Instagram Is Drooling Over Padma Lakshmi's Lemon Pickles

If you've ever wondered what chef Padma Lakshmi eats in a day, we've got the scoop. Lakshmi starts her day with some tea, and eggs are also a large part of her diet. But the food that you might not know that Lakshmi loves is pickles. Her favorite type of pickle is a lime pickle from Kerala, but she also makes her own pickles and recently shared one of her recipes on Instagram.

In this Instagram video, Lakshmi demonstrates how to make lemon pickles, a recipe she learned this from her grandmother. This recipe is called "achar" or "oorga," and it starts with lemons that have been marinated in sea salt for more than six months. Lakshmi added green chilis and ginger to the mixture about two months ago. Now that it's been sitting around, Lakshmi is toasting spices then grinding them up and using the spices to season the lemon pickles.

Want to try making this for yourself? Lakshmi breaks this down step-by-step in the video, and one of her tips includes getting a coffee grinder exclusively for spices, especially if you're often grinding up spices for different recipes.

Fans are heaping praise in the comments of Padma Lakshmi's Instagram post about the lemon pickles. There's enthusiasm for the pickles from people who have been eating this. For example, one person said, "Can't beat a good zingy achar!" Other commenters shared their personal experiences with the dish, and some people also learned this recipe from their grandparents like Lakshmi. One person wrote, "My grandfather always made lemon pickles and I ate it with everything!"

Many people asked Lakshmi what they should pair these lemon pickles with, and Lakshmi put a few ideas in her Instagram caption. Her favorite way to eat lemon pickles is "with a big bowl of thayir sadam (yogurt rice)," but Lakshmi's other suggestions include using the achar as a relish with meat dishes or sandwiches.

After seeing Lakshmi's video, people are ready to try this recipe. Some fans even already have lemons prepared and preserved, like one person who commented, "Lovely! Now I know what to do with my jar of unused salted lemons!"

But even if you need to start by salting the lemons and waiting, it might be worth the time. One person said, "I think we all took a sniff when you turned the jar towards the camera!" This speaks to how delicious the lemons look. In the meantime, you can follow along with Lakshmi's tutorial for her chaapati date and tamarind chutney.