Nellikai oorugai recipe | instant gooseberry pickle | nellikai urugai | Amla pickle with frozen gooseberries is super easy to make and tastes delicious. Pickle stays good for weeks.
Why frozen gooseberry for the south Indian pickle variety?
Traditional fresh gooseberry is used for this pickle recipe. After moving to the US, I hardly found fresh gooseberry in the Indian store, so I started preparing nellikai oorugai with frozen ones. No compromise in taste and perfectly beginner-friendly pickle variety.
Should I steam cook Amla for pickle?
You can saute Amla in oil but make it faster I prefer steam-cooking gooseberry. Fresh or frozen steam cook them till they crack and opens up then prepare pickle, for never fail tasty Amla achar 😊
Does frozen Amla need thawing before making pickle?
No, I generally take the Gooseberry from the freezer and steam cook them directly for nellikai oorugai. After steaming the amla always drain them in a colander and make sure all the water is drained out.
Why shouldn’t I add steam-cooked Gooseberry with water?
If you try adding hot steam-cooked Amla with water to the hot oil, oil might spill out. Also, cooking amla pickle with excess water reduces the pickle’s shelf life, so always drain the water well then prepare a gooseberry pickle.
How else can I cook gooseberry?
I prefer cooking gooseberry in an idli pan but you can cook Amla in a pressure cooker or instant pot. Use a separator and add little water for cooking. You can also microwave gooseberry.
Can I use regular chilli powder for Amla pickle?
Yes, you can use regular chilli powder but adjust the quantity accordingly. Also based on the gooseberry taste adjust the chilli powder. Personally, I prefer Kashmiri chilli powder because of the color.
Can I add 4 tablespoon of oil initially instead of adding over time?
Yes but I prefer adding little oil while adding chilli powder as helps for easy binding and also prevents the chilli powder from sticking to the pan.
How long does the pickle stay good?
After the pickle is completely cooked store it in a glass/ pickle container. Always use a clean dry spoon. Pickle stays good for weeks in the fridge and up to one week at room temperature. Avoid plastic containers for storing pickles. pickle tastes best after few hours.
How I can serve nellikai oorugai?
In our home, we like amla pickle with curd rice, curd semiya. It also goes well with Avocado paratha, paneer paratha, idli dosai tiffin varieties, and other breakfast/ dinner varieties.
Gooseberry pickle video recipe
Pickle varieties in TMF curd semiya breakfast/ dinner varieties curd rice idli dosai tiffin varieties breakfast/ dinner varieties Gooseberry recipes
Ingredients
10 gooseberry | nellikai | amla - I used frozen but you can use fresh/frozen 4 tablespoon oil 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds 2 tablespoon Kashmiri chilli powder 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder 1/2 tablespoon salt 1/8 teaspoon mustard seed powder Asafoetida generous pinch 1 teaspoon jaggery or brown sugar 1/8 teaspoon fenugreek seed powder
how to make Gooseberry pickle with step by step pictures:
Grease idli plate and steam cook gooseberry for 10-15 minutes till they crack open
Transfer them to a colander and let the water drain completely
After the gooseberry is cool enough to handle remove the brown part and deseed the gooseberry, chop them randomly
Heat 2 tablespoon oil and when oil is hot add mustard seeds and let them splutter
Add chopped gooseberry and saute for 2 minutes
Turn down the flame to low
Add turmeric powder, chilli powder, salt, 1 tablespoon oil, and give a good mix
Furthermore add asafoetida, mustard seed powder, fenugreek powder, jaggery, asafoetida and give a good mix
Based on the sourness of the gooseberry add more chili powder (1 added 1 tbsp), 1 tablespoon oil, give a good mix, simmer for 30 seconds and turn off the stove
