Narthangai Pachadi Recipe

Narthangai Pachadi is nice, spicy, barely bitter condiment from South of India. It’s also often known as narthangai pickle, citron pachadi which is popular in and around south of India. Narthangai pachadi is made with citron, onions. Spices, tamarind and jaggery. Learn tips on how to make this delicious homemade citron pachadi easily at home with step sensible pictures and video.

Narthangai pachadi

Narthangai pachadi is a dish served in all marriage banana leaf lunch in Nagercoil. Barely bitter, tangy, sweet and spicy at the identical time. Truly divine. It is comparatively easy to make at home.

About Narthangai pachadi

Narthangai pachadi is a well-liked condiments made using the citrus fruit called because the citron. This dish is popular in South of India, mainly Kanyakumari, Nagercoil. It’s served in wedding/ marriage functions as an element of lunch.

This condiment is made using onion, green chilies, curry, leaves, citron, tamarind and jaggery. The pachadi itself is barely sweet, bitter and spicy at the identical time which matches well with curd rice, or plain rice.

This pachadi has a really long shelf life and it could actually be stored in fridge for 3 to 4 months. The identical recipe may be made using orange, lemon or any citrus fruit. I actually have an identical recipe made using orange peel. 

Similar recipes

Mango pachadi

Pineapple pachadi

Milagai pachadi

Inji pachadi

Watch Narthangai Pachadi Video

Uses of Narthangai | Citron

Narthangai can be often known as Citron. The fruit has a thick rind which is full of filled with citrus aroma.

Narthangai is a citrus fruit, with a rough outer covering. It’s often known as Citron in English. Unripe fruit is used to make the Narthangai Vathal or Pickle. In Southern a part of India mainly Nagercoil, Kerala it’s used to make this popular pachadi.

The skin of narthangai is peeled and utilized in making thogayal or chutney which imparts a beautiful citrus aroma to the dish. Narthangai leaf is utilized in cooking as well. It’s certainly one of the major ingredient in thai green curry paste. We use narthangai leaf when grinding this malli chutney or this thengai podi.

Narthangai Pachadi Ingredients

Narthangai – also often known as citron. Attempt to pick green firm narthangai for this recipe. Young tender citron taste great. Be sure you remove the seeds when chopping else it would make the pachadi bitter.

Onions – you should utilize shallots as an alternative of onions.

Green Chillies – add roughly green chillies to your taste. Be sure you chop them and add.

Tempering – spices like mustard, fenugreek, cumin, dry red chillies and curry leaves is added in oil. Amma told me not to make use of urad dal for tempering because it would make the pachadi spoil faster.

Tamarind – you should utilize homemade tamarind pulp mixed with water. Or you possibly can soak a giant lemon size tamarind in water and extract the pulp. You would possibly have to taste and add roughly.

Jaggery – one of the vital essential ingredients. Sometimes you would possibly have to add more jaggery to balance the taste.

Gingelly Oil – Indian sesame oil is the popular oil for its flavour.

Tips on how to Make Narthangai Pachadi (Stepwise Pictures)

Chopping Narthangai

1)wash the fruit very well. Slice the stem and the underside of the fruit using a pointy knife. Now cut them in half and chop them into small pieces. Remove the seeds and discard else it would make the pachadi bitter.

Tempering Spices

2)Heat oil in a Kadai. It’s preferred to make use of gingelly oil also often known as Indian sesame oil. Add within the tempering spices into the new oil. I used mustard, cumin, dry red chilli, fenugreek seeds. Allow them to sizzle for 10 to 30 seconds.

3)Once the spices are fried. Add in curry leaves and fry them for few seconds.

Cooking Narthangai

4)Add in chopped onions and green chillies. As a substitute of using large onions you should utilize peeled and chopped shallots when making pachadi.

The quantity of green chillies also depends to taste. Add roughly as needed.

5)Add in turmeric powder and saute for few seconds. Now add within the chopped narthangai with all of the juices collected.

6)Now you’ll saute the narthangai for five minutes till it shrinks just a little. Cover the pan with a lid and cook on low heat for 10 minutes.

7)open the lid in between and given a superb mix. Cover again and cook until the narthangai is cooked completely.

8)Now as you possibly can see the citron | narthangai is cooked and has shrinked quite a bit.

Adding in Spices

9)Add in kashmiri chilli powder or regular chilli powder and coriander powder. As a substitute of using this spices you possibly can add sambar powder as well. Once the spices are added, mix it very well and cook for 1 to 2 minute till the raw smell leaves.

Making Narthangai pachadi

10)Add in tamarind water and more water. I used around 2 cups of water.

11)Bring this to a full boil. Cover the pan with a lid. Cook on low heat for 10 minutes till the narthangai is cooked completely.

12)Once the narthangai is cooked completely. Add in salt and jaggery to the pachadi and blend well. At this point you have got to taste and adjust tamarind, jaggery and salt level.

13)Cook the pachadi on low to medium heat till it thickens. Once the pachadi thickens, take it off the warmth and permit it to chill completely.

Once cooled, store in a clean dry glass bottle. Serve.

Tips on how to Make Narthangai Pachadi in Pressure Cooker (Easy Method)

• Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Add within the tempering spices and allow them to sizzle for 10 to 30 seconds.
• Add in onions, green chillies and sauté for 3 minutes. Add in turmeric powder and the chopped Narthangai and blend well. Sauté this on medium high heat for 10 minutes till the Narthangai starts to cook down and shrink. 
• Now add in chilli powder, coriander powder, and blend well. Pour in tamarind juice and canopy the pressure cooker. Pressure cook for 1 whistle, let the pressure release by itself, open the cooker and check whether the Narthangai is cooked completely. Once the citron is cooked. Add in salt and jaggery and blend well, cook this for one more 5 to 10 mins until thickens. Once it gets thick, take it off the warmth and permit it to chill completely. 
• Store in an air tight glass jar in fridge and use as needed. 

Expert Suggestions

• You’ll be able to follow the identical recipe and use orange, lemon or any citrus fruits.
• Taste and adjust jaggery and tamarind as per your taste. 
• You’ll be able to add more green chilies in case you like your pachadi spicy.
• Gingelly oil is preferred on this recipe, but you should utilize any oil. Use good amount of oil since it preserves the Pachadi for longer time.
• Be sure you remove the seeds from the fruit, else it would make the pachadi bitter.
• Salt and jaggery is added only when the citron fruit is cooked completely in the long run for texture. 
• The entire dish can we cooked in a pressure cooker which can reduce the cooking time in half. Check recipe below. 

More Pachadi Recipes to try

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