Amla Raita / Nellikai Thayir pachadi (Gooseberry in yogurt)

Recipe for Amla Raita/ Nellikka Pachidi / Nellikka Thairpachidi /Indian Gooseberry

At home, during the amla season, they are usually bought in bulk and steeped in brine, for use throughout the year. Also, keeping them in brine, mellows their sourness, and makes them available throughout the year. These are also made into delicious pickles, which as a kid, we would eat a piece and then drink water, and then thrilled that the water tasted sweet when it was drunk after eating amla pickle

Amla raita is made in Tambrahm homes, called Nellikai Thayir Pachidi, is a variant of Maanga Thayir Pachidi, where tender raw mangoes soaking in chilli-brine (called vadu maanga) are drained out, and a few of them ground in the mixer along with some fresh coconut and added to yogurt. Some dishes like these speak so much of ‘home’ because you will never find it in a restaurant

More raita recipes:

• Cucumber and yogurt dish from Kerala – Cucumber Kichadi
• Pumpkin Raita
• This ripe banana raita is the best use of overripe bananas, quite popular in Tamil vegetarian cuisine
• Bottlegourd / Lauki Raita

In this Amla pachidi or Amla raita, I have not used coconut, but you can grind the deseeded cooked or brine soaked amla with some coconut and use in the recipe

100 gram of Indian gooseberry provides 4.3 gram of dietary fiber and nearly half the daily requirement of vitamin C. How apt that it makes its appearance in December in India, when people are susceptible to sniffles and flu during season change. Buy these natural immunity boosters when in season and use them in your daily diet

Recipe for Amla Raita / Gooseberry in yogurt / Nellikkai Thayir Pachidi

Serves 4

Amla Raita / Indian gooseberry in yogurt

Amla or Indian Gooseberry or Nellikai is an antioxidant and vitamin C rich fruit. Usually used in pickles or eaten raw, this Amla raita is a delicious way to enjoy it in a daily meal.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Servings: 4 helping

Course: condiments

Cuisine: south indian

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 8 - 12 gooseberries (amla / nellikai)
• pinch turmeric powder
• salt
• 400 ml yogurt
• 2 tsps cooking oil
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• pinch asafoetida
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 green chili
• 1 tsp sugar

Method

 

1. In a small pressure cooker, place 1/2 cup water with pinch of turmeric powder and 1/2 tsp salt. Add the whole gooseberries (amla) to this. Pressure cook for two whistles, switch off flame and allow to cool. If you don't have pressure cooker, you can boil this until cooked, will take around 10 minutes+.
2. Once the cooker is cool enough to handle, drain out gooseberries. Using a grater (coarse one is better), grate the cooked gooseberries, discarding the seed and pith in the center.
3. In a bowl, whisk the yogurt with 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp sugar.
4. In a tadka ladle or a small pan, heat 2 tsp oil. Splutter the cumin seeds, add the asafoetida, green chilli and the red chili powder. Turn off heat immediately so red chilly powder does not burn.
5. Transfer it to the yogurt and whisk until combined.
6. Garnish with coriander or green chillies (optional).
7. Serve with pulao or with roti and subzi.

Notes

 

My menu was alu-gobhi-mutter, grated carrot salad, amla raita and phulkas.