Gooseberry/Nellikka Jam (A Healthy Spread)

Gooseberry is known as a good source of vitamin C,
It controls blood sugar in diabetes
Lowers cholesterol level
It is a natural anti ageing agent for skin; nourishes scalp and hair roots and encourages hair growth
It improves digestion and alleviates constipation
It improves blood circulation
It ensures proper functioning of liver.
It is a strong immunomodulator and protects from the onset of many diseases if taken regularly

It is a good hematinic as it raises hemoglobin level

Over to the recipe,

Ingredients

Gooseberry/Amla/Nellikka: 15 (big ones)

Jaggery: 300-400gms

Lemon Juice: of 1 lemon

Salt: a pinch (to adjust the taste)

Ginger: 2” piece

Method Of Preparation

Wash the gooseberries and add to the pressure cooker. Add some water and keep on stove and wait for one whistle and switch off the flame.

Let the pressure release.

Take out the gooseberries from water and discard the seeds from it. (Don’t throw away the water, use that water itself)

Again add the gooseberry to the pressure cooker with the same water.

Keep again on flame. Wait for 3-4 whistles. Let the pressure release.

Meanwhile, in another pan add jaggery, grated ginger together with ½ cup water.

Keep this on flame and let it boil and let the jaggery melt. Switch off the flame when jaggery melts and strain this and keep aside.

Open the cooker after the pressure releases. Keep it on flame without closing the lid.

Mash the gooseberries with back of lid or a masher. Let it boil and become thick. At this stage add the jaggery syrup and salt to it. When boils put the flame to the medium and stir occasionally till it starts leaving from the sides.

When it starts leaving from the sides stir frequently and add lemon juice at this stage.

Switch off the flame when you get the consistency of jam. (To check the consistency, take the cold saucer out of the freezer, put a little jam on it, and put it back in to cool for a minute. If it wrinkles when you push it with your finger, then it's done.)

Switch off the flame when done. When cooled, store in an air tight bottle.

Note: You can have this as a spread or can consume a teaspoon of it daily in the morning and evening.

Nellikka Pachadi/Amla Raita

Recipe Source: My Kitchen Experiments

Ingredients
Amla / Nellikka / Indian Gooseberry - 8
Grated Coconut - 2 tablespoons
Green chillies - 2 nos
Yogurt / Curd - 1 cup
Salt - to taste
Oil - 2 teaspoons
Mustard seeds - 1/4 teaspoon
Curry leaves - 1 string
Red Chilli: 3

Method Of Preparation

In a saucepan, boil 1 cup of water with salt. When it is boiling add amlas and cook only for 3-5 minutes in full flame. Make sure not to over cook.
Once the amlas are cooked, allow it to cool to room temperature and chop them.

Add half the quantity of chopped amla, grated coconut, green chillies to a mixer and make a coarse paste of it.
Take fresh curd in a bowl and beat it well for few seconds.

Add coarse amla coconut paste to this curd. Add salt and half of the chopped amla to it. Mix well.
In a seasoning pan, heat oil and throw mustard seeds, red chilli and curry leaves. Let it splutter.

Add this seasoning to the curd amla mixture.
Serve with rice.