GONGURA LEAVES (Red Sorrel Leaves)PICKLE(Andhra style ):

Preparation & cooking time – 1/2 hr
Serves – ....
Cuisine – India

Ingredients:

Fresh gongura leaves (red sorrel)- 1 pound
whole dry red chillies - 40
Methi seeds (fenugreek)- 1 tsp
Mustard seeds (avalu) - 1 tsp
Sea Salt - 4 tsp
Tamarind (chintapandu)- 2 small lemon size(Make tamarind paste by boiling it in 1 glass of water)


Tempering:
10 tbsp oil
2 tsp mustard seeds
2 whole dry red chillis
Minapppapu (black gram dal)- 1 1/2 tbsp
Senaga pappu (bengal gram dal)- 1 1/2 tbsp
12-15 cloves garlic (peeled and lightly crushed)
Jeela karra (cumin) - 2 tsp
Asafoetida (inguva)- 2 pinches

How to make:

1.First seperate the gongura leaves from the stalks and wash.Now leave them in an open cool and dry place for 1 day for drying .(Spread over news paper or tissue paper).

2.Heat 2-3 tbsp oil in a thick bottomed vessel.Add the leaves,little salt and fry them till rawness disappears and it becomes soft.Remove and cool.

3.In the same vessel add methi seeds and dry roast them (means fry with out oil)till light brown (remove and let it cool down)and then add mustard seeds( dry roast them also )dry red chillis (fry them in little oil).Remove from fire and cool.

4.Grind these above ingredients with little salt.


5.Tempering : Heat 10 tbsps of oil in a pan add the mustard seeds,black gram dal,bengal gram dal,cumin,garlic,asafoetida,dry red chillis and let them splutter.Now add tamarind paste,above grinded ingredients fry it for 1 min .Remove from fire and add it to the fried gongura leaves along with the oil.

6.This Traditional Andhra pickle can be stored in an air tight container for 1 year and goes well with hot rice and ghee.