Like Indian pickles? I do, especially lime pickle. Limes are a staple in Cambodian food, from a great pepper-lime dip that makes almost anything taste great, to squeezing wedges over morning noodles. Oddly, given Cambodia's traditional closeness to India (Buddhism originated in India but it was Cambodia that spread it throughout South East Asia and the Khmer people, in legend, came from an Indian king who married a Cambodian princess), I couldn't find Indian-style lime pickle anywhere. The answer? Make your own!
Cambodian limes are a little bigger than a golf ball. Most people think of limes as green but the best flavour is when they are turning yellow and the sugar in the fruit develops.
Cut them into four segments, then each segment three times across to get the best size. Be careful because the juice is slippery! Mix them with a handful of seasalt crystals. Fortunately, I live in Kampot so my crystals come from the salt pans just outside the town. Lave for an hour, or overnight.
Your two key flavour spices are Fenugreek and mustard seed. Roast these in a dry pan until they're smoke - something bet done outdoors :). Then cool, grind and add to the lime mixture along with dried ground chili and tumeric for colour. and some neutral vegetable oil. Mustard seed oil is good but may make the pickles too forceful so I use a good qualit soybean oil.
That's the work done. Each day, leave the container of the mixture, covered with a cloth, in the sun and give it a stir. Do this for at least 10 days.
Finally, bottle it in a sterile jar.
It is great with curries, or fish or even on its own with rice. I've even used it to top Korean pajeon pancakes!
I haven't given exact amounts because people's tastes differ but if there is enough interest I'll post my recipe. It's ummy.
