Amla also known as Indian Gooseberries or Amalaki in Sanskrit which means “Nectar of Life” in Ayurveda is a fruit that has long been revered in India as a nutritive tonic and beneficial ingredient. Amla are small round berries with a light pastel green skin translucent to look at making it appear as if it is segmented and in the centre of the berry lies a hexagonal shaped stone with six small seeds. Indian gooseberry grows on trees found in the wild and cultivated in various parts of our country today.
Amla is said to possess five tastes sour, bitter, pungent, astringent, and sweet although sour is the dominating one. The berry is one of the three fruits in the Ayurvedic preparation which forms triphala and is a base for the rejuvenating formulae for a Chavanprash consumed by many of us to boost our immunity and more. The marble-like berries are not only used in a variety of recipes but also highly referred to and used in medicinal properties in healing and treatment under Ayurveda.
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Amla can be eaten fresh as it is though a light sprinkling of salt does make the bitterness and sourness a bit better as a mouthfeel to adapt to for starters and at times we also soak it in a little salted water before cooking it since it reduces the pungency to an extent. Traditionally Amla has been used in India for making pickles and chutneys since it has both a dual sweet and sour application in our recipes of Indian kitchens. Amla murabba is a popular sweet preservative served with hot puries as a breakfast dish as well in various parts of India. Amla can also be baked into tarts or juice as we all know being popular to be had on its own or to flavor vinegars and marmalades.
Amla juice with honey or jaggery can be enjoyed as a refreshing healthy shot of goodness for our overall well-being. Dried Amla powder sprinkled onto our fruit salads. Ayurveda also says that Amla can help us balance the three Doshas namely kapha, vata and pitta thereby eliminating the underlying cause of many diseases. Amla holds a lot of religious significance too during the holy month of Karthik according to Hindu mythology the Amla tree is said to be germinated from the tears of lord Brahma.
These days, Amla is available all year round, making it easier to include it in our daily dietary routines to help us stay fit.
Here are a few Health Benefits of AMLA:
- Amla is said to be a complete powerhouse of essential nutrients for our body.
- Amla improves our immunity levels and protects our body against any possible infections.
- Amla is rich in vitamin- c and helps in detoxification of our body.
- Amla is also a rich anti-oxidant and eliminates toxins and improves body metabolism.
- Amla helps reduce inflammation and is good for the eyes, hair, mental functioning and skin.
- Amla is also considered for weight loss and weight.
- Amla is also known to have anti-ageing properties, helps in digestion and also lowers cholesterol levels.
Let us check on 10 uses of Amla in our kitchens:
- Amla in making our classic style Indian pickle.
- Amla in an authentic sweet form called Murabba.
- Amla is a healthy drink with ginger, honey, and lime as shots.
- Amla in the form of condiments like chutney.
- Amla in dehydrated form or powdered forms.
- Amla-infused water to be had as detox fluid.
- Amla in the form of a tempered rice preparation.
- Amla can also be prepared in curries or subzis, methi-Amla combination or Achari Amla ka tadka as a vegetable format.
- Amla also finds its way in the form of Jams & candies.
- Amla as a snack option is good as Pudina-Amla aur chukandar ki tikki, as a side dish as a Amla- Anar ka Raita.
Here are a few recipes with The Indian Gooseberries- AMLA:
Recipe-1] AMLA GAJRELA RAITA
Recipe-2] AMLA KA ANOKHA ANDAZ
Recipe-3] MASALEDAAR AMLA
Recipe- 4] TADKEWALA AMLA RICE
Recipe-5] AMLA KA COOLER
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