Amla Pachadi

There are some very basic differences between a standard Tamil meal and a standard Telugu meal. One of those differences, according to me, would definitely have to be the presence of a chutney or a pachadi on the menu. Where I grew up, a chutney, also called a thuvayal or thogayal, was made when there wasn't enough sambar or kuzhambu for 4 people. That's when the different podis made their appearance on the table along with a thengai thuvayal. Where S comes from, the podis and the pachadis are almost integral to every meal. Every once in a while, I try to make a pachadi to go with our meals. And totally in line with my plan to include new fruits and vegetables in my diet, I made this pachadi with fresh Indian gooseberries. A complete treat for all garlic lovers, we enjoyed this pickle like pachadi with some hot rice and ghee on a cold Sunday afternoon. This recipe has been sitting in my drafts for months now and will finally see the light of day.

250 g Indian Gooseberry (Amla), deseeded and halved

3-4 tbsp Garlic Paste

6 Red Chillies

2 tsp Mustard Seeds

15-20 Curry Leaves

1 tbsp Chilli Powder

2-3 tbsp Oil

Salt to taste

Heat the oil in a pan and add the curry leaves, mustard seeds and chillies. When the mustard crackles, add the garlic paste. Fry the paste for a few minutes. Add the chilli powder, salt and the gooseberries. Cook on a low flame for about 5 minutes. When cool, grind to a coarse paste.

Hot and sour all at once, this unconventional pachadi is a real treat.