Nellika Achhar / Instant Gooseberries Pickle

Name: Nellika Achhar / Instant Gooseberries Pickle
Total time: 600 s
Yield: Many
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 500 gms Gooseberries, cut into long cubes; 2 inch piece Ginger, chopped; 8-10 Garlic pods, chopped; 3 green Chilies chopped; 2 sprigs Curry Leaves; 3 teaspoon Mustard seeds; 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric powder; 4-5 tablespoon Kashmiri chilli powder (or regular chilli powder); 3/4 teaspoon Fenugreek powder; 3/4 teaspoon Asafetida (Hing / Kaayam); 1/2 cup Coconut oil (you can use any other vegetable oil); 2-3 tablespoon White Vinegar; to taste Rock Salt

Inish Issac @InishKitchen

#goldenapron #indiankitchen This is a simple instant pickle recipe passed down from generations. South India is blessed with Jack fruits, Mangoes and Gooseberries. Mangoes has been used in a variety of ways in Curries, Chutneys and Pickles, whereas Gooseberries is limited to putting in Brine, Pickles and Chutneys. So making pickle out of it is the first option.
Well coming back to the recipe of the day..... Nellikka is extremely sour, bitter and astringent. Though it taste awful for a beginner, but Nellika / Gooseberries is good for immunity boosting and is rich in Vitamin C, no matter how you cook them or preserve them. Pickling the gooseberries with the spices negates the bitterness and retaining it's nutrients. So let us straight away move on to the pickle ingredients.

Inish Issac @InishKitchen

Saved

Ingredients

10 minutes

Many

500 gmsGooseberries, cut into long cubes
2 inchpiece Ginger, chopped
8-10Garlic pods, chopped
3green Chilies chopped
2 sprigsCurry Leaves
3 teaspoonMustard seeds
1/2 teaspoonTurmeric powder
4-5 tablespoonKashmiri chilli powder (or regular chilli powder)
3/4 teaspoonFenugreek powder
3/4 teaspoonAsafetida (Hing / Kaayam)
1/2 cupCoconut oil (you can use any other vegetable oil)
2-3 tablespoonWhite Vinegar
to tasteRock Salt

Saved

Steps

10 minutes

1

Wash the Gooseberries thoroughly and pat dry with kitchen towel.
2

Cut the Gooseberries into long pieces and discard the seed. Add some salt and mix well. Allow it to rest for 10 to 15 minutes. By adding salt the gooseberries will ooze out the juices, hence I avoid resting it for long time as I don’t want to ooze out all it's juices. Retain these juice for the pickle making.
3

When you are ready to make the pickle - heat 2 table spoon of coconut oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds. When they pop up add sliced garlic, ginger and green chilies and saute till the raw smell disappears.
4

Low the flame and now add all the dry spices – turmeric powder, fenugreek powder, asafetida powder and curry leaves. Make a little paste with red chilli powder by adding some water and pour it into the pan, or you can add chilli powder directly to pan and combine well. Once the paste combines well with the other spices, add 1/4 cup hot water, including the gooseberries oozed out juice and bring to boil. Simmer till the gravy thickens.
5

Switch off the flame and add asafetida powder. also known as Hing or kayam and fenugreek powder and mix well. Allow it to cool down and then add the gooseberry pieces and mix well and finally add vinegar and give a good mix. Leave the pickles in the pan for some time, until it is completely cooled down and then transfer to a clean dried glass jar with tight lid.