instapot and just stir fry sliced lemons in the spices, sauce etc.
aneeshasg says
Hi Bobby, Sorry to hear that it didn't turn out well for you. I make this pickle on a regular basis and the only time I had a slight bitterness to the sauce, was when I left the seeds in before sautéing - was that the case with you by any chance? Another reason for bitterness could be that the peel wasn't cooked enough. Most citrus will turn to mush if you pressure cook it, but that is what gives this pickle a jam-like consistency. Would love to hear how your experience is with the stir-fry method.
Bobby says
Turned out my lemons were off or something. Took some juice from left over lemon and it had bitter taste. After 3-4 days in the fridge, the skin that I had thought was too mushy seems perfect. Wife is loving it.i am going to try again with fresh batch of Meyer lemons.
aneeshasg says
Oh that is so good to hear! I am so glad that it worked out for you! Thanks for the update- appreciate it 🙂