When my Client's Mom was in town last year visiting from Hyderabad, they made a gigantic tub of ginger pickle and shared it with me. It was so tasty! I was elated on Thursday when she told me she had a little something for me from her Mom. A new batch of pickle had just arrived in the mail from India! Seasonally fresh! I'd never heard of gongura before. She showed me some whole gongura leaves which she had in her fridge. The leafy greens are small, long and narrow; they look kind of like sage, but darker. She said that even though gongura is grown in other areas of the world and she can buy it at the grocery store, it is truly most flavorful right out of the soil in Andhra Pradesh, particularly Hyderabad where they are from and where Mom lives. ;) Apparently the soil and climate make for the best gongura leaves out there. They like to make the pickle by grinding the leaves using a mortar and pestle so that the oils come out of the leaves for more flavor.
Oh my goodness, the flavor of gongura pickle makes it such a fine condiment, a true delicatessen! It has this sharp, bitter & tart full flavor unlike anything I've ever tasted before. There is some tamarind in the pickle as well which I immediately recognized that flavor.
The gongura pickle is the dark green pickle in this pic....
The ginger pickle is the red pickle and is my other favorite pickle for its deep zingy flavor!
Chana Masala with Gongura and Ginger pickle!
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The ginger pickle is the red pickle and is my other favorite pickle for its deep zingy flavor!
Chana Masala with Gongura and Ginger pickle!
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Chana Masala Recipe
Ingredients:
1 15oz. can chickpeas, drained & rinsed. Or you can prepare your own raw chickpeas.
3/4 large white onion
2-3 vine tomatoes (On previous occasions I've used 2 large slicing tomatoes or 6 roma tomatoes. I like either roma or vine tomatoes for this recipe. - Not so much large slicing tomatoes.)
1 long green chili
3-4 garlic cloves
1 inch piece of sliced ginger
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp coriander powder (On previous occasions, I've added half-and-half with actual cilantro leaves and powder. I do it differently each time, and it usually depends on if I have cilantro in the fridge or not! The finished flavor is slightly different but awesome either way.)
1 tsp garam masala powder
1/2 tsp red chili powder
2 bay leaves
1-2 tbsp olive or sunflower oil
optional cilantro for garnish
Method:
Use a food processor to smoothly blend up the onion, tomato, green chili and ginger. You'll need to chop the veggies accordingly in order to fit into your processor. If you like some chunkiness in your chana masala, keep out about half of one of the tomatoes, diced, to add to the pan later. Same for about a tablespoon of diced onion.
Heat skillet on med-low. Add oil and bay leaves. Allow a quick (10 seconds) sizzle. Not too long as the leaf could burn and the oil could turn a rancid flavor.
Pour in the puree. Let simmer for about 3 minutes, stirring often.
Stir in the herbs & spices. Stir 15 seconds or so. Then stir in the chickpeas (and diced tomatoes and onions if you saved some). Stir for another 15 seconds or so.
(Now would be a good time to start the rice. I usually get a pot of rice & water on the stove before I start cooking the chana masala; That way all I have to do is turn the stove on at this time, watch for the boil, stir, lower heat and cover. I set the timer on the stove for 8 minutes.)
Lower heat to LO, and cover. Let simmer for about 10 minutes. Make sure to stir every couple of minutes.
And Voila! It's ready! Serve with rice, paratha or whatever you like - especially pickle if you have some on hand!
1 15oz. can chickpeas, drained & rinsed. Or you can prepare your own raw chickpeas.
3/4 large white onion
2-3 vine tomatoes (On previous occasions I've used 2 large slicing tomatoes or 6 roma tomatoes. I like either roma or vine tomatoes for this recipe. - Not so much large slicing tomatoes.)
1 long green chili
3-4 garlic cloves
1 inch piece of sliced ginger
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp coriander powder (On previous occasions, I've added half-and-half with actual cilantro leaves and powder. I do it differently each time, and it usually depends on if I have cilantro in the fridge or not! The finished flavor is slightly different but awesome either way.)
1 tsp garam masala powder
1/2 tsp red chili powder
2 bay leaves
1-2 tbsp olive or sunflower oil
optional cilantro for garnish
Method:
Use a food processor to smoothly blend up the onion, tomato, green chili and ginger. You'll need to chop the veggies accordingly in order to fit into your processor. If you like some chunkiness in your chana masala, keep out about half of one of the tomatoes, diced, to add to the pan later. Same for about a tablespoon of diced onion.
Heat skillet on med-low. Add oil and bay leaves. Allow a quick (10 seconds) sizzle. Not too long as the leaf could burn and the oil could turn a rancid flavor.
Pour in the puree. Let simmer for about 3 minutes, stirring often.
Stir in the herbs & spices. Stir 15 seconds or so. Then stir in the chickpeas (and diced tomatoes and onions if you saved some). Stir for another 15 seconds or so.
(Now would be a good time to start the rice. I usually get a pot of rice & water on the stove before I start cooking the chana masala; That way all I have to do is turn the stove on at this time, watch for the boil, stir, lower heat and cover. I set the timer on the stove for 8 minutes.)
Lower heat to LO, and cover. Let simmer for about 10 minutes. Make sure to stir every couple of minutes.
And Voila! It's ready! Serve with rice, paratha or whatever you like - especially pickle if you have some on hand!
~~~
Oh yeah, you know I love Indian food, too! Once you get your first taste, It's truly an addiction... So much to try, taste, see, smell, It's amazing!
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