The fragrant parrot-green lime, the gandharaj, or the ‘aroma king’ of lemons, is rightly named so. Not yet a part of mainstream Indian cuisine, this is Bengal’s answer to the Thai kaffir limes and Caribbean key limes. Richly perfumed, these limes add an incredible amount of flavour to any dish or beverage!Bengalis use it to flavour rice and fish curries, and often serve wedges as a garnish for curries. The gandharaj lime is also making its way into modern bars, widely used in gin and vodka based cocktails. For a lime that has such an incredible flavour that only a few drops of the juice can amplify a dish, it has been largely absent from the mainstream Indian food scene.
Bored of regular pastas drenched in sauce, I was looking for a fresh take on spaghetti, and my mom’s friend suggested I try it with gandharaj lime. I didn’t want the creamy sauces or the garlicky aglio e olio. I wanted a sauce that is light and fresh, perfect for a quick lunch. And this recipe is quick!
No really, I promise. All you need to do is cook the spaghetti. Everything else can be combined in the same bowl you want to eat from. The gandharaj has a rather thick skin that is perfect for zesting, unlike the more common Indian nimbu. As you whisk together the olive oil and the lemon juice, the sauce comes together as if by magic (well, actually it’s science but who’s keeping track)!
It’s creamy, but without being heavy. And to think it takes only minutes to make.
Scroll down for the recipe, or watch our video recipe below:
- Spaghetti, enough for 4
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ⅓ cup gandharaj lime juice
- Zest of ½ gandaraj lime
- ⅔ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- Salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Boil the spaghetti in a pot of salted water until cooked. Drain the spaghetti, saving one cup of the cooking liquid.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the olive oil with the lemon juice, lemon zest, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper
- Add the cooked spaghetti to the bowl, and toss it to combine.
- Slowly add the reserved cooking liquid in batches as you toss until the lemon sauce coats the spaghetti.
- Serve with more cheese and black pepper!
Did you make this recipe?
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Very interesting and sure short success in the summer Congrats Vidushi U ve done a great start I was already hungry reading your recipes God bless you with success always love Aparna
Thank you so much !
Tried your classic hummus recipe. It was truly classic and awesome. I Will wait for more such recipes in times to come. All the best.