Gongura nilava pachadi made with roselle leaves in Telugu states of India. Roselle leaves are rich in vitamin c, iron, antioxidants, and calcium. Nilva pachadi means which stays fresh for a longer time. Nilava pachadi requires more oil which acts as a preservative.
New Jersey and New York residents can find this gongura in bulk at local farms:
Cleaning gongura & sterilizing glass jar:
1 Wash the gongura and air dry it on a cotton towel. After a few hours, leaves should be completely dry without any trace of water droplets.
I recommend using glass jars for pickles, there is no chemical reaction acidity of pickles and glass is easy to recycle.
2 In a deep pan fill up to 3/4 full of water and bring it to boil.
3 Use a pair of thongs to put the glass jar and lids in boiling water.
4 Leave them in water for up to 5 -15 minutes to kill bacteria.
5 Remove them from water and place them on a clean towel or rack and let them air dry completely.
Cooking gongura leaves:
Stovetop:
1 In a pan add 4 tbsp oil, 500 grams gongura, and saute it until it becomes a paste. Switch off the flame and keep it aside. Don’t close it with a lid.
Instant Pot:
1 Add 4 tbsp oil, spread it evenly, and add a handful of gongura (500 grams) into the pot, and spread the oil evenly to leaves. Repeat until all leaves are added to the instant pot.
2 Close the lid and set the instant pot on MANUAL or PRESSURE COOK for 4 min.
Because of no water you wont notice float valve going up.
3 Once done, open the lid and check if everything cooked well if not mix everything and set it on MANUAL or PRESSURE COOK for 3 min.
You will notice little burnt bottom.
Masala for gongura nilava pachadi:
1 Take a large pan, dry roast fenugreek seeds(1/2 tsp) on a low flame. When they change color and smells good, keep it aside.
2 In the same pan, add oil (1 tbsp) and dry red chilis (125 grams) and roast them. Don’t wait until they turn black, remove them when they change little color.
For less spice. add 100 grams dry red chili.
3 Let them cool down completely.
4 In a blender, add fenugreek seeds, dry red chilis, skinless fresh garlic ( 1/4 cup), salt (100 grams), and make a powder.
Tamarind paste:
1 Clean the tamarind (75 grams) and add it to a pan and pour water (120 ml). Simmer it on the stove until it becomes paste without any water left. Let it cool down.
Tadka for gongura nilava pachadi:
1 Pour oil in a pan over high heat. When the oil (240 ml or 1 cup) is hot enough, reduce heat to medium.
2 Add chana dal (1 tsp), urad dal (1/2 tsp), fenugreek seeds ( 1/8 tsp), and cook them until they turn golden color then add mustard seeds (1 tsp), dry red chillis (6 pieces), Garlic cloves (6 -7 pieces) (optional). Let it cool down completely.
Assembling:
1 You can use a blender but I’m using mortar and pestle for blending everything.
If you using blender dont pluse it for longer, Chutney tastes best when it isn’t soft paste.
2 Add tamarind paste, masala powder into gongura paste, and mix it.
3 In a mortar and pestle, add gongura paste, masala, tamarind paste and grind it with the pestle.
4 Remove it a bowl and add the tadka to the pickle. Mix it well.
5 The next day I transferred it to the glass jar and stored it in the refrigerator. It stays fresh for up to a year.
When ever I open the gongura pachadi jar, It smells amazing and Immediately I feel like eating the entire jar. This days I’m enjoying eating it with upma. Eat it with idli, dosa, upma, hot rice.
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