Cheru naranga achar/ Lemon pickle

Ingredients:
Cheru naranga/ Lemon- 8
Garlic- 8-10, sliced
Ginger-1/2 inch piece(optional), sliced lengthwise
Red chilly powder-3 tsp
Asafoetida/hing/Kaayam-2 pinches
Fenugreek (uluva), crushed-3/4 tsp
Curry leaves- a handful
Vinegar-2 tsp
Sugar-1/2 tsp
Salt
Oil (gingelly oil/ sesame oil/ nallenna)



Method:
Wash, clean and pat dry lemons. Steam for 10-15 minutes.
Cut each lemon into 8 pieces. Save the juice that comes out of the lemon. Heat oil in a pan, splutter mustards and curry leaves. Throw in garlic and ginger. Saute till the garlic turns slight brown. Add chilly powder, crushed fenugreek, azafoetida, stir for 2 min and add vinegar. Remove from heat, add lemon along with the juice, salt and mix well until the lemons are coated with chilly powder. Finally add sugar and mix again. Let it cool and transfer to a airtight glass jar, tightly pack the lemon in it and  add 1 tsp of gingelly oil on the top (or a small piece of thin cloth wet in gingelly oil). The pickle will be ready to use after 2 weeks.