Amla (or Indian gooseberry) holds a special status in the ayurvedic tradition. Nature has gifted amla with immense immune-boosting and detoxifying properties. Amla is a powerhouse of vitamin C and antioxidants like polyphenols like gallic acid, ellagic acid, corilagin etc. If you want to improve your digestion, then amla is your friend.
We can talk about several benefits of amla but eating raw amla every day is not everyone’s cup of tea. So, spicy amla candy becomes a great alternative to get the nourishment from this rejuvenating fruit in a mouth-watering way.
Here is a quick and easy recipe with step by step pictures to make savoury amla candy. You can have these after your meals or as a filler snack between two meals. Enjoy!
Table of Contents
Utensils you need
You can use a colander or a simple steel chalni like I have used. Or you can use a dhokla maker or pressure cooker to steam the amla.
A grinder, for blending the spices.
One tray to spread the amla slices.
Total time to prepare the spicy amla candy – 40 mins
- Preparation time – 10 mins
- Cooking time – 30 mins
List of Ingredients
Amla (Gooseberry) – 300 gm
Jeera (Cumin seeds) – 1 teaspoon
Jeera (Cumin seeds) – 1 teaspoonAjwain (Carom seeds) – 1 teaspoon
Ajwain (Carom seeds) – 1 teaspoonKali Mirch (Black Pepper) – 1/2 teaspoon
Kali Mirch (Black Pepper) – 1/2 teaspoonSauf (Fennel seeds) – 1 teaspoon
Sauf (Fennel seeds) – 1 teaspoonMethi Dana (Fenugreek seeds) – 1 teaspoon
Methi Dana (Fenugreek seeds) – 1 teaspoonSonth (Dried Ginger Powder) – 1/2 teaspoon
Sonth (Dried Ginger Powder) – 1/2 teaspoonKala Namak (Black Salt) – 2 teaspoon
Kala Namak (Black Salt) – 2 teaspoonNamak (Salt) – 1/2 teaspoon
Namak (Salt) – 1/2 teaspoonHing (Asafoetida) – 1 pinch
Hing (Asafoetida) – 1 pinchHow to prepare spicy amla candy
For clarity, I have divided the preparation process into three separate parts.
1st – Steaming and slicing the Amla
2nd – Preparing the spices
3rd – Mixing and drying
Let’s begin our preparation of tasty and tangy amla candy.
1st Part – Steaming and slicing the Amla
1. Wash the amlas properly and put it in a colander or a chalni
2. Add two glasses of water (500ml) in a vessel and place it on the stove. Bring the water to a boil.
3. Once the water starts boiling, place the chalni with the amla over the vessel. Cover the top of the chalni with a lid.
4. On a high flame, let the amla steam for 10-12 minutes.
5. After 10-12 minutes of steaming, turn off the flame and take the chalni off the vessel.
6. Now let it cool down to room temperature.
6. Once the temperature comes down, place them in a big bowl and separate the amla from the seed.
7. You will get big chunks of amla.
8. Cut the big chunks into thinner slices.
2nd Part – Preparing the spices for Amla candy
Note – You can prepare the spices while the amla is getting steamed.
1. Heat a pan on high flame for 1 minute.
2. Once the pan is hot add 1 tsp. Jeera, 1 tsp. Ajwain, ½ tsp. Kali Mirch, 1 tsp. Sauf, and 1 tsp. Methi Dana.
Note – tsp. means teaspoon.
3. Keeping the flame high, roast it for 30 – 45 seconds. You have to heat the spices just enough to get the moisture out.
4. Now turn off the gas and place the roasted spices in a bowl to cool them off.
5. In a grinder, add the roasted spices along with the remaining ingredients (2 tsp. kala namak, ½ tsp. namak, ½ tsp. sonth powder, and a small pinch of hing). Grind the mixture to a perfect blend.
3rd Part – Mixing the spices and drying the amla
1. Add the blended spice mixture to the sliced amla and mix it well with a spoon. Make sure every slice gets coated with the spice mixture.
2. After proper mixing, cover the bowl with a plate and let it rest for one hour. It will make sure that the flavour of spices gets into the amla properly.
In the meantime, we will get our tray ready.
3. On the tray spread a cotton cloth or plain white paper. The paper will help in absorbing the moisture from the amla and prevent getting black stains on the tray.
Note – Don’t use newspapers. It contains carbon which is harmful to our health.
4. After one hour, we are ready to spread the amla on the tray.
5. Spread the amla evenly and make sure that they are not lumped together.
Now let it dry for 2-3 days, and your spicy amla candy is ready.
If you dry it in the sun, it will take two days. If you dry it under the fan, it will take three days.
After the spicy amla is dried, store it in an airtight container.
If you make this recipe, please share your experience in the comment section.
Serving
Per serving: 5 pieces
Total calories: 33 kcal
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