Also known as
Ambada, Red Sorrel Leaves.

What is gongura, ambada, red sorrel leaves?

Gongura is a leafy plant , which has many culinary uses, the most popular is the pickled version. Gongura comes in two varieties, green stemmed leaf and red stemmed. The red stemmed variety is more sour than the green stemmed variety. Gongura is popular in the state of Andhra Pradesh. In Maharashtra markets, it is called Ambaadi. It is a summer crop and the hotter the place the more sour the leaf gets. Andhra Pradesh produces the best quality Gongura.

Chopped gongura leaves

Refers to the finely chopped or roughly chopped gongura leaves. They may be chopped fine or shredded as per the recipe requirements. Another interesting way of chopping them would be to chop into big chunks.

Torn Gongura
Remove the leaves from the stalks and tear them roughly with your hands in small pieces. The torn leaves are usually used for blanching or for tempering.

Gongura paste
Grind gongura leaves with garlic, green chillies and salt to make gongura paste, which can be added to vegetables or had as a chutney.

How to select gongura, ambada, red sorrel leaves

Look for gongura that have firm, unwilted leaves that are vividly deep green in color with no signs of yellowing or browning. Leaves that are smaller in size will be tenderer and have a milder flavor. They should be displayed in a chilled section in the refrigerator case to prevent them from wilting and becoming bitter.

Culinary Uses of gongura, ambada, red sorrel leaves in Indian Cooking

· Gongura is a leafy vegetable and has very distinctive sour taste. This is one of main ingredients in authentic Andhra cuisine.
· When cooked with toor dal or as pickle, it wakes up, more like zings the taste buds and makes you crave its unique taste
· Other well known recipes made with Gongura as the main ingredient are Gongura Pappu (Lentils), Gongura mamsam (goat/mutton) and Gongura royyalu (shrimp).
· Apart from the curries there are many varieties of pickles made with gongura such as Pulla Gongura (Gongura + Red Chillies and Pulihara Gongura (Gongura and tamarind.

How to store gongura, ambada, red sorrel leaves

Store unwashed gongura leaves in a damp paper towel in a plastic bag. They should be placed in the refrigerator crisper where they will keep for three to five days, but the sooner they are eaten, the less bitter they will be.

Health benefits of gongura, ambada, red sorrel leaves

Gongura leaves are an excellent source of Vitamin A which is needed to maintain healthy vision and delay the onset of cataract. Gongura is a also a rich source of iron and vitamin C. While iron is needed to build hemoglobin levels and ensure proper supply of oxygen to all parts of the body, vitamin C helps in iron absorption and also builds our immunity to fight various diseases. In addtion to this, they are rich in calcium. Being low on calorie scale, they are suitable for weight watchers and their low carb count make them diabetic-friendly.

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