This lip smacking pickle is very popular in Andhra. There are different ways of preparing gongura pickle. Here is a quick and easy method to prepare it.
Ingredients:
Sorrel leaves ( preferably red variety as this has more sourness ) – 250 Gms,
Red chilli – 25 to 30,( use 2 chilli for tadka ),
Haldi – 1 Tsp,
Salt – 2 Tablesp,
Oil – 125 ml ( preferably til oil or ground nut oil ),
Peeled garlic cloves – 12 to 15 cloves,
Jeera – 1 Tsp,
Dhania seeds – 2 Tablesp,
Channa dal – 1 Tablesp + 1tsp,
Urad dal – 1 Tsp,
Methi seeds – A pinch,
Mustard seeds – 1 Tsp,
Curry leaves – few ( optional ),
Method:
1).Pick and wash the sorrel leaves throughly and put them in a collander for some time. Preferably put them under fan for 1 hr.
2).Heat a Tablesp of oil, fry dhania seeds, urad dal, channa dal, 10 cloves of garlic and lastly red chillies. When the dals and chilli change colour, remove them on to a plate.
3).Add a tablesp of oil to the same kadai ,add the sorrel leaves, and fry them really well till they become like a mass. Keep it aside.
4).Grind the fried dals to a course powder and add fried greens along with salt .Blend all the ingredients into a fine paste.Remove the ground paste from the blender with a dry spoon.
5)Heat a Tablesp of oil, add mustard, 2 broken red chilli, few curry leaves and 5 to 6 peeled garlic, a tsp of channa dal ,fry till dal and chilli change colour.Pour this over ground pickle.
6).Heat remaining oil to smoking point, add haldi,cool and add this to pickle. Mix well with a dry spoon.
7).Serve this pickle as side dish for plain rice along with a tsp of ghee/ upma/ Pongal/ curd rice. You can keep the pickle for 3 months if refrigerated, outside for 4 to 6 wks.
Tip:
a).Dry the gongura leaves under shade or a fan. Fry the leaves really well so that there will not be any moisture.
b).Usually there is no need to add tamarind to this pickle as this is prepared with red sorrel variety which has more sourness.
3).You can go through my interesting recipes using gongura/ sorrel leaves and sorrel flowers.