Amla Pickle | Amla Achar | Usirikaya Avakaya is an Andhra-style pickle, it is a traditional spicy and tangy condiment made from Amla or usirikayalu or Indian gooseberry.
Indian gooseberry or usirikaya is a seasonal fruit available during winters in Indian subcontinent. The taste of Indian Gooseberry or amla is sour, bitter and astringent, and it is quite fibrous. It is also Vitamin C rich fruit.
We can consume the fruit as it is but we don’t tend to like any other citrus fruit. So we make candies, murabba, pickle etc., Now a days with the advent of SM new variety recipes are also available like rice, rasam and so on.
I always make amla candies and amla murabba. Of course pickling is always on my list.
We make two ways of pickling of amla one is the recipe, amla achar, and the other is soaking them in salt and turmeric powder. We can prepare pachadi whenever we are unwell. It will have a soothing taste and improves the appetite during sick times. We call this Thokku, I am will surely post the recipe sooner or later.
The simple and best way to consume amla or usirikaya or Indian Gooseberry is to soak them in water along with water and turmeric powder. Let them soak for one day and then enjoy them 1 amla or 2 each a day. That will give the enough C vitamin to the body as well as no need of cooking and worrying about the spoiling the fruit.
Key ingredient in amla pickle:
Amla/ Whole gooseberries/Usirikaya: Pick the best amla which is hard to press and light green in colour. Select less spotty rather no spotty amla for pickle. Choose the best quality amla for pickling. The pickle can be stores for months, if you use best quality amla.
Whole spices: Use spices like rai powder or mustard seeds powder, fenugreek powder, salt and red chilli powder. Mix all of them with the oil.
Oil: We can use mustard oil, sesame seeds oil or even regular cooking oil will also help. Using sesame seeds oil would enhance the taste and also the shelf life.
Storage: The pickle can be stored for months if measured properly. And whenever serving use only dry and clean spoon. Otherwise the pickle tends to spoil.
Amla Pickle | Amla Achaar | Usirikaya Avakaya
Ingredients
- 250 grms Amla/Usirikayalu
- 3 tbsp Salt
- 3 tbsp Red Chilli Powder
- 2 tbsp Mustard Powder
- 1 tsp Turmeric Powder
- 1 tsp Asafoetida/Hing
- 1 tbsp Fenugreek Powder
- 1 Cup Oil
Instructions
- Wash and wipe whole amla/usirikayalu with a clean and dry cloth.
- Let them dry for 1 to 2 hours.
- Keep them aside.
- Heat oil in a kadai.
- Add the amla/usirikayalu in hot oil.
- Slowly fry them till they turn golden.
- Fry them only in medium to low flame.
- The skin of amla should also wrinkle a bit.
- Keep them aside for cooling,
- Let the oil cool a bit and add all other condiments.
- Salt, red chilli powder, mustard powder and fenugreek powder.
- Add hing, turmeric powder too.
- Mix all of them well.
- Once all the condiments mixes well with the oil add fried amla too.
- Mix it well and let the flavours absorb by the amla.
- Add lemon juice of 1 lemon.
- Again mix it well and serve.
- Serve amla pickle with hot piping rice.