Preparation of Narthangai:

Begin by washing the wild lemons thoroughly. Wipe them with a clean cloth to ensure they are dry. Cut them into desired pieces.

Salting Process:

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cut Narthangai with 1 kg of white rock salt. Make sure they are well mixed. Transfer this mixture to a glass jar. Ensure you use a wooden spoon for the mixing process to avoid any chemical reactions.

Sun Drying:

Place the glass jar in the sun every morning. Cover the glass jar with a white cloth. Remember to bring it inside every evening. Stir the mixture once a day using a wooden spoon. Continue this process for a week.

Preparing the Masalas

Dry roast the fenugreek seeds until they are slightly golden. Grind them to a powder.
Similarly, lightly roast the mustard seeds and grind them into a powder.
Grind the red chillies into a fine powder.
Combine the fenugreek powder, mustard powder, and red chilli powder in a bowl. This is your masala mix.

Cooking

Add 1 tbsp oil and temper mustard seeds. Do not cook mustard seeds too much. Slightly toast them. Set aside. Similarly, cook fenugreek seeds and asafoetida.

In a kadai (or wok), heat 300 ml of gingelly oil.
Now, add the sun-dried mixture to the kadai. Mix well.
Add in the prepared masala mix. Add the juice of 4 to 5 wild lemons to this.
Continue stirring and let it cook on a slow flame for 4 to 5 minutes. Check the salt and adjust if necessary.

Storage:

Allow the pickle to cool down. Once cooled, transfer it into a clean, sterilized glass jar. Cover the jar with a white cloth to maintain the freshness of the pickle. Let it sit for a week before consuming it. This allows the flavours to blend.

Notes

It is essential to keep the pickle in the sun every day for another 4 weeks to prevent it from getting mouldy.

Always use a dry spoon when taking out the pickle. This extends its shelf life.
Narthangai Oorgai is a delicious accompaniment to any dish of your choice. It is excellent for aiding digestion.