Name: Kaffir Lime Leaves Pickle (Vepilakatti)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 20 Lemon Leaves (Kaffir Lime Leaves); 4 Dry red chili; 3 Onion (Small, Optional); 8 Curry Leaves; Salt (to taste); Tamarind (very small size); 1/2 tsp Hing Powder

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Recipes

Onam is next week and here is one healthy pickle which is traditionally made in palakkad - Vepilakatti. Lime leaves, curry leaves, roasted dry chili, small onion, tamarind and hing are combined and blended as a coarse paste. They are then made as small balls for consumption. It tastes good when sprinkled over curd rice.

Since we do not get this leaves in most of the places I altered to use Kaffir Lime leaves and it tasted the same way like bitter orange leaves. I have also tried earlier with lemon leaves and it turned out to be good. Kaffir Lime leaves are used in Thai dishes.

It does not contain oil and can be preserved for 2 or 3 weeks in refrigerator.

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 5

Total Time 20

Served AsDinner, Lunch

CuisineSouth Indian

Recipe Taste Salty, Tangy

Servings

Ingredients

Instructions

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Wash the Kaffir lime leaves & curry leaves, pat them dry.
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Dry roast the red chilli until they turn crispy.
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Tear the stem of the kaffir lemon leaf.
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Add all the ingredients with more quantity and blend well.
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Do not add water
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Make them as small balls and store them in an airtight container.

Notes

Tamarind can be replaced with lemon juice.
Curry leaves must be half or lesser than the quantity of lime leaves else it will override the lime leaves taste.
I used mortar pestle and it took around 45-50 mins to do this paste. The time varies based on the experience. You may use a mixie to finish it faster. Mortar pestle definitely gives a better taste than mixie.
Chili can be roasted with little oil if needed but it tastes good without oil itself.
Adjust the number of chili’s as per your taste the above one is a medium spice.
Mine is not a complete smooth paste as we like this way to eat. You make it as a nice paste also.