My kitchen must always have a stock of lemons. It’s an ingredient I turn to for adding tartness to a variety of dishes both sweet and savory.
My kitchen must always have a stock of lemons. It’s an ingredient I turn to for adding tartness to a variety of dishes both sweet and savory.
If I am asked to talk about this particular ingredient I could go on and on for it’s undoubtedly one of my favorites. Any wonder then why my blog is called Pink lemon tree! Yes pink lemons exist but that’s a story for another day!
Recently few of my fellow kitchen garden enthusiasts have begun cultivating the western lemons. These are much larger in size than our native Indian ones and also, I think, aren’t so sour. While I love the shape and juiciness of the bigger lemons, I am particularly fond of our Indian variety in their small and almost perfectly round form.
Not only is it an ingredient which is available all year round but it rates very high on the nutritional scale.We South Indians shouldn’t really take our lemon rice for granted you know! Whether it is known as ellumicham saadham, chitranna, nimmakaya annam or lemon rice, it’s a dish that is so special to this part of the world.
Each home has their own versions of this simple dish. We love to add sliced small onions and watch them turn pink in the lemon juice before mixing it into the rice. It maybe easy to cook but it is a complete meal in itself comprising of carbohydrates, protein from the lentils , iron from the curry leaves, antioxidants from the turmeric and the cold pressed oil and Vitamin C from the lemon juice. So, it is imperative that we eat every single ingredient, including the curry leaves to reap all the benefits of eating this dish.
When I was a child I assumed that lemon rice was yellow in colour because of the addition of lemon and not the turmeric! Lemon rice is a great lunch box option for children because it is light and extremely flavorful while adding proper nourishment. It’s definitely a whole lot better than slices of bread with sugar or ketchup or jam! Indian kitchens are filled with such quick and healthy recipes to properly feed our young.
Today we ate the lemon rice warm with a helping of a lentil chutney and some garlic pachadi. It’s just as delicious with a bit of gongura pickle on the side, wouldn’t you agree ?!
In summer this is the ingredient I turn to for it’s freshness. Being an archive comic book addict, I would so wish to set up a roadside stall selling a pitcher of lemonade in summer. Those childhood fantasies may have long gone but I still love using lemon slices as a garnish and also to flavour a glass of water.
Lemons are known to have a multitude of benefits for skin, digestion and cleansing, however there many schools of thought as to whether it has acidic or alkaline properties. While the acid is present in the juice, there is said to be a release of alkaline by products during the digestive process. Lemon or lime juice does give a boost to the body’s metabolism and is therefore a vital ingredient in our daily diet.
From sizzling kebabs fresh off the tandoor to a roasted beetroot salad, at our home, they all get thoroughly doused with a spritz of lime or lemon juice before getting devoured. Most of our friends from other countries love the taste of our Indian citron. Instead of serving slices of raw onion, try squeezing half a lemon over and letting it steep for 10 minutes before adding salt and eating. It is absolutely delicious and also prevents the acrid onion breath.
Lemon plants are quite challenging to grow. They take a long time and need plenty of tender loving care. Thankfully organic lemons are available at many outlets in our city and we prefer to buy those. It’s not just the juice, we also use the lemon rind to flavour cakes and add to salad dressings.
Leftover lemon peels make for a great natural scrub. Just dry it in the sun until brittle and then powder to a coarse consistency. Store it in an airtight container and apply to the skin as needed.
Didn’t I tell you that I could talk endlessly about lemons? And I haven't even included the wonderful lemon pickle yet! Limes and lemons exist in many varieties all over the world. Do try whatever is locally available during your travels. Finger limes, kaffir limes, buddha hand lime, calamondin limes etc the list is extensive. I for one am eager to get my lips puckering for a taste of Bengal’s famous gondhoraj lime!