Gongura pachadi (Pulihora Gongura Pachadi)

Undralla Thaddi or undralla thadiya is a festival celibrated in Andhra Pradesh on Badrapada month (normally fall in October ). This festival is dedicated to Goddess Gauri. On this day Married women and young girls in the house perform Gauri pooja. This is a two days festival on the first day they wake up early in the morning take a head bath and have curd rice with Gongura pickle. On this first day they have their meal before 6:00 A. M after that they go to relatives houses and neibhours houses and  invite five married women by giving Gorintaku(mehendi), soap nut, turmeric powder and Vermillion powder (kumkuma) and invite them for pooja on the next day. After this they will be fasting for the whole day, In the evening they draw mehendi on their hands.
    
                                                                   Next morning wake up early in the morning after taking bath they perform Gauri pooja. During this pooja Goddess Gauri idol and Ganapati idol made of turmeric powder and placed on the pooja mandap. Some people use five colors of flowers for this pooja and five verities of food also offered to Goddess and undrallu is offered to Ganapati. Ganapati pooja is preformed first and then Gauri pooja . After pooja they offer naivedyam to Goddess with Undrallu, Chalimidi, poornalu, Pulihora and payasam. First they serve food to five married women and give tambulam ( two betel leaves with betel nut and fruits, Turmeric powder, vermillion powder, five poornalu) and then they have lunch. In this lunch menu also Gongura pickle will take first place. So here is the recipe for the most popular and a favorite pickle for Telugu people is Gongura Pickle ( Gongura niluva pachadi or Gongura ooragaya).

Undralla taddi lunch menu  ----  Poornalu, Pulihora, Payasam,  Garelu, Potlakaya kura(Snake gourd stir fry) , Muddapappu, Charu, Kandi pachadi, Gongura pachadi,  Perugu (curd), Rice, Ghee.
 So let's check the Gongura Pickle recipe..                                                

INGREDIENTS:-
Gongura leaves ---  1 kg
Dry red chillies   ---- 200 gms
Sesame oil   --- 250 gms
Salt   ---- 250 gms
Tamarind  ----  200 gms
Fenugreek seeds ---  50 gms
Garlic    ---- 100 gms pealed
For seasoning:--
Mustard seeds   --- 10 gms
Channa dal  ---  20 gms
Dry red chillies   --- 6 broken
Curry leaves   --- a hand full
METHOD:---
1. Wash and dry gongura leaves in the shade.
                                                               

2. Dry roast dry red chillies in a pan for few seconds in a low heat take care that chillies do not burn.
3. Now add 50 gms oil to the same pan and fry Gongura leaves and set a side to cool.
Add tamarind to gongura leaves so that tamarind will become soft.
4. Dry roast fenugreek seeds in pan and make a fine powder and set a side.
5. First grind red chillies in to a fine powder then add fried gongura with tamarind , salt and grind in to a fine paste.
6. Now heat the remaining oil in a deep frying pan, add mustard seeds let them crackle then add channa dal, garlic cloves, broken dry red chillies, curry leaves fry for a while remove from heat set a side.
                                         

7. Add gongura paste, fenugreek powder to seasoning mix well to combine every thing well adjust the salt and leave it like that.
Let the pickle cool completely then store it in a clean glass bottle or in a pickle jar. this will stay for 6 months to one year.
Serve with hot steamed rice and some chopped onions or with curd rice with chopped onions .
This is my second recipe for Blogging Marathon 27th edition under occasional recipes theme let's check other BM members recipes here