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Sana hua nimbu
सना हुआ नींबू: hill lemon and radish tossed with curd, jaggery and hemp salt, a Kumaoni winter snack
On sunny winter afternoons in Kumaon, families sit on the rooftops and make a big bowl of sana hua nimbu to share: segments of the giant hill lemon (galgal) mashed with radish, curd, jaggery and green salt pounded with hemp or coriander. It is sweet, sour, salty and crunchy all at once, and is eaten with fingers straight from the bowl. Ordinary lemons or a mix of lemon and pomelo work well. The common mistake is leaving in the pith and seeds, which make the whole bowl bitter. Chef's tip: mix just before eating; once it sits longer than 20 minutes the radish weeps and the curd thins.
- Total time
- 15 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the salad
- 3 large lemons or 1 small pomelopeeled, pith and seeds removed
- 5 ½ oz white radish (mooli)cut in thin sticks
- 5 ½ oz thick plain yoghurt (curd)
- 2 tbsp jaggerygrated
- 1 green chillifinely chopped
For the green salt
- 1 tbsp hulled food-grade hemp seeds or coriander seedstoasted
- ¾ tsp salt
- ⅓ oz fresh coriander
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Pound 1 tbsp hulled food-grade hemp seeds or coriander seeds, ¾ tsp salt and ⅓ oz fresh coriander in a mortar to a coarse green salt.
4 minStep 2: Break 3 large lemons or 1 small pomelo segments into bite-sized pieces into a bowl, catching the juice.
6 minStep 3: Add 5 ½ oz white radish (mooli), 5 ½ oz thick plain yoghurt (curd), 2 tbsp jaggery and 1 green chilli.
2 minStep 4: Sprinkle in the green salt and mix with your hands or a spoon until the jaggery dissolves. Taste: it should be sour first, then sweet. Eat straight away.
3 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 110 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 18 g
- Fat
- 3 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does sana hua nimbu take?
- About 15 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of thick plain yoghurt (curd)?
- Greek yoghurt loosened with a little milk.
- What can I use instead of jaggery?
- Dark brown or muscovado sugar, same amount.
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