Gongura Chutney/Pachadi (Roselle chutney)
You say gongura and I say Andhra! It’s The king of Andhra cuisine. The one and only gongura pachchadi. This chutney made with the sour leaves of the roselle plant is an absolute favorite dish, and I’ve always thought the store bought one was too oily and oversalted. So this year, I got a couple of plants at a plant sale. And it’s doing extremely well in the Florida weather. I harvested about 8 cups of leaves today, and set to work making this yummy chutney. My husband and I had it for lunch with hot steaming rice, and a dollop of ghee. Heaven! I researched several recipes, and used the Guntur recipe, the way it’s made in Guntur in Andhra.
Servings Prep Time
2cups 20 – 30minutes
Cook Time
15minutes
Servings Prep Time
2cups 20 – 30minutes
Cook Time
15minutes
Ingredients
  • 4tightly packed cups gongura leaves
  • 2tsp Coriander seeds
  • 1/2tsp Cumin seeds
  • 1/2tsp Fenugreek/methi seeds
  • 1small key lime sized Tamarind pulp
  • 20round dry chiliesuse less if you want it mild, but gongura needs to be fiery 🙂
  • 1tbsp/as needed sesame oilfor frying the spices and gongura leaves
Tempering Ingredients
  • 1tsp Mustard seeds
  • 1/2tsp Hing
  • 3-4red chilies long
  • 1tsp chana dal
  • 4-5 tbspsesame oil. Definitely more is good
Instructions
  1. Remove leaves from stems, clean well. I immerse them in a big bowl of clean water, and let it sit for a few minutes before draining the water.
  2. Heat a pan. I used a cast iron vaanali. Dry roast coriander, methi and cumin seeds. Remove to a plate to cool.
  3. Add a tsp of oil, fry red chilies. REmove to plate to cool.
  4. Keep adding a tsp of oil as needed, and wilt the gongura leaves in batches. I had a large quantity of 8 cups, so I fried in 4 batches.
  6. Let the ingredients cool. Blend the coriander, chilies, cumin, methi first coarsely.
  7. Add the leaves, salt, and the soaked tamarind with a little bit of water and blend
  8. Heat the remaining oil in the same vaanali, pop the mustard seeds, and fry the chana dal and chilies. Add the blended paste and cook for a few minutes.
Recipe Notes

This recipe is based on several youtube videos I referred to, there isn’t a particular source. This style of gongura pachchadi is apparently followed in the Guntur region of Andhra. Another simple style is to skip the whole coriander, cumin and methi.

Optionally, garlic can be added. Depending on your preference, add it fresh or saute with the spices.

The preferred chilies are the round type for the chutney. For tempering, long red chilies are used. Of course, if all you have is long red chilies, go ahead. You won’t be sued, just don’t tell any andhra person.

Gongura chutney in the making