Preparations:

Wash, clean and dry the gooseberries. Observe the marks on a gooseberry. Make cuts along the marks and we get sections of the gooseberry. This way, cut all the gooseberries and remove seeds. Chop the gooseberries to small pieces. Take a clean and dry mixie jar and add some gooseberry pieces along with some turmeric powder. Run the mixie to get grated gooseberry pulp. Take this pulp in a deep plate and add salt. Mix well and keep this mixture in a glass or ceramic bowl. Keep it aside for two days. On the third day, prepare the Pachhadi (Chutney).

Method:

Wash, clean and dry green chilies. Break the green chilies into small pieces and keep them aside. Break the red chilies also into small pieces and keep them aside.

Heat a pan and add oil to it. When the oil is hot add the fenugreek seeds and fry. After a minute add the mustard seeds and fry till they crackle. Now add the green chili pieces and fry well till they change color and becomes crispy. Then add red chili pieces and asafoetida. Mix well and enjoy the smell of the seasoning. Separate oil from the seasoning and grind the fried ingredients in a mixer grinder. Add the gooseberry pulp and grind to mix well. Take this pachhadi into a plate and mix well with fingers so that the gooseberry pulp will get mixed with the ground seasoning well. Add the oil separated from the seasoning to this pachhadi and mix well. Store this pachhadi in a glass or ceramic bowl. Serve this pachhadi with hot rice and ghee and enjoy.

Points To Remember:

Use dry ingredients and mix with dry fingers for the long lasting of this pachhadi.

Gooseberries are rich in Vitamin C. It is advised to have this pachhadi before eating any other dish i.e., on empty stomach.

It is generally eaten when one suffers from cold, cough or fever as the Vitamin C in the gooseberries is the natural cure. It also tastes better when one suffers from cold, cough or fever.

Carefully done this pachhadi will last for about a month without refrigeration. If green chilies are avoided it will last for some more period. In any case salt is the deciding factor for the longevity of the pachhadi. So taste the gooseberries and add salt accordingly. Initially add less salt (say 2/3rds of the given quantity or depending on the sourness of the gooseberry) and on third day after tasting it add the remaining salt. Ayurveda suggests that Gooseberries should be avoided in Nights, Sundays and Amavasyas