Nellikkai Thogaiyal(Chutney)

Gooseberry or Nellikkai, as we call it in Tamil, is popularly known as “Amla” in India. Although these berries have a tart grape flavor when raw, they tend to taste sweeter when ripe.

Consuming these berries on a regular basis provides abundant health benefits .

I use frozen raw amla that is available in Indian grocery stores. See picture below.

Ingredients :

Gooseberry/ Amla – 2 Cups

Ginger – A small piece ( I used 1/2 inch square piece)

Green Chili – 4

Grated fresh coconut – 1/2 cup

Cilantro – A few strands

Urad Dal – 2 Tbsp

Asafoetida (Hing) – Few pinches

Oil – 1 Tbsp

Salt – To taste

Directions:

Boil the frozen gooseberries(Amla) in water for about 10 min until they are cooked. Alternatively, you can pressure cook them also. Drain the water and keep aside. Picture of frozen and cooked amla shown below.

Heat a tablespoon of oil in a fry pan or kadai. Add Urad dal, followed by green chili, ginger pieces and asafoetida.

Add the fried ingredients to a mixer, add 1/2 cup of freshly grated coconut and a few sprigs of cilantro. Add salt to the mixture and grind coarsely.

Add the cooked amla to the ground mixture and grind just for a few seconds. Grinding for a long duration will make the mixture pasty. Mix well and transfer into a container to serve.