Gooseberry aka Amla in India is one of the easiest and most readily available sources of Vitamin C. And one of the best ways of consuming it is the Muraba, a sweet jelly texture of Amla. But the one variation of consuming it, which is quite unique and unknown, is mixing the Amla with rice. Yes, heard that right! Coming from the ghettoes of Karnataka, much on the lines of Lemon Rice aka Chitranna Gojju, Amla Rice is a deliciously massive source of necessary vitamins and carbohydrates. The Amla mixture that is prepared with coconut and chillies can be easily stored for up to two weeks and used as per discretion. So give it a try and see the faces light up with every bite.
A Berry With Ultimate Health Benefits Produced Over Centuries
Though they are commonly used in India for various health purposes, it is to be noted that gooseberry is an indigenous crop to many parts of Europe and western Asia. It grows naturally in alpine thickets and rocky woods from France eastward and up to the Himalayas and peninsular India. The first ever recorded evidence of gooseberry cultivation was in England in the 13th century. But they were not that famous and widely grown until the early 1500s.
This fruit gets its name from the Old Norman English word groses or grosier, which means grosielle, the French for redcurrant. These words come from the Frankish root krûsil which means crisp berry. As for its usage in India, Gooseberries have been a part of Ayurvedic medicines for over thousands of years.
Ingredients:
- ½ cup grounded Coconut
- 6 Gooseberries
- 4 Green chillies
- 1 small-sized Tamarind
- 1 tbsp Jaggery
- 1 tsp Cumin seeds
- A handful of Coriander leaves
- ¼ tsp Turmeric powder
- Salt
- ½ tsp Asafoetida
- To temper:
- Oil
- ¼ cup Peanuts
- 1 tsp Mustard seeds
- 1 tsp White lentils
- 1 tsp Chickpea lentils
- 1 spring of Curry leaves
- ½ tsp Turmeric powder
- 2 cups cooked Rice
Method:
- Begin by grinding coconut, amla, green chillies, tamarind, jaggery, cumin seeds, turmeric powder, coriander, hing, and salt together into a coarse paste. Keep it aside.
- Over medium heat, place a pan and pour three tablespoons of oil. To this add peanuts and fry them for about 5 minutes. Then add mustard seeds, chickpea lentils, and urad dal. Sauté these till the seeds splutter and lentils change colour.
- Then add the curry leaves and sauté for two minutes. To this add the grounded paste and turmeric. Combine all this well and let it fry for about four minutes or until the raw smell fades away.
- Now take about two tablespoons of the sautéed amla masala and oil. Mix well with the cooked rice making sure that each grain of rice is coated with the masala. Serve.
- It is a task when it comes to feeding children or even the adults in the family with natural means of vitamin C. But this recipe will make them want more of it. Pair it with a serving of spicy mutton curry or a dry vegetable curry, Amla Rice will win hearts for its tangy punch.