Nellikai thokku, I always have this in my kitchen shelf. Ajji used to make this wonderful mouthwatering call it as pickle or thokku always a lifesaver when we develop aversion to food. Thokku along with hot rice and a spoonful of ghee..mmm can’t describe.You should try this to experience. During pregnancy it is the one dish to which a pregnant lady say NO to. Apart from its amazing taste gooseberry / amla are rich source of vitamin C along with many minerals, calcium, Iron, Phosphorous, Vitamin B Complex and carotene. Amla fresh and dried are used in Ayurvedic medicine. According to Ayurveda, Amla balances all three doshas. Also used for hair care, eye care, helps in calcium Absorption, treating menstrual cramps, helps in digestion and absorption of food and also strengthens the heart muscle and so on…. Here is one of the very simple recipe to incorporate amla in our diet.

Try this other Other Nellikai Recipe: Amla Leha

Ingredients:

• 6 Amla/nellikayi/Gooseberry
• 25 green chillies more or less depending on your taste
• 1 TBSP methi/fenugreek seeds
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 3 TBSP salt
• 1/4 tsp Hing / asafetida

For seasoning While using the thokku:

• 1 tbsp oil
• 1/4 tsp mustard seeds

Method:

1. Wash and dry the gooseberry thoroughly (drying is very important to preserve the thokku). Grate the nellikayi and discard the seeds.
2. Dry roast the methi seeds until it turns golden brown
3. Powder this roasted methi seeds and keep it aside.
4. To the dried mixer jar add all ingredients and grind it to a paste.
5. Consistency should be not too fine paste not too coarse. It should be in between.
6. Now we have the mouthwatering hot and spicy, healthy and delicious thokku is ready.
7. Store it in a dry glass container. Whenever you want to eat, use a dry spoon to take thokku from the container to a separate bowl.

To use Thokku:

1. Use as it is with rice, and ghee

you can give seasoning :

1. take desired amount of thokku
2. heat oil, once hot add mustard seeds and hing, after the mustard seeds splutter turn off the heat and add it to the thokku
3. You can add chopped onion, cucumber to this thokku as well.