Uppatta Nonche
The king of all lime / lemon pickles.
Servings Prep Time
100servings 40minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
5minutes 3days
Servings Prep Time
100servings 40minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
5minutes 3days
Ingredients
  • 600gm lemons or limes(fully ripe)
  • 40gm hot green chilies
  • 20gm dry hot red chilies
  • 20gm dry Kashmiri chilies
  • 25gm mustard seeds
  • 5gm fenugreek seeds
  • 20gm coriander seeds
  • 3gm asafoetida powder
  • 2sprigs curry leaves
  • 100gm salt
  • 30ml sesame oil(gingelly oil)
  • 700ml water
Instructions
To prepare:
  1. Put out the wet grind jar of your food processor together with an airtight glass jar of around 1.2 litre capacity (or several small jars) in the sun for drying.
  2. To make the brine, set a 1-litre vessel on the stove. Pour in the water and tip in the salt.
  3. As soon as it comes to a boil, turn down the heat and let simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Switch off the heat and let cool naturally.
  4. Set a wok or pan on high heat. Put in both the chilies. Pour in 20 ml. of the sesame (gingelly) oil (saving 10 ml. for the tempering). Tip in 20 gm. of the mustard seeds (saving 5 gm. for the tempering) and all of the coriander seeds. Stir a few times.
  5. As soon as you start hearing the mustard seeds popping, turn down the heat and continue to stir. The mustard seeds will finish crackling in 3 to 5 minutes. Switch off the heat and let cool naturally.
  6. Chop the limes / lemons and the green chilies roughly to pieces.
  7. The brine and the roasted ingredients should have cooled down by now. Pour half of the brine into the clean, sun-dried, wet-grind jar of your food processor.
  8. Tip in the roasted ingredients and grind to superfine paste.
To make:
  1. Pour the paste into a 2-litre vessel. Use the rest of the brine to wash out the paste from the food processor and tip it in.
  2. Tip in the lime / lemon and chili pieces and mix well with a clean, dry ladle.
  3. Set a skillet on low heat. Pour in the remaining (10 ml) sesame (gingelly) oil and throw in the remaining (5 gm) mustard seeds.
  4. As soon as the mustard seeds are about to finish spluttering, tip in the fenugreek seeds. Stir once and tip in the asafoetida powder. Pull the curry leaves quickly off their sprigs and chuck them in.
  5. Stir once more and transfer the entire contents of the skillet into the pickle. Stir the pickle once again.
  6. Your delicious, mouthwatering uppatta nonche is ready. All it needs is 3 days of resting.
  7. Transfer to a clean, sun-dried, airtight glass jar and store in a cool, dry place. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes

Once you start using it after 3 days, remember to store the pickle in your refrigerator, if you wish to use it over a longer period of time. The reason is that this pickle is not meant for storage, but for enjoying fresh on festive occasions.