This Amla Pickle recipe is flavored with Indian spices- dried red chilies, fenugreek seeds, Fennel seeds and Turmeric and is super easy recipe that helps you create a Instant Amla Achar.
Amla Achar Recipe is a popular Indian pickle recipe made from fresh amla fruit or Indian gooseberries and flavored with Indian whole spices.
Indian gooseberry/ Amla or Nellikai is a small round fruit with light-green translucent skin. They are small in size but great in nutrition. Amla is believed to provide 20 times more Vitamin C than oranges.
I have seen people staying away from Amla due to its tangy and sour taste. Most of us had Amla Muraaba (sweetened amla) all our childhood. Given the several health issues with amla candy or sweet amla, I came up with a simple and quick recipe to make an instant amla ka achar. This is spicy pickle and if you don't like spicy, try my sweet amla pickle recipe.
While one may make sweet amla pickle as well, this is a spicy version of it.
You may also like Nimbu ka khatta Meetha Achar, Garlic Hari Mirch ka Achar, Gobhi gajar Shalgam Achar.
You may also like Amla Juice Recipe.
Jump to:
Why Would You Love This Recipe
- Vegan and Gluten Free
- Not loaded with salt and oil. Cooked like a normal vegetable in Wok/ Kadai.
- Instant Pickle.
- Rich in Vitamin C (Amla is 20 times rich in Vit C than orange)
- Preserved with salt only and no other preservatives added.
- Bursting with blending flavors of Indian spices.
- The Best Amla Achar Recipe Ever!
Ingredients Overview
This Amla Achar Recipe need easy ingredients from your kitchen pantry. If you love Indian food, you would surely have the stock of Indian whole spices.
- Amla: The fresh Amla or Indian Gooseberry would be needed for this recipe. You may try getting the one which are less spotty. This Amla Pickle can be preserved naturally for a few weeks. It's recommened to use the best quality. I have procured them from local vegetable vendor.
- Indian Whole Spices: Jeera, Saunf (Fennel Seeds), Mustard seeds (Rai), Methre (Fenugreek seeds), Sabut Lal Mirch (Dried red chilly whole). Other spices include fresh Green chilly and Hing. I have used normal salt. Salt is the important ingredient as it acts as natural preservative. I have used black mustard seeds. One may also use yellow mustard seeds.
- Mustard oil: I always prefer using mustard oil for making achar owing to its anti fungal and antibacterial properties. Using mustard oil ensures that any bacterial or mold growth is prohibited. Honestly, I have no clue which other oil can be used for making pickles because we have used mustard oil for pickles since ages. You may try sesame oil, though if you don't like the strong flavor of mustard. but then the perish-ability condition might change for this recipe.
Recipe Insights
This is an instant amla ka achar and is not loaded with oil like usual Indian Pickles. It's basically made like any other vegetable you make in Kadai.
I have avoided garlic or onion in this achar as amla has its own flavor. Garlic takes over the whole flavor and I dislike it in this achar.
Boil raw amla in water for 5 min. In the meantime, grind the whole spices and heat mustard oil. Once the oil is just warm, add spices and chopped dried amla to it. Add salt and cook with lid for 3-5 min max.
How To Make Amla Pickle (Detailed Steps)
Step 1 Wash, Dry Amla and Make Spice Blend
Gather all the whole spices and raw amla. Boil Amla in water for 5 min max. Sieve it and let it dry. In the meantime, grind the spices: jeera, methre, saunf, mustard seeds, dried red chilly. Let the mixture be coarse (dardara).
Step 2 Chop Amla
Take mustard oil in heavy-bottomed Kadai/Pan and heat it on full flame. When the oil changes color from dark yellow to light yellow, switch off the flame. While it cools off, strain boiled amla to a colander / Sieve. Dry them on a kitchen cloth and chop them off in desired shapes by removing the seed.
Step 3 Temper The Amla
Add green chilly, hing to warm mustard oil. Make sure the oil is NOT hot or else spices would burnt off. Add ground coarse spices and add amla. Add salt as per taste. Mix well.
Cover with lid and cook for 2-3 min.
Step 4 Serve It.
The tangy and spicy amla achar is ready and this Amla Pickle recipe is amazing and it goes well with paratha and poori! Enjoy!
Nutrition in Amla
Amla berries are an excellent source of Vitamin C, E, A, calcium, and iron. It acts as a natural detox for the body (kidney and liver) when taken empty stomach in the morning. It also does wonders to skin and hair. I remember applying amla hair oil on every holiday as a child.
Amla is a super Indian fruit that is an Immunity Booster too and is lost in the crowd of fancy imported fruits.
Storage Suggestions
This Instant Pickle would be good for about 2-3 weeks at room temperature in winter (for about a week in the refrigerator in summer) and can be stored in an airtight dry container with a lid (pl. avoid plastics and use glass jars or traditional Indian ceramic jars for pickle).
Different Ways to include Amla in Daily Diet
- Raw Amla Juice: Blend raw amla and sieve it for fresh juice. Add a little salt and black pepper as amla would taste very sour in raw form. You can't underestimate the Benefits of Amla Juice. So, forget about the taste buds
- Amla Jam: Grate fresh and raw Amla. Cook it for 5-10 minutes on simmer. Add jaggery / sugar and cook for 10 min. This can be preserved for 2-3 months. Make sure amla are dried after the wash.
- Add 2 teaspoon grated raw amla in every vegetable or dal you make.
- Add a portion of amla in vegetable soups.
Expert Tips
- Boil amla before using it. This ensures that Amla Achar won't need much cooking time and hence not much oil.
- Make sure to pat dry amla after boiling. We need everything: amla, utensils, etc to be dried enough as moisture in any of these may spoil the Achar sooner than expected.
- Transfer this Amla achar to a container with lid (dried before using) and the amla achar must be cooled off and then transferred.
Can I Eat Amla Daily?
Yes 1-2 Amla daily have no side effects. It depends more on in which form you wish to have it: raw, cooked, boiled, juice etc.
Having 1 amla daily is totally fine in all age group. Excess of anything is harmful.
FAQ
Rich source of Vitamin C, Amla is a perfect immunity booster fruit for you. Low in calorie and High in Fiber, have daily amla in small quantities for a healthy heart and gut.
This recipe of Amla Achar is made moisture free and is made in mustard oil and will be good for months in winters at room temperature and in summers, when kept in refrigerator. You have to be careful that at no step moisture is added or else the achar will have fungal growth after a week.
No, boiling amla for few min won't destroy any of its nutrient.
Stories From Kitchen
As much as I love homemade pickles, I never buy market ones. Their overloaded salt and oil repel me really hard.
Before my daughter was born, I used to make achar for my husband. Hormones made me crazy for tikki and achar after having her.
I tried several recipes but trust me, the best ones had always been of my mother-in-law. She was adept in making pickles. I learned every process from her. Drying up the vegetables, spoons, jars everything in sun before starting the whole achar-making process.
Now its a therapy for me!
More Achar Recipes:
- Amla Candy Recipe
- Sweet Amla Achar- Instant Indian Gooseberry Pickle
- Amla Chutney Recipe- Indian Gooseberry Chutney
- Easy Chana Masala Powder
- Bathua Raita {Gluten Free Winter Recipe}
You may also like:
Don't forget to subscribe to my Weekly Newsletter for a free Recipe!
Amla Pickle - Indian Gooseberry Pickle Recipe
Equipment
- Pan for boiling
- Heavy bottomed Kadai/ pan
Ingredients
- 500 gm Raw Amla (Indian gooseberry)
- 1.5 tablespoon Mustard Oil (sarson ka tel)
- 5 piece whole red chilly
- 2 teaspoon Jeera (Cumin seeds)
- 2 teaspoon Mustard Seeds (Rai Black) can use yellow mustard
- 2 teaspoon Methre (Fenugreek seeds)
- 2 teaspoon Saunf (fennel seeds)
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder (haldi)
- 2 teaspoon red chilly powder can adjust
- 1 teaspoon Saunf Powder
- 3-4 cups water or as much to dip the amla for boiling
- ½ teaspoon Heeng (asoeftida)
- 1 small green chilly optional
- salt as per taste
Instructions
- Gather all the whole spices and raw amla. Boil Amla in water for 5 min max. Sieve it and let it dry. In the meantime, grind the spices: jeera, methre, saunf, mustard seeds, dried red chilly. Let the mixture be coarse (dardara).
- Take mustard oil in heavy-bottomed Kadai/Pan and heat it on full flame. When the oil changes color from dark yellow to light yellow, switch off the flame. While it cools off, strain boiled amla to a colander / Sieve. Dry them on a kitchen cloth and chop them off in desired shapes by removing the seed.
- Add green chilly, heeng to warm mustard oil. Make sure the oil is NOT hot or else spices would burnt off. Add ground coarse spices and add amla. Add salt as per taste. Mix well.Cover with lid and cook for 2-3 min.
- The tangy and spicy amla achar is ready and this Amla Pickle recipe is amazing and it goes well with paratha and poori! Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Boil amla before using it. This ensures that Amla Achar won't need much cooking time and hence not much oil.
- Make sure to pat dry amla after boiling. We need everything: amla, utensils, etc to be dried enough as moisture in any of these may spoil the Achar sooner than expected.
- Transfer this Amla achar to a container with lid (dried before using) and the amla achar must be cooled off and then transferred.
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Serving size: 1 tablespoon | |
| Servings: 20 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 29 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 1.2g | 2% |
| Saturated Fat 0.1g | 1% |
| Cholesterol 0mg | 0% |
| Sodium 1mg | 0% |
| Total Carbohydrate 4.2g | 2% |
| Dietary Fiber 0.3g | 1% |
| Total Sugars 0.2g | |
| Protein 0.3g | |
| Vitamin D 0mcg | 0% |
| Calcium 10mg | 1% |
| Iron 0mg | 1% |
| Potassium 19mg | 0% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calorie a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |
Himanshi says
That's my all time favourite! Thanks for sharing super easy recipe. I realized I was always making them wrong.
Deepti says
So good to know! Keep vising for more interesting recipes!!
Dr V K Tiwari says
Wonderful.
Deepti says
Thank you for reading my blog!
Udita Dutt says
Such a great recipe and how well you explained it. My kids don't eat Amla in any form. This recipe of yours worked for them. I told them its an achar and now they keep asking for it! Thank you!
Deepti says
Thank you so much Udita, for the lovely words. So glad to know. Appreciate it.
Madhu Goel says
Awesome is one word. I am so happy to see authentic Indian Achar and great article! thanks
Deepti says
Thank you Madhu for the kind words! Appreciate it.