Green leafy vegetables · IFCT 2017
Gongura (gogu) leaves: nutrition per 100 g
Per 100 g, green gongura leaves give 36 kcal, 1.9 g protein, 4.6 g fibre and 7.65 mg iron, according to IFCT 2017. That iron figure ranks 1st of 26 green leafy vegetables, and the red-stemmed variety goes higher still, to 9.56 mg. The leaves also carry 5285 micrograms of beta-carotene, ranking 10th of 160 foods, behind the sour taste that makes gongura pachadi famous.
About gongura (gogu) leaves
Gongura is the leaf of Hibiscus cannabinus, the plant also grown for kenaf fibre. Its sour, lemony bite has made it the signature green of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, where gongura pachadi, gongura pappu and gongura mamsam are part of the region's identity. The same leaf is ambadi in Maharashtra and Gujarat, pundi in Karnataka, pulichai keerai in Tamil Nadu, mestapat in Bengal, tengamora in Assam and sougri in Manipur. IFCT 2017 records names in 14 languages.
The tables list two types. Green gongura, on this page, has 7.65 mg iron and 145 mg calcium per 100 g. Red gongura, with deep red stems and veins, has more iron at 9.56 mg and more vitamin C at 35.4 mg, against 29.6 mg in the green. Andhra cooks usually prefer the red type for pachadi because it is more sour.
What gongura (gogu) leaves brings to a meal
- 01
Top leafy green for iron
Gongura carries 7.65 mg iron per 100 g, ranking 1st of 26 leafy vegetables and 25th of 242 foods. For iron, 100 g of gongura meets 40 per cent of a man's need and 26 per cent of a woman's higher one. Its own vitamin C helps absorption.
- 02
Beta-carotene and omega-3
Gongura's beta-carotene, 5285 micrograms per 100 g, comes 10th of 160 foods. Gongura also has 434 mg of omega-3 ALA, 18th of 203 foods and 2nd among leafy vegetables.
- 03
Folate and vitamin K1
100 g of leaves supplies 75 micrograms of folate, 34 per cent of a woman's requirement, and 433 micrograms of vitamin K1, which is needed for normal blood clotting.
- 04
Light, but low in protein
With 36 kcal and only 1.9 g protein per 100 g, gongura is a flavouring green rather than a filling one. That is why it is so often cooked into toor dal or with mutton, which bring the protein.
Gongura (gogu) leaves nutrition facts per 100 g
Every value IFCT 2017 reports for the edible portion, with the share of an adult's daily need that 100 g covers where ICMR-NIN sets a requirement.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Adult man | Adult woman |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy and macronutrients | |||
| Energy | 36 kcal | 2% | 2% |
| Protein | 1.9 g | 4% | 4% |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 4.1 g | ||
| Dietary fibre | 4.6 g | ||
| Free sugars | 0 g | ||
| Total fat | 1.1 g | ||
| Water | 87.4 g | ||
| Fats | |||
| Saturated fat | 0.24 g | ||
| Monounsaturated fat | 0.04 g | ||
| Polyunsaturated fat | 0.58 g | ||
| Omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid) | 434 mg | ||
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | ||
| Minerals | |||
| Calcium | 145 mg | 14% | 14% |
| Iron | 7.65 mg | 40% | 26% |
| Zinc | 0.65 mg | 4% | 5% |
| Magnesium | 83 mg | 19% | 22% |
| Phosphorus | 42 mg | ||
| Potassium | 260 mg | ||
| Sodium | 12 mg | ||
| Copper | 0.23 mg | ||
| Selenium | 2.4 µg | ||
| Vitamins | |||
| Vitamin C | 29.6 mg | 37% | 46% |
| Beta-carotene | 5,285 µg | ||
| Thiamine (B1) | 0.13 mg | 7% | 8% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.06 mg | 2% | 3% |
| Niacin (B3) | 0.58 mg | 3% | 4% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.33 mg | 14% | 17% |
| Folate (B9) | 75 µg | 25% | 34% |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 0.46 mg | ||
| Vitamin K1 | 433 µg | ||
Values per 100 g of the edible portion. Source: Longvah T, Ananthan R, Bhaskarachary K, Venkaiah K. Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. National Institute of Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research, Hyderabad. Daily-need shares use the ICMR-NIN 2020 recommended dietary allowances for a 65 kg man and a 55 kg woman doing sedentary work (ICMR-NIN brief note). Nutrients IFCT did not analyse for this food are left out rather than shown as zero.
Cite this page
NNWA Nutrition and Wellness Academy. Gongura (gogu) leaves: nutrition per 100 g. Data: Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. https://nnwa.in/foods/green-leafy-vegetables/gongura-leaves/
Where gongura (gogu) leaves sits among Indian foods
Ranked per 100 g against the other 25 green leafy vegetables and every food in the tables.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | In green leafy vegetables | Among all foods |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iron | 7.65 mg | 1st of 26 | 25th of 242 |
| Beta-carotene | 5,285 µg | 7th of 26 | 10th of 160 |
| Omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid) | 434 mg | 2nd of 26 | 18th of 202 |
Every form of gongura (gogu) leaves in IFCT 2017
The tables analyse these separately. The figures above are for the row marked first.
| Form | Energy | Protein | Fibre | Iron | Calcium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gogu leaves, green (shown above) | 36 kcal | 1.9 g | 4.6 g | 7.65 mg | 145 mg |
| Red | 37 kcal | 1.9 g | 3.9 g | 9.56 mg | 129 mg |
How gongura (gogu) leaves is eaten
- Gongura pachadi: leaves fried and ground with roasted red chillies, garlic and a mustard and fenugreek tempering, eaten with hot rice and ghee.
- Gongura pappu: chopped leaves cooked into toor dal, the sourness standing in for tamarind.
- Gongura mamsam in Telangana: mutton slow-cooked with a thick gongura paste and spices.
- Ambadi bhaji in Maharashtra: leaves cooked with soaked rice or chana dal and garlic, eaten with jowar bhakri.
- Tengamora in Assam: the sour leaves added to a light fish tenga in place of tomato or lemon.
Before you plan around it
Gongura's sharp sourness comes from natural plant acids, including oxalic acid, so people prone to kidney stones should eat it in normal portions and ask their doctor if unsure. The more common issue is the pickle: shop and home-made gongura pickles are preserved with plenty of salt and oil, so a spoonful can carry a large share of a day's sodium. Fresh gongura cooked into dal or pachadi made for the week is the lighter way to enjoy it, and it suits anyone watching blood pressure better than the jar.
Food composition is general information, not a diet plan. Anyone managing a medical condition should plan their diet with a doctor or a registered dietitian.
What people ask about gongura (gogu) leaves
Is gongura high in iron?
Yes. Green gongura has 7.65 mg iron per 100 g and red gongura 9.56 mg in IFCT 2017, the highest of all the leafy vegetables in the tables. Plant iron is absorbed less efficiently than iron from meat, but the leaf's vitamin C and sourness help.
What is gongura called in Hindi?
IFCT 2017 records pitwa as the Hindi name and pitwa sag in Punjabi. It is also known as ambadi in Marathi and Gujarati, pundi in Kannada, pulichai keerai in Tamil, mestapat in Bengali and sougri in Manipuri. In English it is sorrel leaves or kenaf leaves.
Which is better, red or green gongura?
Red gongura has more iron, 9.56 mg against 7.65 mg per 100 g, and slightly more vitamin C. Green gongura has a little more calcium and fibre. Red is more sour and is usually chosen for pachadi; green is milder and works well in dal.
Why is gongura sour?
The leaves contain natural organic acids, which give gongura its tangy, lemony taste. That sourness lets Andhra and Telangana cooks use it in place of tamarind in dal and meat dishes. Cooking mellows it slightly but never removes it.
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Iron content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by iron per 100 g.
Beta-carotene content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by beta-carotene per 100 g.
Omega-3 (ALA) content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by omega-3 (ala) per 100 g.
All green leafy vegetables
26 foods in this group, compared.
Learn to use this data
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