Gongura (Sorrel Leaves-Pulicha Keerai) Chutney

Gongura (Sorrel) leaves have sour taste and are rich in vitamins, anti-oxidants. Gongura as chutney, pickle is popular in Andhra Pradesh. This is consumed more in other south Indian states also. I prepare this chutney by adding few onions, garlic to reduce sour taste and to get nice flavor. I also use reasonable  amount of fenugreek seeds to get nice flavor and  any bitter taste of fenugreek will be neutralized by the sourness of sorrel leaves.

It goes well with rice, chapatti and snacks. If it is cooked properly, we can keep for 10 days in fridge and for 3 to 4 days without refrigeration.

Gongura is known as Pulicha Keerai in Tamil and as Pitwaa in Hindi.

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• Gongura leaves – 1 bundle
• Onion – 2 no
• Garlic cloves – 8 to 10 no
• Red chilli – 10 to 12 (adjust as per your taste)
• Fenugreek seeds – 1 table spoon
• Cumin seeds – 1 tea spoon
• Sugar – ½ tea spoon (to balance the taste)
• Salt – as per taste
• For seasoning
  • Curry leaves – few
  • Oil – 2 table spoon
  • Mustard – 1 tea spoon

Method

• Wash and keep gongura leaves aside; peel, chop onion and garlic.

• Heat a pan with few drops of oil; fry red chilli, fenugreek, cumin seeds and remove; fry garlic, chopped onion separately and keep; now add sorrel leaves in the hot pan and fry for few minutes.

• It will get mashed when cooked; remove and keep.

• Now in a mixi, take fried red chilli, fenugreek, cumin seeds, salt and grind it to powder.

• Then add onion, garlic and grind.

• Then lastly add gongura and grind for few seconds.

• Now do the seasoning in a pan; add the ground item and mix well; fry in low flame for 8 to 10 minutes or till it leaves the sides of the pan and become thick paste.

• Now delicious Gongura Chutney is ready.

Tips

• Frying chutney in low flame for long time helps to remove moisture. This in turn keeps the chutney fresh for more days.