Nellikai Thokku – spicy and lightly sour South Indian condiment made with Indian gooseberry and Indian pantry ingredients. Perfect as a side dish with rice and curry or to serve with idli and dosa. It is a vegan and nut free dish.
Indian gooseberry also termed as amla, nellikai, usirikai in different regional languages, is an excellent source of vitamin C, antioxidants and a powerhouse of nutrients. However, many people find it challenging to consume it raw due to its extremely sour and tart taste. This south Indian style dish is a fabulous way to include this amazing fruit in your diet.
Among many variations, this is a dry version that remains fresh for up to 10 days if stored properly in an airtight jar in the fridge. This is a no onion no garlic dish prepared without any water.
Ingredients
- Herbs & Fruits: Indian gooseberry/amla/nellikai/usirikai, curry leaves, coriander leaves and stalk.
- Spices & Lentils: Mustard, cumin, fenugreek seeds, asafoetida, turmeric powder, salt, red chilli powder, green chilies, dried red chillies.
- Oil: I used olive oil, but feel free to use any cooking oil that you use regularly in your kitchen.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Step By Step Instructions
Step 1: Wash gooseberries, remove pits, slice and set them aside to use later.
Step 2: In a wide kadai, heat oil on medium heat. Add mustard, cumin, fenugreek seeds and asafoetida. Let mustard seeds splutter.
Step 3: Now add urad dal, chana dal and saute until they turn light golden.
Step 4: Add curry leaves and saute for a few seconds.
Step 5: Add green and red chillies and saute on medium heat until chillies release their pungent aroma.
Step 6: Now add the gooseberry, turmeric, and salt. Stir well and cook for 8-10 minutes, until the gooseberries become slightly tender and raw aroma vanishes.
Step 7: Add coriander leaves and stalk, then switch the heat off.
Step 8: Allow the cooked gooseberry mixture to cool completely.
Step 9: Once cooled, transfer the mixture to a mixer jar or blender and blend coarsely without adding any water.
Serve nellikai thokku as a side dish with rice and dal or rasam. Transfer the remaining thokku into a clean and dry jar and store it in the fridge.
Substitutions and Variations
Jaggery: Add a small piece of jaggery to balance the tart and sour taste of gooseberry.
Garlic: Use 5-6 cloves of garlic to enhance the flavour of thokku.
Chillies: If green and dried red chillies are unavailable, you can substitute them with chilli powder.
Storage
Allow thokku to cool completely after grinding, then transfer it to a clean, dry airtight glass or ceramic jar. Store it in the fridge for up to 10 days. Always use a clean, dry spoon every time you want to take out thokku to extend its shelf life.
Tips and Tricks
Shelf Life: Make sure to store thokku in a clean, dry jar. Any moisture leads to spoilage and reduces shelf life.
Water: Avoid adding water while grinding. Pulse the blender or mixer to get a coarse consistency.
Deseed: Remove seeds completely and slice gooseberries.
Fresh Gooseberries: Use fresh, firm gooseberries with vibrant green colour. Avoid fruits that are soft, mushy, bruised or have brown or black spots.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
KEEP IN TOUCH
Do let me know if you try this nellikai thokku recipe. If you like this recipe, kindly consider rating it using stars in the comment section or on the recipe card to help more people find this recipe online. You can stay up to date by following me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram or subscribing to my Youtube channel. Or why not subscribe to my blog and get simple recipes straight to your inbox?
Nellikai Thokku (Amla Dry Chutney)
Equipment
- 1 Wide Steel Pan
- 1 Mixer Grinder/Blender
Ingredients
1 Cup = 250ml ; 1 Tablespoon = 15ml ; 1 Teaspoon = 5ml
- 2 Tablespoons Oil
- ½ Teaspoon Mustard Seeds
- 1 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
- ½ Teaspoon Fenugreek Seeds (Methi Seeds)
- Big pinch Asafoetida/ Hing
- 1.5 Teaspoons Urad Dal
- 1.5 Teaspoons Chana Dal
- 2 sprigs Curry Leaves wash and remove leaves from stem
- 2 Green Chillies adjust to your spice level
- 4 Dried Red Chillies adjust to your spice level
- 255 gms Nellikai/Amla/Indian Gooseberry
- ½ Teaspoon Turmeric
- Salt as required
- half bunch Coriander leaves and stalk wash and chop
Instructions
- Wash gooseberries, remove pits, slice and set them aside to use later.255 gms Nellikai/Amla/Indian Gooseberry
- In a wide kadai, heat oil on medium heat. Add mustard, cumin, fenugreek seeds and asafoetida. Let mustard seeds splutter.2 Tablespoons Oil, ½ Teaspoon Mustard Seeds, 1 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds, ½ Teaspoon Fenugreek Seeds (Methi Seeds), Big pinch Asafoetida/ Hing
- Now add urad dal, chana dal and saute until they turn light golden.1.5 Teaspoons Urad Dal, 1.5 Teaspoons Chana Dal
- Add curry leaves and saute for a few seconds.2 sprigs Curry Leaves
- Add green and red chillies and saute on medium heat until chillies release their pungent aroma.2 Green Chillies, 4 Dried Red Chillies
- Now add the gooseberry, turmeric, and salt. Stir well and cook for 8-10 minutes, until the gooseberries become slightly tender and raw aroma vanishes.255 gms Nellikai/Amla/Indian Gooseberry, ½ Teaspoon Turmeric, Salt
- Add coriander leaves and stalk, then switch the heat off.half bunch Coriander leaves and stalk
- Allow the cooked gooseberry mixture to cool completely.
- Once cooled, transfer the mixture to a mixer jar or blender and blend coarsely without adding any water.
- Serve nellikai thokku as a side dish with rice and dal or rasam. Transfer the remaining thokku into a clean and dry jar and store it in the fridge.
Notes
Nutrition
Welcome to Flavours Treat. I share vegetarian recipes made with wholesome, mostly fresh ingredients. Every recipe has easy-to-follow instructions with process shots (detailed step-wise pictures), a short video and lots of tips to help your cooking journey. Read more
