Amla murabba is a visual, culinary, and health treat! In this recipe, the wonder fruit of Ayurveda, amla or Indian gooseberry, is simmered in a thick sugar syrup, and spiced with black pepper, black salt, cardamom, and saffron, transforming the juicy, light green fruit into a luscious jam or relish, with rich brown hues. A little bit of amla murabba everyday with your breads, rotis, parathas, or just as is, is sure to give you a boost of immunity and digestive strength for the day, and is a sure shot daily recipe for beautiful skin and hair!
Raw amla (Indian gooseberry) - 18 medium sized ones
Water (450 ml for making sugar syrup, additional water may be needed while cooking the amla initially)
Sugar (2 cups)
Black pepper powder (1 tsp)
Black salt (sanchal) (1 tsp)
Cardamom powder (1 tsp)
Saffron flakes (1 tsp)
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
To prepare amla, immerse the fruit in water within a vessel and simmer for about 10 minutes until the amla reaches a tender consistency. Once segments become visible on the amla, indicating it is cooked, carefully drain the water and retain it for later use.
Step 2
To prepare the amla, separate the segments from the cooked fruit and carefully remove the seeds. Set this aside for later use.
Step 3
To begin, pour 450 ml of water into a suitable vessel. If available, you may utilize the water previously used for cooking the amla. Alternatively, fresh water can be added if the cooking water is insufficient.
Step 4
Add sugar to the water and bring to a boil. Allow the mixture to simmer for approximately 10-15 minutes until it reaches a syrup consistency. To test if it has reached the desired stage:
Let the syrup cool down.
Take a small amount between your thumb and index finger.
Pull your fingers apart to observe if it forms a string-like consistency.
Step 5
Please incorporate the cooked amla into the prepared syrup and proceed to bring the mixture to a boil once more.
Step 6
The amla may release some water during the cooking process, causing an increase in volume. Cook the mixture for 20-25 minutes over medium heat until the syrup thickens and reaches a 3-string consistency. Then, incorporate saffron, pepper, black salt, and cardamom powders, ensuring thorough mixing.
Step 7
Please turn off the heat source.
Step 8
The color of the murabba will gradually darken when left to sit, eventually achieving a luscious, rich brown hue by the following morning. It is recommended to store the murabba in an air-tight container for optimal preservation.
Tastes (Rasa)
Sweet (amla, sugar), sour (amla), salty (black salt), bitter (amla), pungent (black pepper, cardamom, amla), astringent (saffron, amla). See how amla appears in all the tastes, except salty! Yes, amla is one of those foods that has all the tastes, except the salty taste.
Doshic Influence
Amla is held in very high esteem in Ayurveda. It is tridoshic, and is especially useful for pitta pacification. It helps boost immunity, digestive health, improves skin and hair, and helps in respiratory conditions, among its myriad benefits. Black salt is a great digestive. Cardamom, is a tridoshic spice that helps in digestion related ailments, combats mucus production and is a calming antispasmodic. Saffron is a tridoshic spice that is very cooling and specifically useful for pitta pacification. It is great for reproductive health, blood purification, and skin health. Black pepper is great for kapha pacification, but can tend to be pitta aggravating. It is also a great digestive aid, decongestant and helps burn toxins. Sugar is obviously kapha aggravating, but the addition of the spices makes this suitable for kapha consumption, in moderation. Overall though, this is a very tridoshic recipe, with numerous health benefits as mentioned above.
Effects on the Mind (Gunas)
Amla murabba is a sattvic dish. It is sweet, nourishing and calming in nature. Don't overdo the pungent spices like pepper, which can increase rajas and also detrimentally alter the taste of this dish. Amla murabba, once prepared can be safely stored in a dry, air-tight container, at room temperature for up to a year.