Nellikai rice - Amla Rice - Gooseberry Rice

Have never thought these simple gooseberries could be used to make a healthy and quick fix lunch! Gooseberries have always meant pickles to me and I have never tried to imagine it being used elsewhere except in the tonics and oils for Vitamin C nourishment.The very mention of gooseberry gets my taste buds tickling with sourness..sssssssssss!Yes, thats the way I felt when I first heard about this rice.

Since a long time I had wanted to try this recipe but I could not get hold of gooseberries in US. After I landed in India, the first thing I bought on my very first groceries shopping trip was gooseberries! They were patiently waiting to see the light of the day in my fridge for over 10 days! Well, when I did make them, it turned out awesome! It is such a quick and easy rice to make and is a perfect fit for the dabba!

Ingredients:

- 1/2 cup rice (raw rice or basmati)
- 3 gooseberries grated
- 1 or 2 green chillies
- 1/2 medium onion finely chopped
- 1 1/2 tsp oil, divided
- few curry leaves
- chopped coriander
- a pinch of turmeric
- Salt to taste

For tempering:

- 1 tsp urad dhal
- 1 tsp channa dhal
- 1 tsp peanuts
- 1/4 tsp mustard seeds
- 1/4 tsp cumin(jeera) seeds
- 2 or 3 cashews broken


Prep time: 10 mins           Cook time: 30 mins


Preparation:
Source: Delicious Desi Dishes

- Cook the rice of your choice and set aside for cooling. Rice has to be cooked in such a way that the grains are seperate and not sticky.
- While the rice is cooking, grate the gooseberries, chop the onions, slit the chillies in half and gather the ingredients for tempering.
- In a small pan, heat 1/2 tsp of oil, add the mustards and once they splutter add the cumin seeds and other ingredients. You can temper with any or all of the ingredients listed under tempering.
- Once the dhals are roasted remove the tempering and set aside.
- In the same pan, heat the remaining oil, add the onions and chillies and fry till the onions turn translucent.
- Now add the grated gooseberries, salt and turmeric and saute constantly for 2 to 3 minutes.Remove from heat and mix with the tempering.

-  Add the warm rice to the above and toss everything together.
- Pack them into your dabbas for lunch or serve with any raitha of your choice!

Footnote:
- For those who are not very calorie conscious, you could add 2 tsp of grated coconut while sauteing the gooseberries for added flavour:-)

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