Ambadichi Bhaji – Instant Pot
Ambadichi Bhaji is a sour and spicy Maharashtrian curry made with sorrel leaves. Loads of garlic, peanuts, and jaggery add an amazing taste to the ambadichi bhaji. It makes a perfect choice to enjoy it with some bhakri or roti.
It is one of my most favorite leafy green curries ever! My mother and my mother-in-law have different styles of making this curry, both of which I enjoy a lot. My mom adds crushed rice, besan, soaked peanuts and my mother-in-law adds toor dal, besan, and roasted peanuts in the bhaji.
I made my own variation by combining the two recipes and it became one of my family’s favorite preparations 🙂
There are three methods of cooking ambadi – use an electric pressure cooker or Instant Pot, Indian Pressure Cooker, or a stovetop. I will explain all the methods in this post.
Ambadi leaves are very sour, you will need to cook them in some water, save some water for the recipe, and discard the rest. Yellow pigeon peas, chickpea flour, coarsed rice, peanuts, and jaggery balance out the sourness of the leaves in this recipe.
What Is Ambadi?
Sorrel leaves are also called Roselle leaves in English. In Marathi, these leaves are known as Ambadi, Gongura in Telugu, Pitwaa in Hindi, and Khata Palanga in Oriya.
Roselle leaves come in two varieties – one in green stemmed and the other in red stemmed leaves. These plants belong to the hibiscus family. These leaves are a rich source of iron, vitamins, folic acids, and antioxidants.
How To Select Ambadi?
Look for ambadi that have firm leaves that have a deep green color with no signs of yellowing or browning. Leaves that are smaller in size are more tender and have a milder flavor. If larger leaves are available near you, look for smooth leaves, these will be more sour in the taste.
Ingredients
- Ambadi
- Brown rice/white rice
- Yellow split pigeon peas
- Chickpea flour/Besan
- Peanuts
- Garlic
- Mustard seeds
- Asafoetida
- Turmeric powder
- Red chili powder
- Jaggery
- Salt
- Oil
For Tempering
- Mustard seeds
- Asafoetida
- Red chili powder
- Dry red chili
- Garlic
- Oil
Ambadichi Bhaji Step By Step Recipe
Pluck and separate the leaves from the stems. In a large pot add a lot of water, add the leaves, and clean them very well.
Transfer them to the colander and discard the water. Repeat the same two more times. Set it aside for 5 minutes, roughly chop the leaves, and place them into the steel container.
In a grinding jar, crush the rice halfway. In a small steel container add the crushed rice, ¼ cup water, and soak for 15 minutes.
In another steel container, triple wash yellow pigeon peas, add ⅔ cup water, peanuts, a pinch of turmeric, and a pinch of asafoetida.
Instant Pot Method
In the inner pot of the Instant Pot, add 1 cup of water and place a trivet.
Place the yellow pigeon peas container, then ambadi leaves container by adding 1.5 cups water, and place crushed rice container in the pot.
Close the lid, making sure the valve is set to sealing.
Turn on the MANUAL/PRESSURE COOK button (High Pressure) and set the timer to 8 minutes.
Let the pressure naturally release (NRP) for 12-15 minutes.
Indian Pressure Cooker Method
Cook everything in the same way as the Instant Pot method in an Indian pressure cooker. Pressure cook it for 3 whistles and let the pressure release naturally.
Next, separate the water from the ambadi and mash it well. Add chickpea flour and mix it well.
Combine dal, peanuts, rice, ¼ cup leftover water, and mix everything really well. If the ambadi is very sour then add fresh water and discard the leftover water.
Stovetop Method
In a stock pot, warm 2 cups of water, add ambadi, rice, peanuts, and let everything cook for 10-12 minutes. Separate the water and keep the mixture aside. Mix the mixture very well with the back of a serving spoon.
In this method, we have not added yellow pigeon peas. So increase the quantity of chickpea flour. Combine 4 tbsp of chickpea flour in the ambadi mixture and mix it well.
In a pan, heat some oil, add mustard seeds, and let them crackle.
Next, add asafoetida, half of the crushed garlic, turmeric, and red chili powder, and sauté for 10 seconds.
Add ambadi mixture, salt, jaggery, and mix everything well for 2-3 minutes. You can add some fresh water to adjust the consistency.
Combine the rest of crushed garlic cloves, mix well, and cook for 5-6 minutes.
For Tempering
In a small pan, heat some oil, add mustard seeds, and let them crackle. Next add crushed garlic, asafoetida, red chili powder, dry red chili, sauté for 10 seconds, and pour it over the ambadichi bhaji before serving.
How To Store Ambadichi Bhaji?
Ambadichi bhaji tastes best when served hot and fresh.
It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in an airtight container.
Ambadichi bhaji can be stored in a freezer in a freezer safe container for 2 months.
How To Serve Ambadichi Bhaji?
Serve ambadichi bhaji with roti or bhakri.
You can serve ambadichi bhaji along with garlic chutney, koshimbir, jowar or bajra roti, plain rice, and buttermilk to make a wholesome meal.
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Ambadichi Bhaji – Instant Pot
Equipment
- Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 bunch Ambadi/Gongura 2 cups chopped
- 2 tbsp Brown rice/White rice
- 1/3 cup Yellow split pigeon peas/Toor dal
- 2 tbsp Chickpea flour/Besan
- 3 tbsp Peanuts
- 8-10 cloves Garlic crushed
- 1 tsp Mustard seeds
- 1/4 tsp Asafoetida/hing
- 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
- 1 tsp Red chili Powder
- 1.5 tsp Jaggery/Gur
- 1.5 tsp Salt or as required
- 1.5 tbsp Oil
For Tempering
- 1 tsp Mustard seeds
- 1/4 tsp Asafoetida/hing
- 1/4 tsp Red chili powder
- 1 Dry red chili into 3 pieces
- 2 cloves Garlic crushed/thinly sliced
- 1.5 tsp Oil
Instructions
- Pluck and separate the leaves from the stems. In a large pot add a lot of water, add the leaves, and clean them very well.
- Transfer them to the colander and discard the water. Repeat the same two more times. Set it aside for 5 minutes, roughly chop the leaves, and place them into the steel container.
- In a grinding jar, crush the rice halfway. In a small steel container add the crushed rice, ¼ cup water, and soak for 15 minutes.
- In another steel container, triple wash yellow pigeon peas, add ⅔ cup water, peanuts, a pinch of turmeric, and a pinch of asafoetida.
Instant Pot Method
- In the inner pot of the Instant Pot, add 1 cup of water and place a trivet.
- Place the yellow pigeon peas container, then ambadi leaves container by adding 1.5 cups water, and place crushed rice container in the pot.
- Close the lid, making sure the valve is set to sealing.
- Turn on the MANUAL/PRESSURE COOK button (High Pressure) and set the timer to 8 minutes.
- Let the pressure naturally release (NRP) for 12-15 minutes.
Indian Pressure Cooker Method
- Cook everything in the same way as the Instant Pot method in an Indian pressure cooker. Pressure cook it for 3 whistles and let the pressure release naturally.
- Next, separate the water from the ambadi and mash it well. Add chickpea flour and mix it well.
- Combine dal, peanuts, rice, ¼ cup leftover water, and mix everything really well. If the ambadi is very sour then add fresh water and discard the leftover water.
Stovetop Method
- In a stock pot, warm 2 cups of water, add ambadi, rice, peanuts, and let everything cook for 10-12 minutes. Separate the water and keep the mixture aside. Mix the mixture very well with the back of a serving spoon.
- In this method, we have not added yellow pigeon peas. So increase the quantity of chickpea flour. Combine 4 tbsp of chickpea flour in the ambadi mixture and mix it well.
- In a pan, heat some oil, add mustard seeds, and let them crackle.
- Next, add asafoetida, half of the crushed garlic, turmeric, and red chili powder, and sauté for 10 seconds.
- Add ambadi mixture, salt, jaggery, and mix everything well for 2-3 minutes. You can add some fresh water to adjust the consistency.
- Combine the rest of crushed garlic cloves, mix well, and cook for 5-6 minutes.
For Tempering
- In a small pan, heat some oil, add mustard seeds, and let them crackle. Next add crushed garlic, asafoetida, red chili powder, dry red chili, sauté for 10 seconds, and pour it over the ambadichi bhaji before serving.
Notes
- Look for ambadi that have firm leaves that have a deep green color with no signs of yellowing or browning. Leaves that are smaller in size are more tender and have a milder flavor. If larger leaves are available near you, look for smooth leaves, these will be more sour in the taste.
- Ambadi leaves are very sour, you will need to cook them in some water, save some water for the recipe, and discard the rest.
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