GONGURA PICKLE

Gongura Pickle(Pachadi) made of sorrel leaves an authentic delicacy typical to Telugu cuisine. This Gongura Pachadi comes together with a whole rich of flavours and spices like red chillies, coriander, fenugreek and cumin to truly pamper your senses leaving you asking for more. It is a tangy flavored pickle with an aromatic tempering and is eaten by adding thickly chopped onions all over the pickle. The pickle tastes yum by mixing it with rice and also by adding ghee into the rice. The best thing is it’s very easy to prepare, takes very less times and stays good easily for months. Made from freshly ground spice, with no preservatives added its high on flavors and tastes no less than any store bought ones. Stocking these kind of pickles is really very handy for your busy days or no mood days. This gongura pachadi can be done using dry red chilies or green chilies. When Red chilies are used, the consistency of pachadi will be little hard (hence, more oil is needed in tempering) compared to green chilies which give a moist consistency.

Pickles are an integral part of everyday meal. It adds so much flavour instantly to any meal. In olden days, pickle making was an art. Pickles have almost always been the easiest way to make our meals better-tasting. Stuck in a hostel with only semi-mouldy bread for breakfast? Make a dish of avakaya mango pickle and bread. People spent days making the perfect spice blend, adding the necessary preservatives and storing it appropriately so that it stays good for many months with no refrigeration. In the 21st century, there is no house without a refrigerator. As a result making pickle and preserving it has become very simple. You can make instant pickles with almost any vegetable. Some of the pickles are Basic Chicken Pickle, Ginger Pickle, Carrot Cauliflower Pickle, Vah Mango Pickle, Gongura Pickle Ambadi, Lemon pickle,  Gongura pickle, Shrimp prawn pickle, Amla pickle….

Gongura is a green leafy veggie thats called as sorrel leaves in English, pulicha keerai in Tamil, Ambadi in hindi etc. The leaves are usually tangy in taste and available in 2 variations – Red Stem Gongura and Green Stem Gongura. Red Stem Gongura is more sour in taste and very popular for making pickles. Although these leaves are called different names in different regions, the nutritional properties of sorrel leaves remain constant. If you love sorrel when you first try it, learn to love it in small doses in the beginning. It has natural laxative properties that make consuming too much sorrel is a trial for the tummy. The gongura is a tangy flavored leaf and many recipes are tried with it down south like gongura pappu, Paneer Gonguru Curry, gongura mutton, gongura chicken…..

Cooking Tips:

• The leaves should not contain any moisture content for making pickle. The leaves should be first washed well and dried, then start the cooking process as water or moisture in pickles spoils the pickles.
• Mix thickly chopped onions only while eating this pickle instantly. Do not add onions if planning to store. Onions release water and may spoil the pickle.

Health Tips:

• Gongura is rich in iron, vitamins, folic acid and anti-oxidants, these leaves are highly recommended for patients of heart conditions and diabetes.
• Gongura has a very significant level of potassium (1 cup contains 15% of your daily recommended intake), which is an essential mineral for human health.
• Tamarind is packed with various acids, antioxidants, fiber, and vitamins.
• Tamarind is known to strengthen hair and prevent hair loss.

One thing is sure.. Hot rice, fresh ghee and a tsp of this pickle.. Aah.. Yumm.. Slurp… Heaven !!