· 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.