Nellikaayi Gulamba | Indian gooseberries sweet preserve
By Leena Hegde, Puttanamane
Welcome to another Nellikaayi or Amlaki or Indian gooseberries season. Like every year winter has already approached, and the berries are here. It is time to take a basket and pick them from forest. From the collected berries, few are consumed raw as-is or with salt and the rest are preserved for couple of months in various ways. Gulamba is one such preserve.
Nellikaayi Gulamba, one more recipe from my granny's kitchen, is nothing but a sweet preserve made with amlaki or Indian gooseberries, jaggery, and flavored with cardamom. The berries are cooked in water first and then in cardamom favored jaggery syrup. This tasty Gulamba can be preserved naturally at room temperature for months, and can be enjoyed a spoonful at any time.
Prep time
20 mins
Cook time
40 mins
Cool off time
1 day
Total time
1 day 1 hour
Course
Varies
Diet
Vegetarian
Difficulty level
Moderate
Servings
500 g
Ingredients
-
1/4 kg Indian gooseberries (Bettada Nellikaayi or Amla)
- 400 g jaggery (Bella or Gud)
- 3 to 4 cardamoms
- Water as required
Cookware / Utensils
-
Pan
- Bowl(s)
- Spoon
- Mortar and pestle
Instructions
Instructions
- Wash the berries until clean. If bought from market wash the berries with salt water.
- Boil the berries in a pan on high flame for about 10 minutes or until the berries are soft.
- Drain the berries and keep aside.
- Take the jaggery in a thick pan or vessel.
- Add 1 cup water. Mix well.
- Make cardamom powder and add to the jaggery syrup.
- Mix well and cook on a medium flame for about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Reduce the flame to low, and add the cooked berries to the jaggery syrup.
- Mix well and slow cook on low flame for about 30 minutes or till the berries are soft. Stir often.
- Once the berries are soft and little crunch, switch off the heat. Let it cool completely.
- Once cooled, cover it and keep aside for a day. Let the berries absorb the jaggery syrup.
- Next day transfer the Gulamba to an air tight jar and use as required.
Step by step guide
How to make Nellikaayi Gulamba
1. Wash the berries until clean. If bought from market wash the berries with salt water.
2. Boil the berries in a pan on high flame for about 10 minutes or until the berries are soft.
3. Drain the berries and keep aside.
4. Take the jaggery in a thick pan or vessel.
5. Add 1 cup water. Mix well.
6. Make cardamom powder and add to the jaggery syrup.
7. Mix well and cook on a medium flame for about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.
8. Reduce the flame to low, and add the cooked berries to the jaggery syrup.
9. Mix well and slow cook on low flame for about 30 minutes or till the berries are soft. Stir often.
10. Once the berries are soft and little crunch, switch off the heat. Let it cool completely.
11. Once cooled, cover it and keep aside for a day. Let the berries absorb the jaggery syrup.
12. Next day transfer the Gulamba to an air tight jar and use as required.
Notes
-
Shelf life: Gulamba made with this recipe stays good for about 1 to 2 months at room temperature. For longer shelf life, use below method.
Method for longer shelf life: After step 10 in the above recipe, i.e., on the next day drain the berries from the syrup and keep aside. Cook the jaggery syrup on medium or high flame for about 10 minutes, stirring often. Then add the drained berries to the syrup and cook for about 5 minutes. Cool it and store in an air tight jar. This stays good for about 4 months at room temperature.
Do not cook jaggery syrup to thick consistency on day 1 itself to increase the shelf life. The berries will not absorb the syrup if the syrup is too thick. Instead use the second method mentioned above.
- Storage: Depending on the method used to make Gulamba, it stays good for about 1 to 4 months at room temperature when stored in an airtight clean and dry container in a cool and dry place. However, the shelf life depends on room and climate temperature condition. It may get spoiled soon in too hot or too humid weather. It may get spoiled earlier than the said period if you have stored in a wet container, or if you have kept the container lid open for a long time, or if you have used wet or unclean spoon or hand to take out the Gulamba. It may also get spoiled shortly if you have not cooked the syrup and the berries properly.
- Note that I have used liquid / semi liquid jaggery in this recipe. If you are using any other jaggery please add water as required to make jaggery syrup.
