Gooseberry Pickle

My friends fondly call my star gooseberry tree ‘neighbour’s envy and owner’s pride’.

But I had almost given up on this plant! When my star gooseberry plant did not bear fruit for the first couple of years, a neighbour said it may not be an amla plant after all and I started getting doubts! Thankfully, I waited patiently, and boy, was I rewarded for my patience!

Though I am not certain that it is proven, gooseberries are said to have amazing health benefits like lowering blood pressure, diabetes, and cholesterol.

While I know a few who can eat it raw since they enjoy the tangy taste, the most common use of this fruit in the kitchen, especially in South Indian homes, is in the form of a pickle. Arai nellikai, as we call it in Tamil, can also be used as a supplement for raw mango and can be mixed with rice too. But today, let me give you a simple recipe for the pickle which my mom taught me.

INGREDIENTS:

Star gooseberry: 500 gm
Red chilli powder: ½ cup
Turmeric powder: 1 tsp
Salt: ½ cup
Sesame oil: ½ cup
Methi (fenugreek) seeds: 1 tsp
Asafoetida: 1 tsp
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Wash the gooseberries and dry them by spreading them on a towel. Next, remove the stems.
• Dry-roast methi seeds and powder them. Transfer the gooseberries to a bowl and add salt, chilli powder, methi seeds powder, and turmeric. Mix well.
• Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and wait for them to splutter; add asafoetida. Add this hot oil to the gooseberries.
• Mix well and transfer to a jar. It takes about a week for the star gooseberries to absorb the spices. Make sure you stir it every couple of days.

Note that is a spicier version of the pickle and you can adjust the spices according to your taste.