AMBADI KI CHUTNEY (ANDHRA STYLE) /GONGURA PACHHADI

Recipe for Ambadi ki chutney

            Ambadi is called as Pitwaa, Amaari, Khata Palanga, etc in other parts of India. In Andhra Pradesh it is called as Gongura and is prepared with lentils or mutton or chicken. Ambadi is packed with iron, folic acid and antioxidants essential for human nutritions.

            This recipe comes from my mother who belongs to Andhra. The best way to enjoy this chutney is with hot steamed rice with a drizzle of oil on it. For those who have never tried Ambadi, this can be a good start.

Ingredients

• 3 cups ambadi leaves
• 1 onion (diced)
• Oil and salt to taste

Tempering

• 1 tbsp whole coriander seeds
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• ¼ tsp asafeotida
• 6 whole dry red chillies

How to make

Heat 2 tsp of oil in a pan and add all the ingredients for tempering. Saute for a minute. 

Remove in a bowl. In the same pan heat 2 tsp of oil. Add the cleaned and washed Ambadi leaves. Stir the leaves for 30 to 40 seconds or until the leaves wilt. Remove from heat.

Make coarse mixture of the ingredients of tempering and salt in a dry grinder. To this add the Ambadi leaves, grind for 4 sec + 4sec + 4sec.

Finally, add the diced onions and grind for another 4sec + 4sec. It is important not to grind for longer duration as we do not want the chutney to be pasty.

Tips

For best results the chutney should be pounded with a mortar and pestle (the way grandmas used to do it).