Yanam Gongura Pachadi

Name: Yanam Gongura Pachadi
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Telugu (Yanam)
Ingredients: 250 g gongura (sorrel) leaves; 8 pieces dried red chillies; 20 g Garlic; 1 tsp Mustard seeds; 0.5 tsp Fenugreek seeds; 0.5 tsp Cumin seeds; 0.25 tsp turmeric powder; 3 tbsp Sesame oil; 1 tsp Salt

A fiery, tangy sorrel leaf chutney popular in Yanam's Telugu households, eaten with rice and ghee as a defining Andhra-style flavour of this Puducherry enclave.

🇮🇳India· Puducherry

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 20 min
Total: 35 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 90 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 9 gathered

Servings

Equipment

•Pan
•Stone grinder or blender

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 90 kcal
fat: 6 g
carbs: 7 g
fibre: 3 g
protein: 2 g
calories: 90 kcal

Instructions

1
Heat 1 tablespoon of sesame oil in a pan. Fry the gongura (sorrel) leaves for about 8 minutes until soft and wilted.
2
In the same pan, toast the dried red chillies, fenugreek seeds and half the mustard seeds without oil until fragrant.
3
Let the roasted spices cool down completely. Grind them with the garlic, turmeric and salt into a coarse powder.
4
Add the wilted gongura leaves to the grinder. Pulse briefly until you get a coarse, thick chutney.
5
Heat the remaining sesame oil in the pan. Add the rest of the mustard seeds and cumin seeds until they pop.
6
Pour the ground gongura mixture into the pan. Stir-fry for 5 minutes until the raw smell leaves and oil separates slightly.
7
Allow the chutney to cool before storing, or serve it straight away with hot rice.

Chef's tips

Use tender young gongura leaves for the best sour flavour. This chutney keeps well for over a week if stored properly under a generous layer of oil.

Ingredient substitutions

gongura leaves → spinach with added lemon juice for tang

Storage

Store in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.

Reheating

Best served at room temperature; no reheating needed.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Grinding the leaves before they have softened and wilted completely
•Skipping the final tadka (spiced oil sizzle), which deprives the dish of rich flavour and aroma