Gongura

Gongura is a variety of the roselle plant, known by the botanical name Sabdariffa gossypiifolia var. rubra and by the names puntikura and gogaaku, which is grown for its edible leaves in India and in other countries such as Fiji. The leaves give a tart flavour to south-central Indian cooking. It comes in two forms, a green-stemmed and a red-stemmed leaf, and the red-stemmed form is the sourer of the two. Gongura pacchadi, a chutney or relish, is a quintessential part of Andhra cuisine, and the most popular preparation is the pickled form. The leaves are also cooked with lentils, mutton, shrimp and chicken. The plant is a summer crop, and the hotter the place where it grows, the sourer the leaf becomes. It is also eaten in other regions under local names, among them pulichakeerai in Tamil, ambadi in Marathi and malakwang in northern Uganda.