Gongura Mamsam-An Andhra Speciality

You mention Gongura(Sorrel Leaves),and Telugus

 all over the world generally become nostalgic,become emotional...drooling....and tell you about the umpteen recipes that you can churn out of this green leaves with a distinct sour taste....Gongura Pachadi a must in every hosteler's secret pantry, back in AP where I worked....and several of them survived only on the Gongura pachadi when the hostel food became boring for them....Moreover Gongura pappu and gongura pachadi often made appearance in our daily hostel menu...So recently when I had an unexpected encounter with this Telugu beauty, I did not hesitate to pick one bunch...thought of making Gongura pappu or Gongura pachadi, which many of my fellow bloggers have already blogged...My obsession with nonveg dominated,my guilt feeling remained but I ended up cooking something 'to bite and tear'!!...I finally settled with Gongura Mamsam...A mutton curry in Gongura gravy....I wanted to keep the taste quite subtle, so I have not ground it into paste as it is generally done...for I was not sure whether my husband would really give a nod for it....and hence the colour is a bit less green as against the usual.So here's my recipe for Gongura Mamsam. Similarly you can make Gongura Chicken,which, again is a hot favourite in Andhra Non veg menu.

Ingredients

Mutton-250g-chopped into pieces

Cinnamon-1 inch piece-broken

Bay leaves-2

Cloves-3

Cardamom-4 pods

Anise-2

Onion-2 large

Potato-1 large-cubed

Green chillies-5(slitted)

Tomato-1(optional)

Gongura-100g(cleaned & chopped-usually more quantity is added)

Coriander leaves-a bunch

Cumin seed-1/2 tsp

coriander powder-1tsp

Chilli powder-1 tsp

Ginger-garlic-50g(ground into a coarse paste)

Curry leaves-A sprig

Oil/butter-as required

Salt-as required

Method:

Cook Mutton with half the quantity green chillies, ginger garlic paste,turmeric powder,chilli powder and salt along with potato cubes.Keep it aside.(I pressure cooked it with some water).Now heat oil in a pan.Add curry leaves, bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamom,cloves,star anise.Saute it for a couple of minutes.Add the onion pieces& tomato and saute it till it becomes transluscent.Add the ginger-garlic paste to it and fry till golden brown.Meanwhile cook 'gongura' leaves and chillies separately and grind it to a paste and keep it ready.(I did not grind for I didnt wish the flavour to dominate too much).Add the cooked mutton pieces and salt to it. Add all the powders to the mutton and finally, add the gongura paste and allow it to cook for 4 minutes. Serve it hot with hot rice and drizzle of ghee....Beware!You wouldnt know the rice vanishing from your plate,but the stomach will tell u!!