Sorrel Chutney/Gongura pachadi

I was thrilled when I first saw Gongura in our local Indian grocery store in NJ. It awakens childhood memories from summers we spent back home at my Grandma's. She used to make these pickeled Gongura so well, in a large scale for her daughters (three including my mom) and send with us the years supply of roasted leaves to make a chutney (sauce) whenever we needed.

Gongura also known as Puntikura is a famous sour tasting leafy vegetable that grows abudantly in the state of Andhra Pradesh/South India. It has a sour tart taste and comes in two varieties, ones with red or green stems. They are commonly referred to in English as Red and white sorrel. It is a nutrient rich with edible leafs that are loaded with vitamins folic acid, iron and antioxidants. A variety of dishes including pappu(daal), pulusu(Soup) and pachadi(Chutney/sauce) are made with these leaves.

Find the link here for more facts.

Following is a recipe for my favorite yummy Gongura Pachadi.

Ingredients:
2 Pounds Gongura leaves,
4-5 dried red pepper
8-10 garlic cloves
Seasoning:
3 tbsp oil
1 tbsp zeera (cumin)
1 tbsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp chana daal
1 tbsp urad daal
1 tsp turmeric
5-8 curry leaves
A pinch of hing (Asafoetida)

Method:
Wash and separate the Gongura leaves from the stems. Roast them in a pan until wilted and they loose water and keep aside. In another pan heat 2 tbsp oil and add the seasoning ingredients. When the seeds start to splutter add the dried red pepper and heat till the turn slightly brown. Mix the seasoning with the leaves and grind adding enough water to make a paste. In the same pan heat rest of the oil and roast the garlic cloves till they turn golden brown, Now mix the garlic with the ground Gongura paste and pachadi is ready to serve.

Serving suggestion: Serve with rice and ghee, with sliced onion on the side or with rotis.