Instant gooseberry pickle / Amla pickle / Nellikai oorugai

Spicy, tangy and slightly sweet pickle prepared with gooseberry / amla that is very simple and less time consuming, at the same time very tasty.

Ingredients:

yields 1 cup of pickle

• 8 to 10 nos – Gooseberry / amla / Periya nellikai
• 1 to 2 tsp – Red chilli powder
• 1/4 tsp – Turmeric powder
• Jaggery or sugar as per taste ( i used 1/2 tsp of jaggery)
• 1/8 to 1/4 tsp – Fenugreek seeds / methi seeds / vendhayam
• Salt to taste

Seasonings:

• 2 tbsp – Sesame oil
• 1/4 tsp – Mustard seeds
• 2 to 3 pinches – Asafoetida / hing

Preparation method:

1. Boil water with salt and add gooseberry / amla to it, cook for 5 to 8 minutes or until soft.
2. Drain the water and allow it to cool completely. Pat dry with paper napkins or towel. Once cooled and dried, cut them into wedges by discarding the seed, Set it aside.
3. Meanwhile dry roast fenugreek seeds / vendhayam and grind it to a fine powder.Keep it aside.
4. Heat oil in a pan, season it with mustard seeds and asafoetida. Then add cut amla and saute for few seconds. Add red chilli powder,turmeric, powdered fenugreek seeds and required salt (remember we have used salt while boiling amla. so add accordingly), mix well and cook for 5 minutes.
5. Finally add powdered jaggery or sugar to give slightly sweet taste. Allow jaggery to melt and continue to cook for 1 more minute, switch off the flame. Let it cool down and store in an air tight container. Serve with curd rice or with any variety rice.

Notes:

• Instead of cooking amla in a boiling water, you may steam it and follow the rest of the steps.
• Adding jaggery will give a slightly sweet taste to the pickle. It is completely optional step, but I would prefer my pickle to be spicy, salty and slightly sweet.
• You can store this instant pickle in an airtight container in refrigerator for week or too.
• You may increase or decrease the quantity of your red chilli powder as per your spice level.

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