Nellikka Karuppichathu || Black Gooseberry Pickle || Kari Nellikka || Ep No :63

Nellikka Karupichathu/Kari Nellikka /Black Gooseberry Pickle is a traditional dish of Kerala. All the ingredients which is used in the dish is healthy and the gooseberries have got many health benefits. It takes a month or 30 days for the preparation. It requires lot of patience through out the process. It's a spicy dish, but the spice level can be adjusted as per the choice. The Iron content in the gooseberries gives the black color and hence its rich in Iron, it can be given to pregnant women and children,as it prevents Anemia.

 Here's the recipe of black gooseberry pickle which is a best combination with hot rice or porridge.

For that take 2 kg fresh gooseberries, wash thoroughly under running water and keep them to drain water.

Take one fistful of bird's eye chilies, and fresh curry leaves.

An earthen pot is mandatory to prepare black gooseberry.

Keep an earthen pot  exclusively for making black gooseberries.

The pot used for the process of making black gooseberries cannot be good for preparing any other dishes , except making pickles.

To the earthen pot, add a layer of gooseberries, add some bird's eye chilies,fresh curry leaves and salt over to it.

Prepare all gooseberries in the same manner and make layers.

Add two glasses of water .

Switch on the flame , cover with lid and keep pot on high flame initially.

Reduce the flame when the pot become hot and steam comes out.

Shake pot  so that the contents goes upside down.

With steam itself , the gooseberries cook easily, so that it splits up.

Keep one minute on flame and switch off the flame.

Steam a banana leaf and cover the pot with it.

Tie the leaf with a thread.

Everyday keep it over the flame and heat gooseberries.

The pot should be hot and steam should come out from them everyday.

Moreover it should shake thoroughly everyday so that the entire contents go upside down .

So that the gooseberries get black evenly and will not be spoiled with fungus.

After 5 days , open and check gooseberries .

The salt will get absorbed well in the gooseberries identified by the white patches over them.

Check out the water content also.

Then add a bulb of garlic and an inch size of chopped ginger.

Cover with banana leaf and continue the heating process everyday without fail.

After 2 weeks , open and check gooseberries.

It may started to turn black color.

Add salt if needed, shake well, cover with banana leaf and heat over the flame.

Always keep the pot near the fire source or in a warm area.

So that the gooseberries will not get spoiled easily.

  After 3 weeks , again open and check gooseberries .

It might be darken even more. 

Shake , cover with banana leaf , heat and keep again for one more week.

Take 2 bulbs of garlic , remove its outer layer ,but don't peel them.

Garlic with its outer skin gives a special flavor to the dish.

Crush them with a mortar and transfer to a plate.

Keep a thick bottom pan over the flame and add 2 teaspoon of fenugreek seeds .

Make sure the pan is dry .

Stir well and roast fenugreek seeds until brown color.

When it's  turn brown colour , transfer to a plate.

Do not over roast the fenugreek seeds,as it gives bitter taste.

Add 20 dry red chilies and roast them.

When dry red chilies starts changing the color , switch off the flame and transfer to a plate.

Crush chilies and put it in a mixi jar along with fenugreek seeds and powder them.

After 4 weeks , the gooseberries turned black color and water fully evaporated .

Switch on he flame and keep a pan , add 100 ml gingelly oil, when oil gets hot, add a teaspoon mustard seeds.

When mustard seeds splutters , add crushed garlic and curry leaves to it.

When it roasted well, transfer the entire black gooseberries to the vessel.

Now add some portion of prepared powder  and shake gooseberries.

Again add the remaining prepared powder and mix well.

Transfer the prepared black gooseberries to the earthen pot and cover with banana leaf again .

Keep it near to the fire source or a warm place.

Every alternative days, shake them,heat and check them regularly.

Or else can keep it on an airtight container and store it in refrigerator.

Change the banana leaf cover if needed , if any damage on the first one.

It's good for the pregnant woman and children due to it's high iron content.

It helps in preventing Anaemia .

It can be served with hot rice or porridge.

Ingredients

Fresh Gooseberries - 2 Kg

Bird's Eye Chilies - One Fistful

Fresh Curry Leaves - One Fistful

Banana Leaf - 2 Nos 

Garlic - 2 Bulbs

Ginger - One Piece ( One Inch Size )

Fenugreek Seeds - Two Teaspoon

Dry Red Chili - 20 Nos

Gingelly Oil - 100 ml

Mustard Seeds- One Teaspoon

Salt - As Per Taste 

Water - 2 Glasses

More Yummy Pics Of Black Gooseberry Pickle

Thank you

Dedicated to Mummy



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