Sauted gooseberry pickle (Avallya Thiksani)

Sauted gooseberry pickle (Avallya Thiksani) is a dry one without any liquid matter. ‘Avallo’ is gooseberry in Konkani and ‘thiksani’ is pickle. You can have this sauted gooseberry pickle along with idli, dosa or as along with meals for enhancing your appetite. As for any other pickle you require chilly powder, asafetida and salt for this one also along with green chilies, lemon juice and ginger. In this pickle I have not used any garlic nor vinegar.

Ingredients

• You need 6 to 8 brined gooseberries
• 5 to 6 green chillies (or as per your spiciness level)
• 2 inch piece ginger
• 2 to 3 tspn red chilli powder (as per your spiciness level; adjust the quantity of the chilli powder according to the green chillies you take).
• 1 tspn asafetida
• 2 to 3 tbspn Gingely oil for roasting
• 1 tbspn lemon juice
• Salt as required (optional)

Method

Cut the brined gooseberries as shown in the photo (see ingredients photo). Discard the seeds.

 If you don’t have brined gooseberries then you need to follow these steps

1. Heat some water in a sauce pan add salt and the gooseberries and cook them till soft.
2. Remove the seeds and cut them as shown in the photo

Cut the ginger and green chillies as shown in the photo. In a pan heat gingelly oil and saute the green chillies and ginger pieces.

Once they have sauted add the gooseberries and roast them till they start losing water, shrink in size and become slightly golden brown in colour.

Now switch off the flame and add red chilly powder and asafetida. Mix well. Taste and see if salt is required as you are using brined gooseberries, you have to be careful in the addition of salt. And for those who are not using brined gooseberries remember you have already added salt to water while heating it.

Then add lemon juice and mix well.

Your Sauted gooseberry pickle (Avallya Thiksani) is ready to serve. Add a little coconut oil on top before serving.

Shelf life – One week if stored outside.  If refrigerated it stays long about 2 to 3 weeks.

Tips

You can even use coconut oil for sauting but I prefer to use gingelly oil as it will extend the shelf life of the pickle and coconut oil become rancid faster than other oil.

Then when you are sauting gooseberries be careful that you do not over-roast them as it will be become hard on over-roasting and you will lose the texture of the pickle.