Amla is a miracle fruit that is packed with important antioxidants and vitamins. Did you know that a 100 gram serving of fresh amla berries contains as much vitamin C as 20 oranges? People of India have known for a long time that amla is a beneficial fruit that needs to be eaten around the year. Hence this fruit, which is harvested from November to February, is dried and stored to be used as a snack later. In my village of Mayung Twisa in Gomati District, we have many amla trees. During winters we eat amla as a fresh chili chutney and the rest of the year we keep it stored in a container. Read on to learn about the two recipes.
Amla mosodeng
This is made using freshly collected amla and is eaten as a winter snack to shake people awake after an afternoon siesta. The ingredients required are : fresh amla, salt, green chilies, 2 cloves of garlic, and sugar.
Procedure: Smash each amla so that it is a little pulpy and put them in a bowl. Using a mortar and pestle, make a paste of the green chilies and garlic and add them to the said bowl. Add salt to taste, a spoonful of sugar, and mix well. Let it sit for a few minutes so that the amla absorbs the salt and chili. Amla mosodeng is ready to be shared by the entire family. "Mosodeng" in Kokborok means chili paste.
Dry Amla
Process:
Pluck a basket of amla or buy it from the market. Remove any stem.
Wash it thoroughly.
Cut thick slices of the amla.
Add salt and mix well.
Spread the amla on a plate or bailing and dry in the sun for three to four days.
Store it in a container. This amla can be eaten for upto three years.
When Covid 19 hit the world, it awakened many people to the need for immune boosting superfoods. Eating amla is considered to be an effective way of boosting one's immunity. If you like eating amla, share your views with us in the comments section.
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