Gongura / Red Sorrel Leaves Chutney

Gongura as known as Ambada or Red Sorrel Leaves  is a leafy vegetable with a  very distinctive sour taste. It is a popular authentic Andhra cuisine. It can be cooked with dal, chutney and well as with meat and sea food. Any combination with Gongura is mouthwatering  and makes you crave for its unique sour taste.
Apart from its distinctive taste,  it also has many health benefits as it is very rich in Iron, vitamins C, vitamin A, vitamin D,  folic acid and anti-oxidants essential for human nutrition

Today I am going to blog a very simple, easy and tasty chutney recipe with minimal ingredients.

Ingredients:

• Gongura / Red Sorrel Leaves - 2 Cups 
• Red Chillies - 8 to 10 (Vary acc to spice of chilli...Mine are hardly spicy.)
• White Sesame seeds / Nuvvulu - 2 tbsp
• Onion - 1 
• Tamarind paste - 1/2 tsp - optional

For the tadka / popu (Optional) :

• Mustard seeds -1/2 tsp
• Jeera / Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
• Chana dal - 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves - 1 sprig
• Asafoetida / Hing - a pinch

Procedure:

Take a pan and dry roast the sesame seeds on medium flame. After a minute tear and add the red chillies and saute for few seconds until the sesame seeds change into light brown color. Remove from the flame and once cool grind to powder and set aside.

Pluck the leaves of Gongura from the stems, wash and clean them. In the same vessel add a tsp of oil followed by gongura leaves and  onion.

Saute it on medium flame until the gongura leaves shrink as shown in the photograph. Once the leaves shrink and change color, switch off the flame and let it cool.

Now add the gongura onion , tamarind paste with the dry sesame - chilli powder and grind to a smooth paste.

Add a tsp of oil for the tadka...Once hot add in mustard seeds , cumin seeds, Chana dal, Urad dal, hing, curry leave and asafoetida. Saute till the dals are brown and add them to the chutney mix.

This step of tadka or popu is option. My MIL skips it but I feel that tadka enhances the flavor. So its upto you.

Add some chopped onions and serve. I add some more onions to the chutney because i like the sour taste and the pink color on the onions when they are marinated in the chutney.

Serve with hot rice, oil / ghee ,  onions and enjoy your meal.