The bell rang, I opened the door. A small girl was holding a bouquet. The bouquet was hiding her face. She gave it to me.
What she was holding a bunch of gongura leaves, not a bouquet.
I smiled, and I thanked her. It was my neighbour’s daughter. My neighbour had sent across this bunch they had picked up from a shop.
I was making this pachadi for the first time and didn’t know what to expect. Let me tell you this – the leaves are tangy. Really really tangy. And I loved it! The pachadi tasted better the next day and it was the star of the meal.
I have been hunting for these leaves ever since and have never seen it around. It’s available all year through (as is the case with almost all vegetables now), but its best in summer.
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Recipe source: Cooking 4 All Seasons
Ingredients:
- Gongura leaves : a bunch, washed and cleaned
- Green Chillies : 6-8 (or more depending on the sourness of leaves)
- Salt
For tempering
- Red chillies : 3-4
- Mustard seeds : 1 tsp
- Urad dal : 1 tsp
- Onion : 1 small chopped
- Hing : a pinch
- Garlic cloves : 2-3
- Oil : 2 – 3 tbsp
Method:
- Wash and clean the leaves. Pluck the leaves and discard the stems. Let the leaves drain in a colander.
- In a kadai, heat about one tbsp of oil and saute the leaves and the green chilies till they change color completely and are soft. Keep aside. You can also cook this by adding half a cup of water and letting it boil.
- Once its cool, grind this to a coarse paste with salt. Do a taste test and add more salt if needed. If the leaves are really tangy, then you need to increase the spice level.
- In a kadai, add another tbsp oil and once its hot, add the hing, mustard seeds, urad dal. Once it crackles, add the chopped onion, garlic and red chilies. Saute till brown, Add the ground gongura leaves to this and saute for 5 minutes.
- You can serve this as a pickle or mix with rice like a podi. Tastes good both ways.
My Kitchen Trials 
One of Andhra people’s favorite greens. We fry the leaves and store it like a base for pickle and this can be used for a few years if properly stored.
BTW, lovely chutney.
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haha…can imagine the girl and the bouqet. I learnt this thokku when we lived at raichur…very yummy
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Never tasted gongura !Don’t think we have them here. But if I find a bunch, I know what to make from the ‘bouquet’ ;)
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Heard about this lot, haven’t got a chance to try this.
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am drooling here and my mouth is watering… love gongura!!! Your neighbor’s daughter with a bouquet of Gongura leaves – lol:)
Sowmya
Event – Bake Fest
Event – Celebrate – Summer
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LOL I was laughing when you said about bouquet..:)..so nice you enjoyed this chutney..
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One of our absolute favorites.. Your pics are making me crave for some right now..
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My mom makes this for us often.so yummmy.
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Our fav pachadi!
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Gongura my fav greeny….. delcious pachadi..
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Well will try this out. Since they are tangy leaves I hardly buy them but now you have tempted me.
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Very well pictured & the chutney looks very delicious.
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Tonguetickling pachadi, we dont get this greens here, love to mix with rice and enjoy anytime, droolworthy pachadi.
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i made this once before and so totally loved it but it was minus the onion and garlic. So want to try my hands at this again! Gongura looks great Rajani. And i love this mixed with rice
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LOL, must have made ur day, thinking it was a bouquet, i think, i have now understood what gongura is, probably it is the ambadi leaves that we make, as u said they are tangy, i simply love it
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Never seen this green here…though have heard a lot about these…and I love tangy veggies…
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