Gooseberry Chutney/Nellikka Chammanthi

Gooseberries in brine/Nellikka uppilittathu

Gooseberries are yet another munchies that evoke memories of childhood and school days. Any idea why? These little berries used to be our 10 o’clock snack! Depending on their availability at home, we bring baby mangoes, green/ripe tamarind, bimbool, fresh nutmeg, gooseberries etc.. most probably smuggled from home. During the morning recess, we take our precious snacks outside, share out, and enjoy with salt. Since I had a few mango trees at home, I always took baby mangoes whenever it was available. Of course, without the knowledge of parents most of the times. Because they wanted the baby mangoes on the tree to grow up and mature. Gooseberries were rare because none of us had a gooseberry tree at home, so we had to wait for our parents to buy it during the season. I don’t like eating raw gooseberries, but I like them in brine, or made into a chammanthi or pickle.

Fresh gooseberries are seldom available in our local Indian grocery store; however they always have a stock of frozen gooseberries.

This is how I make uppilitta nellikka:

For about 25 gooseberries:

Boil water in a saucepan, large enough to contain all the gooseberries. When it comes to a rolling boil, add the gooseberries and bring it back to boil. Cook for a couple of minutes until they are slightly soft. Remove the gooseberries using a slotted spoon. Let it cool. Let the water cool too.

Transfer the gooseberries to a clean glass jar or china jar. Add salt and water, the same water you used for boiling gooseberries. Cover the jar and keep it for at least a week before you dig into it. This stays at room temperature, but just to make sure it stays safe, I transfer it to the refrigerator after a week.

You can keep the gooseberries in brine/uppilitta nellikka for a long time, and use it for making chammanthi and pickles.

Nellikka Chammanthi

I am tired of saying chammanthi is not chutney and chutney is not chammanthi. So this time Inji is doing the job for me. I will pay her later. :)

To make nellikka chammanthi, you may use fresh gooseberries or gooseberries in brine.

Gooseberries, fresh or brined – 4

Remove the seeds, and cut into small pieces.

Shallots, or small red onions – 3, peeled

Green chillies – 2

Salt – to taste

Grind all the above in a food processor without adding water. Add ½ a cup of fresh coconut and grind again until all the ingredients are mixed together to a coarse consistency. I use the small, one cup capacity food processor attachment that came with my blender to make chammanthi without water.

Heat 1 tsp of oil, splutter mustard seeds and curry leaves, and add it to the chammanthi. Serve with rice. Pleasingly delicious!!!

You can substitute gooseberries with green mangoes to make mango chammanthi.