Nellikka Uppilittathu

Nellikka-8

Green chilly-5

Salt -3 spoons

Wash the goose berries. Put it in the air tight container with salt, water and chopped green chillies. If kanthari is availabe it is the best for this preparation. It will be a nice combination with Kanji. Water must be cooled enough after boiling and the container must be air tight.

It can be taken after two weeks.

This can be easily prepared. If we have some fresh gooseberries and we have not enough time to make a pickle this can be made. I had used 'Kalluppu' for this. It is the crystallised form of salt. In most of the Ayurvedic medicines they are using 'Kalluppu' . Nellikka is of not 'Nadan' variety. Nadan variety will be small and there will be a reddish shade in the skin.

A common saying in Malayalam is 'Kshamyude nelli palaka kandu'. That means the last word of apology. May be in a dispute one who keep silent and do not utter a word . There was a system of using a log of gooseberry wood(Nelli palaka) in the basement part of Wells. This wood will not erode in water and it has excellant medicinal qualities. This may be the truth behind the saying

'Kshamayude nellippalaka'.

In funny talks also there will be a presence of this tree as 'Nellikka thalam' (a treatment for mental disorders) as a remedy to awkward solutions. Trees will become part of our language too. We may not even think of the tree when we say 'Nellikka thalam' or 'Nelli palaka'. These thoughts are dedicated to our mother nature who cares us through all these green shades....