Amla: A Super Food

My earliest memories of amla go back a long way- literally to childhood. Almost all our holidays would be spent at my grandparents home in Kanpur. My grandmother, a cook to beat the best of chefs, would make , apart from pickles, chutneys, laddoos etc, amlakamurabba. The murabba would be packed in clean glass jars and kept carefully in the laden basket we brought back home.

Mother would ensure that we ate a slice of the amlamurabba every day. As a child I never really understood the reason we were made to eat amla, but as an adult, educated about the importance of eating healthy, one knows that amla, or gooseberry, is truly a super food. The reason why it’s called so is that a 100-gram serving of fresh amla berries contains as much vitamin C as 20 oranges.

Amla grows on a flowering tree of the same name. The small berries are round and bright or yellow-green. Though they are quite sour on their own, their flavor can enhance recipes they’re added to.

Some health benefits of amla:

      • Diabetes Control
      • Better Digestion
      • Healthier Eyes
      • Immunity
      • Memory and Brain Health
      • It helps fight the common cold
      • Burns fat
      • Beautifies hair
      • Improves skin
      • Helps manage chronic conditions
      • Relieves pain

Amla berries are rich in antioxidants, which reduce the risk of chronic health conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

Amla is an excellent source of:

      • Vitamin C
      • Vitamin E
      • Vitamin A
      • Iron
      • Calcium

Amla Recipe

Amla Sabji

Ingredients:

    • Amla  1 kg
    • Ginger-green chilli paste 1 tsp
    • Rai seeds (mustard) 1 tsp
    • A few curry leaves (kadipatta)
    • Haldi (turmeric powder) 1 tsp
    • Red chilli powder 2 tsp
    • Methi (fenugreek) powder 4 tsp
    • Dhania (coriander) powder 2 tsp
    • Jeera (cumin) powder 1 tsp
    • Hing 1 tsp
    • Salt to taste
    • Oil as per requirement

Method

    • Pressure cook amla with a cup of water in a pressure cooker for two whistles. Open the cooker after pressure subsides, remove amla seeds.
    • Heat oil in a frying pan. Add hing, rai and kadipatta and let it splutter.
    • Add ginger- green chilli paste and fry for a few minutes.
    • Add the dry masalas and stir on a medium flame.
    • Add amla, salt and stir well. When contents are dry, switch off flame.
    • Amla sabji can last upto a week stored in a refrigerator.