Gonkura Thokku

Among the pickles and thokkus of Andhra Pradesh two items stand out. The first is avakkai and the close second is Gonkura. These two items are 'must' as starters in any Andhra meal. Gonkura as a green has health benefits too carrying lot of iron and calcium. The secret of preparing the gonkura thokku is attempted in this page.:

Ingredients
Gonkura leaves-  1 bunch
Red chilli-            25
Fenugreek           1/2 tsp
Mustard              30gms 
Salt                     4 tsp    
Onion                  1(big)
Garlic(optional)   6 cloves
Til oil                  100 gms
Turmeric Pwdr    1/2 tsp
Jaggery               2 tsp

Method
First pluck out the gonkura leaves from the bunch. The leaves so collected must be washed thoroughly in water. Sqeeze the water gently and let it dry on a clean and dry cloth so the leaves are free of moisture. Chop the onion into small pieces. Separately fry the mustard and fenugreek seeds.After they splutter, keep aside. Saute the red chilli, adding 2 tsp oil. Powder the fried mustard-fenugreek-chilli mixture in a dry grinder.
Now, heat the  til oil in a pan , add 2 tsp mustard seeds- after it splutter add the chopped onion, fry till golden brown. Now add the clean and dry gonkura leaves and saute for five minutes. Add turmeric powder-1/2 tsp, jaggery powder- 2 tsp, salt- 4 tsp and mix the contents thoroughly. Finally add the powdered chilli-mustard-fenugreek masala and mix well. Cool the gonkura thokku and bottle for storage.