Refreshing amla

As a child, I followed my mother and grandmother into the forest near our village to collect juicy amla fruits for making delightful summer drinks, pickles and snacks. The taste of the refreshing fruit brings back so many memories. Besides vitamin C and fibre, amla is rich in calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamin B Complex, protein, carbohydrates and sodium. Here are a few that you can try this summer!

Amla sharbat

Ingredients: 100g of fresh amla; 10 to 12 fresh chocolate-coloured mint leaves; a small piece of ginger; 1 tsp of ground black pepper corns; 2 tsp of roasted cumin seeds powder; 2 tbsp of powdered jaggery; 3 to 4 ice cubes and 3 cups of water.

Method: Wash the amla fruits and boil them in water till they turn soft. De-seed the amla fruits and put them in a food processer along with the ginger, mint leaves, roasted cumin powder, black pepper powder as well as water. Grind to a smooth purée-like consistency. Add the jaggery and stir well. Finally, pour the mixture through a strainer into glasses, add ice cubes and serve.

Amla & beetroot sharbat

Ingredients: 4 amla fruits (de-seeded); 1 beetroot; 2 apples; 2 tbsp of chopped mint leaves and 4 cups of cold water.
Method: Chop the de-seeded amla fruits, beetroot, and apples. Add them to the juicer along with the water and mint leaves. Grind the mixture until smooth. Strain the juice and transfer it into glasses. Finally, garnish with fresh chopped mint leaves and lemon wedges and serve.

Amla & peanut chutney
Ingredients: Half a cup of amla; half a cup of toasted peanuts; 1 cup of grated coconut; half a cup of chopped mint leaves; half a cup of chopped coriander leaves; 2 green chillies; 3 garlic cloves and salt as per taste.

Method: De-seed and chop the amla fruits. In the mixer grinder, add all the ingredients and grind until a coarse paste is formed. Transfer the chutney into a bowl. Garnish with some grated coconut and serve.

Stir-fried amla salad

Ingredients: Half a cup of boiled amla fruits (de-seeded and chopped); 4-6 washed button mushrooms (diced into cubes); 50g of paneer (crumbled); 200g of baby spinach (washed), 50g of cashewnuts; 2 cloves of minced garlic; 2 tbsp of olive oil; salt and pepper to taste.

Method: Heat olive oil in a frying pan and fry the cashewnuts till golden brown. Remove the cashewnuts and keep them aside in a bowl. Add the minced garlic and fry till a nice aroma is released. Now, add the chopped mushrooms and cook till soft. Then, add the spinach, chopped amla, crumbled cottage cheese, salt and pepper to taste. Turn the flame to a medium-high and then, sauté the whole mixture for about two minutes. Finally, transfer the salad into a plate. Garnish with the fried cashewnuts and serve.