Lime Pickle Recipe – Easy Homemade Indian Lime Pickle

No Indian meal feels quite complete without a small dish of pickle alongside it — and lime pickle is the one we reach for most consistently. Sharp, tangy, spiced and intensely flavoured, a good lime pickle cuts through rich curries, brightens a simple dhal and makes a cheese toastie significantly more interesting than it has any right to be.

This recipe has been on The Chilli King since 2010 and has been made by readers across the world — from Cape Town to North West Germany, from Portugal to Spain. The consistent feedback is that once you’ve made your own, the shop-bought version becomes genuinely difficult to go back to. The freshness of the spices and the proper heat from real green chillies and chilli powder produce a depth of flavour that commercial versions packaged months ago simply can’t match.

It’s also considerably quicker to make than most people expect. The active cooking time is under 15 minutes — the 24-hour wait is hands-off while the salt draws the moisture out of the limes. You could start it this evening and have fresh lime pickle by tomorrow night.

Lime Pickle Ingredients

10 limes

1/2 cup of vegetable oil

2 teaspoons of mustard seeds

1 teaspoon of turmeric

5 green chillies

5 cloves of garlic

10-15 curry leaves

Salt to taste

15 teaspoons of red chilli powder

2 litres of water

Method

Bring the water to the boil and add the limes and turmeric. Leave for 2-3 minutes then remove from the heat and allow to cool. Once cooled cut the limes into wedges and add them to a large jar along with the salt and leave for 24 hours to infuse.

Heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds until they start to pop then add the curry leaves, chillies (sliced),garlic, limes and chilli powder. Fry off on a high heat for 2 minutes then allow to cool. Add the limes mixture to a sterilised jar and pour the remaining oil over the limes before sealing tightly.

Once opened store the pickle in a jar in the fridge.

If you liked this lime pickle recipe then you should definitly try our famous chilli chutney recipe.

The Key Steps Explained

Why boil the limes first?
Briefly simmering the limes in water with turmeric before cutting them serves two purposes — it softens the lime skin (which can be unpleasantly tough in the finished pickle if not pre-softened) and it begins to reduce the natural bitterness of the pith. Don’t skip this step even though it seems counterintuitive to cook the limes before pickling them.

The 24-hour salt rest
Cutting the limes and leaving them in salt overnight is the traditional method for drawing out excess moisture and beginning the pickling process. The salt penetrates the lime flesh and begins transforming the texture and flavour — the limes become more tender and the salt balances the sharpness of the juice. The resulting liquid that collects in the bowl is full of flavour — don’t discard it, it goes back into the jar with everything else.

The tarka
The mustard seeds fried in oil until they pop, followed by curry leaves and chillies — this technique of blooming whole spices in hot oil is called a tarka or tadka and is fundamental to South Indian cooking. The oil carries the flavour of the spices and permeates the pickle as it matures. Don’t rush this stage and don’t let the spices burn — burnt mustard seeds taste bitter and can ruin the batch.

The oil seal
Pouring the remaining oil over the packed pickle before sealing is not optional — it’s what preserves the pickle and prevents the surface from going mouldy. Make sure the oil fully covers the pickle before sealing the jar.

Which Chillies to Use

The recipe calls for green chillies — but which variety matters more than you might think.

Bird’s eye chillies — our recommendation and the most authentic choice. These small, thin-walled chillies are used throughout Indian and South East Asian cooking and have the right flavour profile for this pickle — clean heat with a slightly grassy character that works well against the acidic lime. Available from most Asian supermarkets and increasingly from larger supermarkets.

Cayenne — a perfectly good substitute if bird’s eye aren’t available. Similar heat level with a slightly different flavour character.

Scotch Bonnet — as Chris in our comments discovered, Scotch Bonnets make an excellent substitution for those who want serious heat. The fruity character of the Scotch Bonnet adds an interesting dimension to the pickle, though the flavour profile diverges from the traditional version. A genuinely worthwhile experiment.

Avoid Habaneros — their distinctive tropical fruity character doesn’t sit well with the lime and curry leaf combination. The flavour clash produces something that tastes wrong rather than interestingly different.

How Long Does Lime Pickle Keep?

Sealed with the oil layer intact and stored in a cool dark cupboard, lime pickle keeps for at least 12 weeks — probably significantly longer. Dena in our comments found a sealed jar at the back of her larder nearly a year old that only needed a little extra oil and tasted better for the keeping. Once opened, store in the fridge and use within 6-8 weeks.

The pickle improves with time as the spices continue to develop and the lime softens further. A jar made today will taste better in two weeks than it does now, and better still in a month.

What to Serve With Lime Pickle

The obvious answer is any Indian dish — curry, dhal, rice, naan or roti. But lime pickle is far more versatile than its traditional role suggests:

With cheese — a small spoonful of lime pickle alongside strong cheddar on crackers or in a cheese sandwich is outstanding. The sharpness of the pickle cuts through the richness of the cheese beautifully.

In a wrap or sandwich — spread a thin layer inside any wrap before adding the filling. Works particularly well with chicken, halloumi or grilled vegetables.

Stirred into yoghurt — a teaspoon of lime pickle stirred into natural yoghurt makes a quick raita-style dip that works alongside grilled meat, pappadums or vegetable crudités.

With our tandoori dishes — lime pickle is the perfect accompaniment to tandoori chicken or any dish cooked with our tandoori marinade. The combination is classic for good reason.

Alongside dal — our Dishoom black daal recipe served with a small dish of lime pickle and rice is a genuinely complete and satisfying meal.

With rasam — a South Indian meal of rasam and rice alongside lime pickle is simple, authentic and very good.

Pickle Variations

Lemon pickle — several readers including Pauline and Dena make this recipe with lemons rather than limes. Works well and is an excellent option when limes are expensive or when you have a lemon surplus. The flavour is slightly less sharp and more rounded. Use the same quantity by number — 10 lemons for 10 limes.

Hotter version — increase the green chillies to 8-10 pods or substitute with Scotch Bonnets for a version with serious heat. Double the chilli powder for an even more intense result.

Milder version — reduce the green chillies to 2-3 and halve the chilli powder. The pickle retains its tang and spice character without the heat.

Garlic-forward version — double the garlic to 10 cloves for a more pronounced garlic flavour. Some versions of lime pickle are heavily garlic-forward and this variation suits those who love garlic.

FAQ

Related Recipes

Chilli Chutney Recipe — our most popular preserve. Rich, deeply flavoured and gets better with age. Makes an excellent gift alongside lime pickle.

Tandoori Marinade Recipe — lime pickle is the natural companion to anything cooked with this marinade.

Indian Rasam Recipe — the South Indian broth that pairs perfectly with rice and lime pickle.

Dishoom Black Daal — a small dish of lime pickle alongside the dal makhani and naan is a genuinely satisfying meal.

Chilli Oil Recipe — another excellent homemade condiment to make alongside lime pickle. Both keep well and make great gifts together.

How to Preserve Chillies — our complete guide to every preservation method if you’re looking for more ways to use a chilli harvest.