Nellikai uppinakayi / Amla Pickle recipe .
When nellikayi or bettada nelli kayi / gooseberry / Amla in season Amla pickle / nellikai uppinakayi is one the many dishes you should prepare and store it for year long use .
As we say on kannada “otakke uppinakayi” meaning with any meals you should have a pickle to go with. Any pickle for that matter – lemon pickle, mango pickle. Thokku,,,,, you have to have it in your pantry … Click on PICKLE it will take you to many PICKLES recipes
Try this easy Amla pickle / nellikayi uppinakayi .
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…

Ingredients:

• around 10 nellikayi /gooseberry / Amla
• around 1/2 cup lemon juice ( around 5 to 6)
• 1 tsp dry roasted menthya / methi powder
• around 3 tbsp salt (first add 2.5 tbsp salt , if needed add more. The quantity of the salt depends on the sourness of nellikayi)
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1.5 to 2.5 tbsp tbsp red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp jeerige menasina pudi ( optional)
• 1/2 tsp jeera powder( raw or roasted )
• 1/2 tbsp mustard seeds powder(raw)

For seasoning:

• 4 tbsp oil
• 1/2 tsp hing
• 1 tsp mustard seeds

Method:

1. Dry roast the methi seeds/fenugreek seeds on medium low heat and powder it
2. Wash , dry and cut the nellikayi as shown. discard the seeds
3. Add salt, mix it well, cover it and keep it aside
4. Next day- mix it with a dry spoon, cover it and keep it aside. Repeat this procedure for 3 to 4 days
5. After 4 days – add the lemon juice, turmeric powder, mustard seeds powder, methi powder, red chilli powder and jeerige menasina pudi ( or more red chilli powder or you can add green chillies) jeera powder (optional) and mix it really well.
6. make sure to use dry spoon to mix
7. if you feel the pickle is too dry, you can add more lemon juice and salt to taste and mix it well.

Seasoning:

1. Heat the oil in a small pan on medium heat, once hot add mustard seeds, after it pops add hing and turn off the heat and let it cool before you add it to the pickle
2. Add cooled seasoning to the pickle , mix it well and store it in glass jar