Achaar, pickle, condiment - whatever you call it, the emotion you feel when you eat is the same: bliss. From aam ka achaar to mirchi ka achaar, India is home to every sort of pickle. Vegetarian, non-vegetarian and even sea food pickles exist in our country. Every family has their own recipe for pickling. Every achaar has a unique taste. Almost every house in India has a bottle of pickle. Pickle uplifts the palate of an entire meal. Spicy, savoury or sweet - pickles are great flavour boosters for simple home cooked meals. Apart from the many health benefits they have, pickles are also relished by everyone because of their taste. Even celebrities who are often mindful about their fitness can’t stop themselves from digging in to their favourite achaar. The latest star to fall prey to the goodness of pickles has been television personality and cookbook author Padma Lakshmi. Padma Lakshmi took to Instagram to share a relatable video indulging in some Nimbu ka Achaar.
“Anyone else do this as a kid?? Let's be real I still love it," she wrote in the caption of the video. In the video, Padma Lakshmi shared that whenever achaar was made she would find herself licking the spoons that had the achaar masala all over them. They would be sweet, savoury, tangy and sticky - all at once - and Padma Lakshmi really seemed to have taken a liking to it. Relating the custom of licking spoons while pickling to the habit of licking the dough balls and spoons while baking, Padma Lakshmi said, "I always wanted to lick the bowls and spoons from pickle making. So that was my jam. The spicy, salty stuff.”
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Padma Lakshmi’s video struck a chord with netizens who admitted to have done the same while pickling at home. Many users shared names of dishes that they would enjoy pairing with lemon pickle. Lemon pickle has amazing health benefits. When lemon is consumed along with its pulp (as it is in achaars), the pectin, which is a soluble fiber that’s present in lemons, helps to reduce blood cholesterol, improve heart health, boost immunity, and even aid in weight loss.