Today's installment of our weekly series on spices and herbs
arrives via a Member request. After purchasing
loomi (aka black limes
or dried limes) for a recipe, she was curious as
to other uses for this spice, so we hit the books to see what we
could find out about this Persian flavoring agent.
As the alternate names for loomi indicate, the spice is made
from limes. The process is a bit more involved than just letting
your limes get rock hard in the refrigerator, however. According to The Kitchn, to make loomi,
Persian limes "are boiled in salt water and then left to sun dry.
The final product appears shrunken, deflated, and vary in color
from tan to very dark brown." The salt water bath helps to
dehydrate the limes and keep mold from forming. If you are
feeling adventurous, you can try to make your own dried limes.
Yotam Ottolenghi, writing in Plenty
More, explains that dried limes (and sometimes lemons) are
frequently found in Iranian cooking, contributing "a sharp tang and
sweetish aroma to marinades, stews, and salads." The flavor is also
described as sour and slightly fermented. The DIY dried lime page
says that once you try them, "you will never touch lemon pepper
again."
Loomi/black limes/dried limes are very hard and it takes some
work to grind them. To do this at home, Padma Lakshmi (in The Encyclopedia of Spices and Herbs),
instructs you to first wrap the limes in a towel and then hit them
with a mallet or hammer to shatter the brittle fruit into pieces.
The resulting shards can be ground in a spice grinder or with a
mortar and pestle.
Because they can be a challenge to grind, dried limes are often
used whole in soups and stews. Pierce the lime with a sharp knife
or skewer to allow the cooking liquid to enter and absorb the
flavors. Give limes a squeeze at the end of the cooking process and
remove before serving.
You will find dried limes in Middle Eastern soups and stews,
like the Iranian vegetable stew with dried lime from
Plenty More pictured above. Loomi is also used to flavor
pilafs and other rice dishes and as a rub for fish, poultry, and
meats. Occasionally dried lime is added to the spice mix
baharat. You can purchase dried lime in powder form,
although as with most pre-ground spices the flavor is not as
intense as the whole dried fruit. Ottolenghi notes that you can
substitute sumac or grated lemon zest for dried lime, but the
flavor will not be as pungent.
When searching the EYB Library for this spice, it is best to use
the term "dried lime" (using the quotation marks), as that is the
form most often used. Popular Middle Eastern cookbooks like The Saffron Tales, Sirocco, Persiana, and The
New Persian Kitchen, among others, have
recipes that call for this spice. If you don't have any of those
cookbooks, you can try one of these recipes from the EYB
Library:
Iranian-style lamb shoulder with
cranberry and pistachio spiced
rice from Australian Gourmet Traveller
Magazine by Alice Storey
Artichoke, black lime, dill and lemon
stew from Ms. Marmite Lover by Kerstin Rodgers
Lamb with split peas, dried lime and
aubergines from The Edible Atlas by Mina Holland
Persian pilaf with lime and green
beans from Madhur Jaffrey's World
Vegetarian
Quinoa salad with dried Iranian
lime from Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi
Lentil soup with dried lime from
Sweet Paul Magazine