Gooseberry curd pickle - Indian gooseberry also known as amla and nellikai. A wonderful unique pickle to go well with curd rice or even any south Indian lunch menu.
Have a handful of Indian gooseberry which you want to use in a different way? Then you should give this a try.
As many of you might have seen in my Instagram, I made use of fresh amla in three ways. Neer nellikai, amla pickle and this.
Ingredients
Made with the big variety Indian gooseberry. After making amla juice, I had some fresh nellikai, so used it to make this recipe.
- Homemade curd (plain yogurt)
- Red chilli powder
- Asafoetida powder
See recipe card for quantities.
Variations
Red chilli powder - instead of red chilli powder, you can use finely chopped green chilli while tempering.
I used organic red chilli powder. Using kashmiri chilli powder will give more vibrant colors.
Two years back, I learnt this recipe from my father in law. He asked me to add it whole and let it soak for few days.
But this time, I chopped and added as I have less patience to give that time.
I actually referred this recipe from here which is originally by Nithi Rajasekaran, where she have asked to pre cook before adding.
But then this is the way my FIL told and I made too, it was perfectly fine.
Though I have added a pinch of roasted fenugreek seeds powder this time, last time it was just asafoetida powder added generously in it.
In my FIL's own words, it tastes best with curd rice. Curd with curd sounded doubtful to me. But trust me, the flavor of gooseberry along with asafoetida and mustard was really good, making a regular mor sadam like thayir sadam.
See this Nellikai thayir pachadi recipe and amla rice on my website!
Video
Is video more your thing, do check out quick video on Youtube.
Storage
You can keep this in fridge for a month, you can also change new curd if the curd alone gets over soon. Or even if you feel the curd turns sour.
I usually keep one day out for soaking and then keep in fridge always. Give couple of days in fridge too, so total 3 days for soaking, so that the flavors gets infused well in curd.
Top tip
Make sure to wash, pat dry the gooseberries before using in the recipe. Also if there are any brown spots, you can slice it off before chopping.
Most of the times, it looks brown outside that you will feel it is already gone bad, but if you slice the skin and see, it will still be fresh.
Recipe card
Gooseberry curd pickle | Thayir nellikai recipe
Ingredients
- 6 Indian gooseberry Amla/ Nellikai
- 1 cup Curd Plain yogurt
- Salt
To temper
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- ½ teaspoon Mustard
- ⅛ teaspoon Turmeric
- ⅛ teaspoon Asafoetida
- 1 Pinch Fenugreek seeds powder
- 1 teaspoon Red chilli powder
Instructions
- Wash the gooseberries and pat dry them firstly before chopping.6 Indian gooseberry
- Then cut along the lines to cut into wedges leaving out the seed.
- After that chop into small bite size pieces.
- To make gooseberry curd pickle, take curd in a mixing bowl. Add salt to it. Taste to see if it is slightly one saltier side.1 cup Curd, Salt
- Using a whisk, beat smoothly.
- Add chopped nellikai (amla) to it.
- Meanwhile, heat a small tadka pan with oil.1 tbsp Oil
- Splutter mustard first.½ tsp Mustard
- Switch off the stove and in the heat itself, add fenugreek seeds powder, asafoetida powder and turmeric.⅛ tsp Asafoetida, 1 Pinch Fenugreek seeds powder, ⅛ tsp Turmeric
- Make sure the heat is reduced and finally add red chilli powder.1 tsp Red chilli powder
- Give it a quick stir.
- Add it to the curd + amla and mix well. Keep aside for a day outside. Then two days in fridge before it is ready.
Video
Notes
- You can also make it without fenugreek seeds powder and chilli powder (use green chilli instead)
- Whole amla can also be added but soaking takes longer. Prick and add for quick soaking.
- I suggest to chop atleast in the size of small marble for it give a nice texture.
Stepwise photos
1. Wash the gooseberries and pat dry them firstly before chopping.
2. Then cut along the lines to cut into wedges leaving out the seed. After that chop into small bite size pieces.
3. To make gooseberry curd pickle, take curd in a mixing bowl. Add salt to it. Taste to see if it is slightly one saltier side.
4. Using a whisk, beat smoothly.
5. Add chopped nellikai (amla) to it.
6. Meanwhile, heat a small tadka pan with oil. Splutter mustard first.
7. Switch off the stove and in the heat itself, add ⅛ teaspoon Asafoetida, 1 Pinch Fenugreek seeds powder, ⅛ teaspoon Turmeric
8. Make sure the heat is reduced and finally add 1 teaspoon Red chilli powder. Give it a quick stir.
9. Add it to the curd + amla and mix well.
10. Keep aside for a day outside. Then two days in fridge before it is ready.
How to enjoy it? Add few pieces of the soaked nellikai along with curd to your curd rice, mix and have!
Rajee says
How did I miss this. I am trying this today.