Andhra Style Amla Achar
Amla achar has a lingering flavour, which is both spicy and sour. Amla pickle is made with different ingredients that can also be consumed by diabetics as well.
Ingredients
- 1 Kg Amla
- 1/4 Kg Tamarind (seeds removed)
- 1/2 cup Jaggery or Pure Honey
- 1/4 Kg Kashmiri Chilli Powder
- 1/4 Kg Salt
- 50 g Methi Seeds
- 50 g Black Mustard Seeds
- 2 tbsp Asafoetida Powder
- 1/2 Litre Sesame Oil
For the Tempering
- 10 Dried Red Chillies
- 1 tbsp Black Mustard Seeds
- 10 Springs Curry Leaves
- 1 tbsp Cumin Seeds
- 1 tbsp Urad Dal
- 5 to 10 Garlic Pods
Instructions
- Wash the amla and soak in salted water for 15 minutes. Drain, wash and dry thoroughly with a cotton cloth.
- Place tamarind in a vessel and cover with water about 1 inch over the level of tamarind. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until the tamarind is soft. After checking there are no seeds, grind it to a paste and keep aside.
- Dry roast the mustard and methi (fenugreek) seeds separately until aromatic. Grind separately into powders and keep aside.
- Heat half-litre sesame oil in a large frying pan. Once the oil is hot, reduce the flame to medium and deep-fry the whole amlas in batches until golden brown(colour of a potato) on the outside. This will take around 5-7 minutes per batch. Drain with a wire or mesh ladle and keep aside.
- In the remaining oil in the pan, fry all the ingredients for the tempering. Turn off the flame and add half the asafoetida. Mix these dry ingredients well.
- To this, add the prepared tamarind paste and mix well and add the fried amla. Now add in ½ cup grated jaggery. Once the amla is well coated with the spice paste and the oil has cooled sufficiently, transfer the oil along with the tempering to this vessel. Mix all the ingredients gently but thoroughly, using hands, so that everything gets mixed well and amla doesn’t get crushed.
Notes
Cover this with a muslin cloth and rest on the kitchen counter for three days. You can give it a stir once a day using a dry spoon. The amla will settle at the bottom and the oil will float up. If the pickle is too dry, heat 150ml oil. Cool and mix into the pickle. An oil layer above the pickle prevents it from spoiling and it will easily keep for a year. Fill into clean glass jars and store in a cool and dry place or in the refrigerator.