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Learn how to make Andhra Style Gongura Pachadi with detailed step by step pictures. Traditional Andhra Gongura Pickle with Garlic recipe, best with hot rice and ghee!

Gongura Pachadi is made from Sorrel leaves - one of the most loved pickles from Andhra and far less tedious to make at home than mango based ones. There are so many variations to this recipe and each household has their family recipe too. This is ours and this is a Nilavu Pachadi - when stored in an airtight container with a clean spoon, it stays good for over 6 months.

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Step-wise Instructions
Recipe Notes
Top Tips
Video Recipe
📖 Recipe
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Coming from a family of pickle experts from Andhra Pradesh, our house was always full of jars of pickles. Some of my fond memories are of waiting up for those loads of spicy pickles to make their way from Vijayawada all the way to our home in Chennai.

My Mammagaru - my paternal grandmother, would travel to our hometown every summer, just to make pickles. And was she an expert or what. From mango-based pickles like Avakkaya and Maagaya to specialities like Chinthakaya (raw tamarind pickle) and Gongura (Sorrel leaves pickle), she made everything. For an entire month, the kitchen belonged to the pickles and the whole house would smell of red chillies, dried mangoes and other pickling condiments.

She passed on her legacy with both her daughters-in-law (my aunt and my amma) and they have well and truly taken up the mantle keeping the family tradition alive. And now slowly and proudly, I find myself carrying it forward too. I wanted to record this recipe for all the legacy it carries and how special and close to my heart it is.

The key to a good Gongura Pachadi is starting with the right leaves - ones that are noticeably tangy. Amma's simplest test is to place a leaf on heat and if it wilts quickly, its tangy enough. Picking and separating the leaves from the steps is the only effort involved, but its worth being thorough about it.

Gongura Pachadi is best served with hot rice and a spoonful of sesame oil and a side of raw onions and shallots. There, that's all it takes to make a meal heavenly!

Step-wise Instructions

Clean the sorrel leaves (around 3 cups) by removing them from the stems and washing them thoroughly in running water. Spread them on a clean cloth and let them air dry for at least a day. Do not dry the leaves in hot sun.

In a thick bottomed pan, dry roast the leaves until they are wilted and turn dark-ish green/brown color on a low flame. It should not get completely dry.

Mix half of the salt (1.5 teaspoon rock salt powdered) with the wilted sorrel leaves, remove and let them cool.

In the same pan, heat 1 tsbp of oil. Add 1 teaspoon fenugreek and 1 teaspoon mustard seeds. As they splutter, add 100 grams dried red chillies (~50-55 count).

On a low flame, fry the chillies until they turn deep red. Add the remaining salt (1.5 teaspoon rock salt powdered).

Remove from heat and let it cool down. Grind this into a smooth powder.

Now add wilted sorrel leaves, pulse them together in the blender a few times. It should be coarse to retain the texture. At this stage, check for salt and add more if preferred.

In a pan, heat ½ cup of sesame/gingelly oil. Once the oil is hot, remove from heat. Add 1.5 teaspoon hing and 20-25 garlic pods (if using). Let this completely cool down.

Add the mixture of sorrel and red chillies. Mix well with clean hands or a spatula.

Store in an air tight container and use dry spoon. Let the pickle rest for a couple of days for flavors to seep in.

Serve a teaspoon of it with a cup of hot rice and sesame oil/ghee.

Recipe Notes

There are a number of versions of Gongura Pachadi - this is how it has been made in our house as long as I can remember.
The roasted sorrel leaves once cooled down and mixed with salt, stay well for over a year also. The rest of the procedure can be done in individual batches to prepare fresh pachadi as and when required.
Traditionally, all the grinding would be done in a large mortar and pestle (rolu-rokali in Telugu) which genuinely adds to the taste of the pickle. Mixer-grinders work fine for everyday use.

Top Tips

Wash the gongura leaves and air dry at room temperature (never in hot sun) for at least a day before roasting. When dry roasting, the leaves should wilt and lost most of their moisture but not dry out completely. A little moisture retained at this stage makes all the difference to the taste and final texture.
Adjust the red chillies to your spice preference. The quantity also depends on how tangy the sorrel leaves are - more sour leaves need more red chillies to balance.
Salt the pickle well - an under-salted pickle will not stay for long. Salt and oil are the only preservatives here, so dont skimp on either. The pickle should be well coated in oil and after 2-3 days of storing, the oil should float on top.
Garlic is optional, but it adds a depth of flavor and it is highly recommended.
Let the pickle rest for a couple of days before serving. Store in glass or porcelain container for a longer shelf life. Refrigerated gongura pachadi stores even longer.

Video Recipe

I would be delighted to know if you have tried this recipe, don't forget to provide your rating for this recipe and do share your comments below. If you have any questions, you can always e-mail me! I am also available on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter 🙂

📖 Recipe

Gongura Pachadi | Andhra Style Gongura Pickle

Ramya

Learn how to make Andhra Style Gongura Pachadi with detailed step by step pictures. Easy Andhra Gongura Pickle with Garlic recipe, best with hot rice and ghee!

5 from 3 votes

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Prep Time 20

Cook Time 20

Drying Time 1

Course Pickles

Cuisine Andhra Cuisine

Servings 250Grams Bottle

Calories 1225 kcal

Equipment

Wide Pan
Blender/Mixer Grinder

MEASUREMENT

1 cup = 250ml, 1 tablespoon = 15ml, 1 teaspoon = 5ml

Ingredients

▢ 3 cups Gongura/Sorrel Leaves
▢ 100 grams Dried Red Chillies ~50-55
▢ ½ cup Gingelly/Sesame Oil + extra as needed
▢ 1 teaspoon Fenugreek Seeds
▢ 1 teaspoon Mustard Seeds
▢ 1.5 teaspoon Hing
▢ 3 teaspoon Rock Salt Powdered adjust accordingly
▢ 20 Garlic Pods optional

Instructions

Clean sorrel leaves by removing them from the stems and washing them thoroughly in running water. Spread them on a clean cloth and let them air dry for atleast a day. No need to put the leaves in hot sun.
In a thick bottomed pan, dry roast the leaves until they are completely wilted and turn dark-ish green/brown color on a low flame. It should not be completely dry.
Mix half of the salt with the roasted sorrel leaves, remove and let it to cool.
Meanwhile, in the same pan, heat 1 tsbp of oil. Add fenugreek and mustard seeds. As they splutter, add dried red chillies. On a low flame, fry the chillies until they turn deep red. Add the remaining salt. Remove from heat and let it cool down. Grind this into a smooth powder as well.
Now add wilted sorrel leaves, pulse them together in the blender a few times. It should be coarse to retain the texture. At this stage, check for salt and add more if preferred.
In a pan, heat ¾ cup of sesame/gingely oil. Once the oil is hot, remove from heat. Add hing and garlic pods (optional). Let this completely cool down. Add the prepared gongura mixture. Mix well (using hands or spatula as preferred)
Store in an air tight container and use dry spoon. Let the pickle rest for a couple of days for the flavors to seep in. Serve a teaspoon of it with a cup of hot rice and sesame oil/ghee.

Video

Notes

There are a number of versions of Gongura Pachadi - this is how it has been made in our house as long as I can remember.
The roasted sorrel leaves once cooled down and mixed with salt, stay well for over a year also. The rest of the procedure can be done in individual batches to prepare fresh pachadi as and when required.
Traditionally, all the grinding would be done in a large mortar and pestle (rolu-rokali in Telugu) which genuinely adds to the taste of the pickle. Mixer-grinders work fine for everyday use.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Gongura Pachadi | Andhra Style Gongura Pickle

Amount per Serving

Calories

1225

% Daily Value*

Fat

119

183

Saturated Fat

106

Polyunsaturated Fat

Monounsaturated Fat

Sodium

7107

309

Potassium

638

Carbohydrates

Fiber

Sugar

Protein

Vitamin A

4773

Vitamin C

240

291

Calcium

163

Iron

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Keyword Pickles, Pickles/Pachadi Recipes

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Gongura Pachadi | Andhra Style Gongura Pickle

Step-wise Instructions

Recipe Notes

Top Tips

Video Recipe

📖 Recipe