Amla, also known as Indian gooseberry, is known for its umpteen health benefits and has been a part of traditional medical practice since time immemorial. With an increasing inclination towards health and fitness, this simple tangy and pungent fruit has been a holy grail for fitness enthusiasts. Amla is a versatile fruit that can be enjoyed in many different ways. Whether you prefer it raw, pickled, or in a sweet or savoury form, there are many options to choose from. But before checking out the variety of amla diet, just scroll down to know more about the benefits that it offers-
Amla Diet Benefits-
Considered sacred in India it is known to cure almost every disease and is also good in extending the longevity of life. Let’s go through some more amla diet benefits-
- Improves the quality of skin and hair
- Helps fight against the common cold
- Aids weight loss
- Improves digestive processes
- Promotes eye health
- Nourishes the brain and improves mental function
- Balances stomach acid levels
- Flushes out toxins
- Improves food absorption
- Fights free radicals that cause ageing and diseases like cancer and heart problems
- Improves fertility
- Regulates the urinary system
- Enhances liver health
- Controls diabetes
With all these amazing benefits, amla is truly a blessing for all of us and we should add it to our diet.
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Amla Diet- Different Ways To Eat
Eat Raw
One of the easiest ways to eat amla is to slice amla into small pieces and eat it raw. To balance the sour taste, sprinkle it with little pink or regular salt. You can also add a dash of red chilli powder. This will help enhance the taste and make it easier to consume the fruit.
Amla shot
Take 2 amlas and cut it into pieces. Amla shot can best be made when combined with 2-3 tulsi leaves and 4-5 curry leaves. Grind them all together by adding a little bit of water. Strain it and consume it in the morning.
Boil amla with grains
Make your chole or dal more nutritious by boiling it with dried amla. Adding amla will make it healthier and tastier. Actually, it does serve more than one purpose though, of adding the required sourness in the recipe along with black colour.
Candy
Amla is quite popular as a candy too and is easily available in the market. You can try these sweet and tangy candies that add some more taste to the fruit. Eating amla candy every day can keep any common health issues like cold and cough at bay and boost immunity.
Some of the candies are sweetened with honey or jaggery while some are spiced with Indian masalas to add a punch of flavour. Isn’t it a delicious way to reap the benefits of amazing Indian Gooseberry?
So, grab the one you like and gorge on amla candies every day.
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Murabba
Amla is most commonly used in making murabba, which is a sweet and spicy relish. It is known to contain several benefits too. Making murabba is a great way of preserving amlas for a longer period of time as it is prepared by processing the amlas.
A variety of recipes are there which involve boiling the fruit first and then stirring them in spices and sugar syrup. You may also prepare it by first steaming amlas and then tossing them in sugar syrup.
Juice
Amla juice is a quick and convenient way to squeeze some extra nutrients into your diet. It is not only versatile and delicious but also highly nutritious and associated with a variety of health benefits.
It is easy to make at home and requires just a few simple ingredients. To get started, just chop up 2–4 Indian gooseberries and add them to a blender, along with 1–2 cups (250–500 mL) of water. As per your taste, you may also mix in other ingredients, such as ginger, black pepper, honey, or sea salt. Now blend all ingredients thoroughly, use a strainer to filter the liquid and remove any pulp, and serve.
In case you’re having trouble making amla juice, you can also buy pre-made one from many online retailers and speciality stores.
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Chutney
Amla along with coriander, green chillies, salt, cumin seeds, and hing will give you a lip-smacking blend of flavours that will team well with almost anything. You may add ginger also which balances the tartness of amla beautifully. Blend all the ingredients together and add some water to make a paste.
This spicy chutney has a little bit of sugar too but you may omit sugar or replace it with jaggery.
Pickel
One easy way to add amla to your diet is in the form of a pickle.
Make sure to use tart, fresh and firm gooseberries to make the pickle, so that it tastes perfect. Ingredients like mustard oil, hing, methre (fenugreek seeds), salt, red chilli powder and turmeric powder will give it a rustic and savoury taste.
Store it in a glass jar and pair it with your meals every day for that perfect zest and an added dose of vitamin C.
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Jam
Boil amla and make a puree out of it. Cook it along with gur. Add a little bit of salt, bhuna jeera and chilli as per your taste. Keep on cooking until it thickens and a glaze is formed. You may add a powder of green cardamom, black pepper, cinnamon, and fennel seeds as per your taste. And yes, don’t forget to add some til in the end.
It can be used like any other jam, spread onto crackers, roti or bread and enjoy!
Vegetable
Have you ever thought of making a sabzi with this vitamin C-rich fruit? By cooking it into a sabzi, you will get to consume a larger portion than as a pickle. This recipe has a blend of sweet, sour and spicy flavours.
In a pan, add some oil, green chillies, cumin seeds and mustard seeds. Saute on a medium flame for a few seconds. Now add chopped amla and sprinkle all the spices as per your taste. Add chopped jaggery and water. Cover with a lid and cook on medium flame. Garnish with coriander leaves and enjoy!
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Powder
It is not possible to make Amla powder at home from fresh Amla. To make amla powder, you would need dry Amla (available in grocery stores). In case you want to make a powder yourself at home, you need to dry the Amla using traditional methods with sunlight, but it would be a long process. So, I generally prefer to buy a packet of one from the market.
You can use amla powder in a variety of ways-
- Stir amla powder into a glass of water and drink it on an empty stomach when you first wake up. You may add honey if you don’t like the bitter taste.
- Blend amla powder into a smoothie filled with fruits and veggies.
- You can easily make a cup of amla tea with it. Just add 1 teaspoon of grated ginger, 2 leaves of tulsi and 1 teaspoon of dried amla powder in boiling water. Give a good boil to this blend. Strain it and add honey and a pinch of black pepper. Drink it daily. This refreshing and healthy beverage can help you lose weight!
- Sprinkle it on other fruits for extra antioxidants. Putting amla powder on bananas, apple slices, or melons will disguise the bitterness of the gooseberries. Moreover, you’ll get all the vitamins and fibre from the additional serving of fruit.
In conclusion, adding amla to your diet is an amazing way to boost overall health. My obsession with gooseberries is making me try so many varieties of food using gooseberries. Can you suggest some other ways to enjoy its unique and delicious flavour?