Gongura Pachadi – A must have Andhra delicacy

 

If you had happened to ever visit any Andhra style restaurant, I am sure you wouldn’t have left without tasting Gongura pachadi/ chutney. While that spicy tangy chutney in the restaurant gets very high rating, the home made ones are way above that.I learnt this one from my mother in law who is an expert in pickles and chutneys. While I had learnt the recipe earlier it’s only today for the first time, after these many years that I made the chutney myself.

Its an Andhra delicacy and makes it to my top 5 favourite Andhra recipes. Kannadigas and Maharashtrians also use this leafy vegetable Gongura called as Sorrel in English and pundi soppu in Kannada.  Whenever a bunch comes home its always has to be chutney as well as gongura pappu.  I love the Pappu or daal made of gongura as it comes readily packed in with sourness and the leaves cook so quickly once you toss them into the pan that the daal gets done in a jiffy.

A separate post to come later on gongura pappu and for now, without much ado let’s jump to the required ingredients list and process to make gongura pachadi.

1. Sorrel leaves – A medium sized bunch.
2. Chilly powder  – 1 tbsp or per taste.
3. Salt per taste
4. Roasted and powdered Sesame / Nylon til – 4 Tbsp
5. Roasted and Powdered Mustard – 2 Tbsp (Add few grains of fenugreek while roasting)
6. Hing – 1/4 tbsp
7. Oil for seasoning. 5 large spoons

Process

1. Wash and separate the leaves from the stems of sorrel.
2. Dry roast 3 to 4 tbsp of mustard and few grains of fenugreek. Once cooled grind it in a blender. This powder can be stored for 1-2 weeks in an airtight container and can be used for other pickles/ chutneys too. I always make it in excess.
3. Dry roast nylon til and as they turn slightly golden. Turn off the heat. Let it cool. Once cooled grind it in a blender. This powder too can be stored for 1-2 weeks in an airtight container and can be used for salad dressings.
4. Now heat a pan and add the washed sorrel leaves into it and keep turning and mixing.
5. You will see that leaves start wilting and coming together pretty soon.

 

6. Keep turning it and once all the leaves have come together and they look sticky. Turn off the heat

7. Let this mix cool down.

8. Once cool enough turn it in a blender.

9. Transfer the content to a mixing bowl.

 

10. Now add salt, chilly powder, roasted sesame powder and mustard powder. And mix it well.

11. The chutney has to be spicy and since eaten as an accompaniment you can be little generous with spices even if your spice levels are low.

12. Sprinkle hing over the chutney but do not mix it.

13. Now heat the oil in a pan and once starts smoking turn off the heat and pour it over the chutney and mix it all well.

14. You may want to taste it and adjust the spices as required.

15. Store it in an airtight container and can eat it with hot rice and ghee. The chutney can be stored for upto 1-2 weeks without losing its flavour.

Few points to note.

1. If you love garlic you can optionally also add few garlic cloves in the smoking oil and add it to the chutney.
2. Oil actually cuts down the spice of the chilly powder,, however you can reduce the chilly powder and also add lesser oil. The shelf life also gets reduced with lesser oil.