Amla also known as Indian gooseberry is the powerhouse of innumerable nutrients that makes it a must-have in all seasons. One of the best sources of Vitamin C, 100 g of Amla fruit has around 700 gm of Vitamin C which makes it a wonderful antioxidant and an amazing immunity booster. You can rustle up a variety of recipes from chutney, muraba to candies which are tasty as well as extremely healthy.
Amla has amazing medicinal properties as well that can help reduce risk of many chronic diseases - Diabetes, Cancer, Heart Disease, Hypertension, gut issues, kidney problems among others. Amla has been used for more than a thousand years being recommended by Ayurveda for its nutritional benefits. It is an important ingredient in Chyawanprash which people consume for building immunity in winters against cold, cough and other infections. Amla is also useful in hairfall problems.
It is usually recommended to eat about 1-2 Amla berries per day. Jyotika Diwan, Nutrition & Diet Advisor, Dip. Nutrient and Diet Planning from Tulip International- Affiliated with GCTA Australia suggests some Amla recipes for managing health conditions.
1. Green Amla Juice for Diabetes
Drinking Amla juice can do wonders for Diabetes management. There are plenty of natural and nutrient-dense foods that could help you manage diabetes efficiently, and Amla is definitely one of them.
Amla is also rich in soluble fibre, which helps digestion and enables slow release of sugar in the bloodstream.
Green Amla Juice Recipe
Ingredients And Preparation
Amla: Select any Amla, big or small with greenish-yellow colour and check for dark patches or cuts on the same.
Ginger: As the Amla is tart and the taste is not very pleasant, add in a little ginger.
Water and Black Salt: Add water as required and season it with a little black salt.
Lemon Juice: You can also add in a little freshly squeezed lemon juice if you do not like the tart flavor of Amla.
Also Read: Amazing health benefits of Amla you should know
2. Honey Amla Drink For Blood Pressure
If you have Amla juice every morning on an empty stomach it can control hypertension and other ailments. It's extremely powerful when it comes to high blood pressure. Mixing even half teaspoon of Amla powder in water can help you control blood pressure. Honey is also beneficial for your blood vessels and blood circulation and having it first thing in the morning lowers blood pressure.
Honey Amla Drink Recipe
Ingredients And Preparation
1 freshly squeezed amla /1 tsp edible Amla Powder
1 cup warm water
3 to 4 mint leaves
1 tsp raw unpasteurised honey.
3. Amla Chutney For A Leaky Gut
Amla is basically an alkaline food, so it helps to balance the stomach acid levels and makes the gut alkaline. An alkaline gut is essential for overall health and vitality. Here is an Amla chutney recipe for the leaky gut.
Amla Chutney can very well serve as a replacement of Mint chutney
Amla Chutney Recipe
Ingredients
- 500 gms Indian Gooseberry /amla
- 500 gms Jaggery / Gud
- 15 Dates / Khajoor
- 15 Almonds / Badam
- 2 tbsp Raisins / Kishmish
- 1 tsp sesame seeds /til optional
- 1.5 tsp Red chili powder
- 1.5 tsp Salt / Namak
- 2 TSP Ginger Powder / Saunth
- Pinch of Saffron / Kesar
- 8 Green Cardamom / Hari Elaichi
- 8 Cloves / Lavang
- Pinch of Nutmeg/Jaiphal powder
- 12 Peppercorns / Sabut Kali Mirch
For Tempering
- 5 tbsp Clarified Butter / Desi Ghee
- 1 tsp Cumin Seeds / Sabut Jeera
- 2 Bay Leaves / Tej Patta
- 1 inch Cinnamon /Daalchini
Preparation
- Steam cook Amla till it become soft (or pressure cook in 1/2 cup water for 2 whistles.)
- Remove the seeds from the cooked Amla and crush it coarsely.
- Grind pepper corn, cloves and cardamom (spice powder) to make a fine powder.
- Remove the seeds from the dates and chop them into small pieces. Crush almonds and make a coarse powder
- Take a heavy bottom pan or use the pressure cooker
- In the pan add ghee and when it become warm add cumin, cinnamon and bay leaves.
- When cumin starts to crackle, add the crushed amla in it and saute for a minute.
- Now add crushed jaggery, chopped dates, almond, raisins and salt.
- Cook on slow heat and keep stirring till Gud melts completely and starts bubbling
- Now add all the remaining spices, saffron and the coarsely ground spice powder and simmer till it thickens like a honey. (remember it will thicken further as it cool down)
- Keep stirring in between else it may stick and burn at the bottom.
- When done let it cool down completely and store in a glass jar
4. Amla Muraba for Pregnancy Related Issues
Amla reduces nausea and morning sickness, acidity and heartburn. Constipation and haemorrhoids are familiar terms for expecting women and Amla helps in maintaining smooth bowel movement due to its fiber content.
Amla Muraba
Ingredients
- 1 kg Amla
- 1 ½kg sugar
- 2 tsp chemical lime
- 6 cups water
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp cardamom seeds, crushed
Preparations
- Wash Amla thoroughly and perforate them using a fork.
- Dissolve lime in water and soak prickled Amla overnight.
- In the morning, remove and wash them, and soak them in lime water.
- Drain the lime water and wash them thoroughly. Squeeze so as to eliminate the lime remains.
- Now boil water and drop the Amla into the boiling water.
- Cook them until they turn transparent and tender.
- Drain the water and keep the Amla aside.
- Now prepare a syrup using six cups of water, sugar, and lemon juice. Keep mixing until you see one-thread consistency.
- Add cooked Amlas into the sugar syrup, bring it to a boil and simmer for four to five minutes.
- Allow it to cool and store in an airtight container.
- You may add cardamom powder or any other flavoring to it.
Preparation time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Also Read: 6 Miraculous Benefits Of Amla Juice For Flawless Skin
5. Amla Candy for Improving Haemoglobin
Daily consumption of Amla can boost your immunity due to its high concentration of vitamin C. Amla increases your haemoglobin level, red-blood cells count and thus, purifies blood. Amla is also rich in anti-oxidants, which help fight free radicals that are responsible for early ageing.
Amla Candy Recipe
Ingredients
- 250g Amla
- 150g sugar
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp dried ginger powder
- 2 tbsp sugar powder
- A pinch of edible food colour
Preparation
- Wash the Amlas and pat them dry using a clean paper napkin.
- Boil enough water, and then add Amla.
- Boil for two more minutes and drain the water.
- Cut Amla into slices.
- Add cumin powder and ginger powder to the sliced Amla.
- Add sugar, close the container and leave it aside.
- On the following day, you will notice the slices floating in sugar water.
- On the third day, they will begin to settle down.
- Filter the mixture, and you can use the collected syrup as gooseberry sherbet.
- Keep the slices in sunlight for about two days.
- Prepare a mix of sugar powder and food color, and sprinkle it on the dried Amla slices.
- Store them in an airtight container, and you can enjoy the candies whenever you feel like.
Preparation time: 5 days
6. Amla Pickle for Improving Liver Function
Amla is also known to improve liver function and to mitigate hyperlipidaemia and metabolic syndrome. Amla possesses protective effects against chemical-induced hepatocarcinogenesis.
Amla Pickle Recipe
- Ingredients
- 150gm amla
- 4tbsp oil
- 2tsp mustard
- 1 large lemon
- 3 to 4tsp red chili powder
- 1 or more tsp salt
- ¼tsp turmeric
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- A pinch of methi seeds
Preparation
- Wash Amla thoroughly and pat dry with a clean cloth. Make some random incisions using a knife.
- Take mustard and methi seeds, blend them into a fine powder.
- Fry Amla taking some oil until they turn light golden.
- Add garlic and turn off the flame. Leave it for some time.
- Add all other ingredients expect the lemon juice.
- Once the mixture cools, add lemon juice.
- Mix all of it thoroughly and check for the salt.
- Transfer to a glass container and let it rest for two to three days.
- Mix again using a dry spoon, and if needed, add some more lemon juice and salt.
- You can eat it with rice or paratha.
Preparation time: 15 minutes
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