Gooseberry relish

Goose berries or amla must have been named so because chomping on one gives you goose bumps. Even water tastes sweet after chewing on one; a childhood core memory. Goose berries flavours are on par with those of the salmon berries Brian Doyle describes in his book Mink river, describing their taste as "bittersweetorangeyellowacidic"! Growing up I remember eating goose berry pickle with rice, especially with curd rice.

My mom prepared this pickle recently and I had to document the steps, shown below with photographs.

Wash goose berries well, pat dry with cloth and roast with oil for twenty minutes till they start splitting

Lightly roast mustard and fenugreek seeds till you can smell their fragrance and blend

Handcrush the powder with lemon juice, chilli powder and salt

Handcrush the roasted gooseberries with the mix till all the seeds are removed

Heat sesame oil and add curry leaves, mustard and fenugreek seeds for a sizzling seasoning

Sizzle the seasoning on to the gooseberry relish and mix well together

And the goose-bumping goose berry pickle is ready for indulging!