Lakshmi, our cook is one of my
rare finds in Mumbai. Lakshmi hails from the land of NTR, Jr.NTR, Aavakkai and cooks
awesome food especially South Indian for our ‘varanda’ tongues suffering from
the boring bland roti-dal.
Most Cook Akkas will never
learn to make new cuisine (Rasam, Sambar, Koottu, Pasta, Pulao types) and even if they do know how to won’t admit they know for
fear of being asked to make them. They are quite content making the same thing. The best part about Lakshmi is that they makes stuff on her own
without being asked to. Her kuzhanda manasu is one of the other reasons we are quite ok with her bunking 5-6 days a month unannounced. The other day she had made this awesome Gongura
chutney, on her own. Had tweeted a picture of the chutney and a couple of people wanted to know
the recipe. So here we are.
Ingredients for Gongura Chutney
- Puliccha Keerai { Tamil }/ Ambadi (bhaji) in Hindi / Sorrel leaves { English } – 2 bunches
- Tomatoes - 2
- Red chillies – 7 numbers
- Garlic - 1 small pod
- Jeera - 2 big spoons
- Urad dal/Ulutham parupu – One small spoon
- Chana dal / Kadalai parupu – One small spoon
- Kadugu / Rai – One small spoon
- Kadipatta / Karuveppillai – a few leaves
- Asafoetida - a pinch
- Salt to taste
- Gingelly Oil / Nallennai
As you are all set to watch a movie on TV, when the movie starts, as the credits roll watching TV....
- Wash and Remove the leaves of Pulicha keerai / Ambadi
- Cut tomatoes into medium sized pieces
During the 1st commercial break
- Put a little bit of oil and fry the tomatoes and the Greens for 5 minutes
- Let this cool
- In the same kadai, fry 5 red chillies .Let this cool
Come back to watch the movie. When the 2nd commercial break starts
- Put the red chillies, add salt, jeera (without frying) and garlic (without frying) in the mixie and blend these.
- To this, add the tomato and greens and blend it to a paste
By this time the movie must have
started again. If it hasn’t , good. You can do the taalichal/ tadka. Else increase the volume
on TV so that you don't miss out on the action and come back to the kitchen.
- Fry Kadugu (Rai), Kadalai paruppu ( Chana dal) , ULutham paruppu (Urad dal), Jeera , 2 red chillies, Karuvepilai (Kadipatta), Asafoetida and pour it on the Gongura chutney.
- Your super duper chutney is ready!
Don’t forget to look at your expression
in the mirror while you have the first kai of Gongura chutney saadam and that's most likely to be like this......bliss!
Now tell me, isn’t Gongura
chutney truly the Prasadam (as Golts put it “Prasadauummnn”) of NTR?