Pachadi with Aamla or Nellikkai or Indian Gooseberry

The taste of Indian gooseberry is sour, bitter and  quite fibrous. One cannot eat many Aamla’s at a time but this way in this pachadi you can ensure  the intake of some, you wont even know that its Aamla in this dish. The ginger  and asafotida with methi enhances the flavour of this dish. Very simple  and very healthy and perfect to go with a bowl of steemed rice.

The Aamla fruit contains more than 80% of water. It also has protein, carbohydrate, fibre, minerals and vitamins and rich source of Vitamin C.  Studies says 100 Gms of Aamla contains - 700 mg Vitamin C. They say if Aamla is dried in the shade then much of the vitamin C is retained. To get the maximum out of Aamla it should be taken raw with very little salt.  

Even today I love to have this with salt and chillie powder mix, however they say you are not supposed to drink water after eating Aamla. But I love to have a sip of water because   a kind of nice sweetness  you get. Also we used to break the seed and find another tiny seed in the inner layer of the seed  – it was real fun to munch that. Aamla, mangoes, Guava, tamirind ……oooof takes me to my childhood days and stories associated with these are too many and are never ending. Love my childhood days.  

I always like to make this a bit spicy and goes very well with steamed rice, papad fried in oil or even the one roasted on fire  is a must and some nice side dish like potato fry or nice mizhukuparati. Infact I served this for lunch with rice, papad and beeetroot kutu.

Less spoken about this wonder fruit on the health benefits as its endless.  Let me move on...

 

Ingredients

Gooseberry or Aamla or Nellikkai – 5 Nos
Curd – 1 big cup
Green chilli – 4 No * Spice to your level
Fresh ginger – a small piece
Salt – to your taste
Coconut fresh grated – ½  cup
Oil – 1 tsp
Mustard – ¼ teaspoon
Curry leaves – 1 sprig                                                                                                                                 Urad dhal – ½  teaspoon                                                                                                                           Methi seeds – 4 nos.                                                                                                                                 Dried red chilli broken– 2 nos
Asafotida powder – a generous pinch

Method:

Wash gooseberries, cut or grate and remove the seeds.

Grind gooseberry, coconut, green chilli, ginger to a fine paste.

In a pan add the gooseberry paste and allow it boil, now add a bit of salt as we are removing the rawness of the paste.

Beat curd and add to the gooseberry paste along with salt. Mix well and don’t allow it to boil.

In a pan lets do the tempering, add oil, mustard, urad dhal, methi seeds, broken red chilli, curry leaves and asafetida powder

Pour the tempering on the pachadi.

Serve this with hot steamed rice, papad  and some nice side dish.

 Latha

 

 

Sending this to:

http://youtoocancookindianfood.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/60-days-to-christmas-event-and-giveaway.html

http://arusuvai-kurippu.blogspot.in/2012/11/event-announcement-show-me-your-hits.html

http://www.zestysouthindiankitchen.com/