Amchur Powder is a tangy powder made from dried raw mangoes. This citrusy spice powder is used in Asian cuisine. It can be a good substitute for lemon in many savory snacks.
The dried mango powder is readily available in the market and Asian countries. In Nepal and India, people use amchur powder to make chats, pain puri, and savory snacks.
Amchur powder has a strong savory taste with a hint of a sweet undertone. It can escalate the state of every dish to another level. However, you shouldn’t use an excessive amount of this powder to avoid it overpowering the taste of food.
In fact, amchur powder is majorly used in Northern regions of India, such as Punjab. They make this powder in large quantities during the summer and use it throughout the year.
However, this powder isn’t just limited to South Asian food culture. Amchur powder is known by different names in different parts of the world.
In German, people call it Mango Pulver, in French people call it Poudre sèche la mangue, and in Spanish people call it De mango polvo seco. Although the primary ingredient of all these varieties of amchur powder is mango, people add other spices worldwide to give their own kind of flavor.
Although it is named mango powder, this spice also consists of several other spices that can complement the tangy taste of the powder. If you want to make this spicy amchur powder at home, then there are a few steps that you can follow.
Ingredients Used:
- Raw Mangoes
- Salt
- Ginger
- Red chili
- Black Salt
Steps To Make Amchur Powder From Raw Mango:
- Buy some raw mangoes from the market. You can pluck off the mangoes from your garden to make the mango powder. Choose the mangoes which have developed seeds but are yet to ripen.
- Wash the mangoes thoroughly with clean water and let sit, allowing the water to drip off.
- The knives, peelers, and utensils used in the process are cleaned and kept aside.
- Now, peel off the cover of the raw mangoes using the clean peeler.
- Cut off the raw mangoes into thin slices. Thinner the slices, and quickly will the mango dry.
- After cutting the slices, you have to dry them out completely before making a powder. Depending on how early you need it, you can dry it out in the sun or use an oven. However, it is preferable to allow the mango strips to be sundry.
- If you want to sundry the raw mango strips, place them on a clean cloth and lay them over under the sun on your terrace. Keep turning sides in regular intervals to allow the strips to dry out faster. It can take up to a week to sundry the mango strips depending upon the sun’s intensity.
- However, the process becomes quicker if you want to put it out in the oven. You can set your range at 122degrees Fahrenheit to194 degrees Fahrenheit. Then allow the mango strips to dry out for twenty-four hours.
- You may also use a dehydrator to dry out the mango strips. In fact, the hot air will dry out the strips faster without leaving any traces of moisture.
- Similarly, cut ginger into thin slices and dry it out in the sun or oven along with the mango strips. The process of drying out will be faster and easier if you lay out the slices on parchment paper and spread them coarsely.
- After drying out completely, the strips of mangoes will become crisp and break off easily. If drying the mango strips in the oven, allow them to cool before grinding them.
- Collect the mango strips and grind them in a mixture to make a fine powder. Add the dried ginger along with mango strips to accelerate the taste of the amchur powder. Add salt to the powder to increase its shelf life. If you add black salt, it will enhance the taste of amchur powder.
- Store the ground powder in an airtight container. You can use it for more than six months. Place it on a cool but dry spot in your kitchen cabinet.
- Now you can use this amchur powder for cooking all your favorite recipes.
How To Use Amchur Powder:
You can use amchur powder for cooking chickpea curries, lentils, or stir-fried vegetables. However, before using this powder, you need to soak it in water. Then you can use the slurry to make the curries.
Likewise, you can sprinkle the amchur powder to dress your salad. This powder will give savory taste to the salad. You can sprinkle it over snacks like fritters, patties, fries, and chips.
Some people also add amchur powder to their cocktails and other drinks for that tangy taste. You can give a unique taste to your cocktails and mocktails by adding just a dash of amchur powder in place of lemon.
Health benefits of Amchur Powder:
Along with adding taste to the food, amchur powder also has several health benefits. It is rich in powerful antioxidants, flavonoids, and vitamins, which do good to the body.
This powder is a good source of vitamin C, D, A, and B6. It is also rich in minerals like iron and potassium. Thus, it is very good for skin, eye, and dental health.
Amchur powder’s antioxidants help reduce oxidative stress in cells by binding to the free radicals. Thus, powder also aids in food digestion as mango is rich in dietary fibers. Amchur powder also helps to enhance metabolism and keep you in shape.