Gongura pachadi also known as gongura chutney is a Andhra style side dish made with sorrel leaves, red chilies, garlic and other basic spices. Red sorrel leaves are called as gongura or puntikura in Telugu, pulicha keerai in Tamil, punde pale in Kannada and Ambaadi in Marathi, pitwaa in Hindi. These leaves taste sour & can help in alleviating symptoms of cold, cough and fever too. They also increases appetite since it is high in vitamin C.
These leaves hold a special place in the Andhra cuisine especially in and around Guntur region. These leaves are used in various dishes in everyday cooking.
Apart from the pickle, other popular dishes are gongura pappu, gongura mamsam, gongura royalu, chicken curry and dry gongura chicken fry which are prepared with these red sorrel leaves.
I am sharing 2 recipes in this post. One is made like the nilava pachadi or pickle and the other one is a chutney.
Method 1 – gongura pickle
To make this pachadi, I cleaned and plucked the leaves first. Then measured them tightly to fill a 3 liters pot. This is just for you to know how much I used for this recipe.
Rinsed them thoroughly few times in clean water, drained them and then spread them on a clean cotton cloth. The leaves must wilt slightly on their own and no moisture should be left. It just took 10 hours for me on a hot day.
How to make gongura pachadi
1. Heat 3 to 4 tbsp oil in a pan.
2. Add the leaves to the hot pan.
3. Fry until the leaves wilt completely. Set them aside to cool completely.
4. To the same pan, add more oil and fry the red chilies until crisp. Switch off and add cumin/ jeera.
5. When they cool down add them to a blender along with garlic and salt.Blend until smooth.
6. Add the leaves and pulse to get a coarse texture.
7. Traditionally pachadi is made coarse. You can temper with curry leaves, chana dal and urad dal if desired. Adjust salt and spice now. If it is not spicy enough, fry more red chilies & blend. Then mix with gongura pickle.
Transfer to a clean air tight glass jar and store in the refrigerator.
Method 2 – gongura chutney
This chutney is prepared in many ways, but this is how my mom prepares. Many like to temper the chutney with shrimps / prawns (crispy deep fried or tawa fried). Since my mom tempers it with Vadiyalu and majjiga mirapakayalu. You can even use white sesame seeds. If you haven’t tried with this kind of a tempering, do try it.
I have given the recipe in the recipe card below.
for more pachadi or chutney recipes, check
green tomato chutney
beerakaya pachadi
menthakku pachadi
dondakaya pachadi
Recipe card
Gongura pachadi (gongura pickle)
For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )
- 2 cups red sorrel leaves or gongura tightly packed
- 1 large onion (cut to quarters)
- 3 to 4 Green Chilies
- Salt to taste
Tempering for gongura chutney
- 2 tbsp Oil
- 2 garlic cloves crushed
- ¼ tsp mustard
- ¼ tsp cumin or jeera
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 1 red chili
- 4 to 8 Majjiga Mirapakayalu (curd chilies)
- Vadiyalu as needed (can use minapa (urad dal) or pesara (moong dal) vadiyalu)
Instructions
- Pick the leaves from the stalks and Wash them 3 to 4 times in a large pot. Drain them aside for at least 10 mins in a colander.
- In a large bowl add leaves, onions, green chilies and 3 tbsp water. Boil all these till the leaves are fully cooked.
- After the leaves are cooked, If there is more water left, discard it or evaporate it by cooking for longer. You can even steam cook them.
- Once cool, grind all the cooked ingredients with salt.
Tempering gongura chutney
- Heat oil in a pan. Deep Fry majjiga mirchi set aside. Deep fry vadiyalu set aside. Remove excess oil and keep only a tsp of oil in the pan, add red chilies, mustard, cumin and garlic. Once they splutter. Off the heat. Mix chutney with all the fried and tempered ingredients.
- Serve gongura pachadi with hot rice and a spoon of ghee.
Notes
Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.
For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.
NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)
© Swasthi’s Recipes
Hi Swasthi
As always, thanks for wonderful recipes.
I put in more red chillies and the pickle is spicy.. any tips to reduce the spice level pls..
Hi Veda
Saute another batch of gongura and add it. My mom also adds some sesame seeds powder to this. May be you want to try it. Toast some sesame seeds on a low flame until they crackle. Cool, powder and mix it. You can also add little jaggery but not sure about the shelf life. Hope this helps.
Hi… I have tried ur recipe first one… Taste is delicious… Can I keep it in deep freeze for one month
Hi Srivani
I haven’t tried freezing it. The taste may change, not sure.
OK thanks for your reply
Your great .its very helpful for begininers in cooking.very tasty
We all want to see your pic
Hi Gowthami
Thank you! haha! will share it sometime.
🙂
Hello Swasthi! Love these recipes! How long do each of them last?
Hello Tara,
The first one can be refrigerated for 3 to 4 weeks. To increase the shelf life you have to dry the leaves in shade completely. The second one should be finished the same day.
thanks swathi garu.mee receipes naku chala use avuthunayi.
Welcome Bharathi Devi
Glad to know you like the recipes
All recipes are good.what I was looking for was chutneys without coconut.i got the same.wil surely try.thank
Welcome Kalpita
Yes do try them
Chaala bagundi
Thank you
Hi
I found them at my supermart after reading about the health benefits of sorrel leaves.
I cook the chopped wilted leaves with some pounded red chillie and red onions then seasoned with salt and some sugar.
The tart taste of dish is very appetising! Since I cannot eat rice, I ate them with bread instead – yummy. I am also learning to make the paratha.
Tq for your other gongura recipes. I am looking forward to cooking the gongura chicken fry and pappu recipes next to eat with paratha/capathi.
Regards
Rose
Hello Rose
Glad to know you have tried sorrel leaves. Yes the health benefits are immense. Do try the other recipes as well. You can also try shrimp with gongura, the same way as gongura chicken fry. Thanks for the feedback.
What a taste of this paccadi
swathi garu me blog chala bagundhi.
Hello Swarna garu
Thank you
healthy and delicious recipe… bookmarked..
Superb clicks n just love the recipe
Didn't know adding majjiga mirchi and minapa vadiyalu to any dish like this….quite new one 🙂
very new recipe to me…looks so flavourful…
This is new to me. Looks delicious and inviting.
This pachadi is new to me 🙂 Sounds flavorful Swasthi!!
That's a healthy & flavored chutney… Loved the mix of ingredients that went into the making 🙂
This is my favorite Swasthi,Yours have turned out very well
Another yummy chutney!
The leaves are new to me, maybe I have never noticed it before. Will try to look for it in the market.<br /><br />Its about simplicity but I sure love the fragrance of curry leaves and that bit of chili.
interesting recipe…
yummy pachadi and my fav