5 Easy

Amla Recipes

You Can Add To Your Monsoon Diet

A lot of people romanticise monsoons, but there’s no denying the fact that the rains can bring cold, flu, and cough. Amla recipes help your system fight them off. It’s almost like the monsoon gives amla its Superman moment, turning it from a regular Clark-Kent vegetable to a monsoon superfood. It is packed with vitamin C, which is a key nutrient for keeping your immune system strong, fighting off the fast-spreading colds and flus, and keeping hair healthy.

Amla isn’t very tricky to work with, but it’s also not as common in everyday cooking as a potato. Thus, before going through amla recipes, you should know how to handle the fruit. First and foremost, wash it well before use because the fruit's deep grooves can trap dirt. Secondly, always cut along the natural segments and not straight through the middle with a sharp knife, one that can make it cleanly through the dense and crisp texture. Lastly, this depends on your recipe, but because fresh amla is very firm and sour, steaming or blanching for 3–5 minutes can make it easier to chop, blend, or mash.

Amla candy, also called murabba, is a sweet treat that works well as an after-dinner treat or even a tea-time snack. For this, you need to first steam the amla, then remove the seeds, separate the segments, and toss them with sugar. The sugar draws out the fruit's natural juices and gradually dissolves to form a syrup. Drain the syrup and dry the amla pieces under the sun for 2–3 days (or in a low-temperature oven) until chewy. 

The tangy rasam gets a clean, fruity tartness from amla. The technique is similar to how rasam is usually made, but you need to simmer the amla puree here. To make the puree, pressure cook or boil chopped amlas until soft, then blend into a smooth purée. Simmer this with water, tomato, rasam powder, turmeric, and salt for 8–10 minutes. Temper, garnish, and serve hot with steamed rice. It’s an excellent rainy-day lunch that’s nutritious and comforting. 

This one’s an excellent choice when you want something to last longer than a day or two. Especially when you go through the effort of steaming and cooking the amla. Steam the amla and let the segments cool completely before tossing them with mustard oil and different spices ( mustard seeds, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds, turmeric, red chilli powder, salt, and asafoetida). Once the segments are well coated, cool the pickle and store in a sterilised glass jar for 2–3 days before serving. 

Amla chutney is an excellent condiment but has a shorter shelf life compared to both amla pickle and amla candy. However, unlike those two, this does not begin with steaming. In fact, it’s quicker to put together and excellent as a seasonal serve. Simply blend chopped amla with coriander leaves, green chillies, garlic cloves, roasted cumin powder, salt, and a little water into a smooth paste. Taste test and add lemon juice, if needed, to balance the taste. It goes well with monsoon’s favourite fried snacks, and even as a spread in paratha rolls.

Did you really think an amla list won’t have juice on it? It’s one of the quickest and simplest ways to add this wonder berry to your diet. Deseed and chop 3–4 fresh amlas, then blend them with 2 cups chilled water until smooth. Strain if you prefer a smoother drink, then stir in 1–2 tsp honey or jaggery and a pinch of black salt or roasted cumin powder. Serve immediately with ice if desired.

These amla recipes showcase just how versatile amla can be in the kitchen. If you're in the mood for something sweet, try the chewy amla candy. For everyday meals, amla achar and chutney make excellent accompaniments to parathas, dal-rice, dosas, and snacks. Amla rasam offers a warm, tangy bowl of comfort, while fresh amla juice is a refreshing way to start the day. Together, they cover everything from beverages and condiments to mains and healthy snacks, proving there's an amla recipe for almost every occasion.

Seasonal eating isn’t just a trend but a necessity. Dishes and ingredients like these help the body’s immune system, provide enough variety to keep things interesting, and, of course, it helps that they taste great. Amla may carry this notion of being too sour or reserved for medicines, but as the list above proves, it’s an incredibly versatile ingredient. Which recipe are you trying first?