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Amchur
Dry mango powder
अमचूर: homemade dry mango powder from sour green mango slices sun-dried until brittle, then ground fine (plus 4–6 days in the sun)
Every Punjabi and UP kitchen keeps a jar of amchur next to the jeera and haldi, and the homemade version smells far fresher and sourer than most shop powder. In villages around Saharanpur and Malihabad, the raw mangoes that fall in early-summer storms are peeled, sliced and spread out to dry, and the brittle slices (amchur khatai) are either stored whole or ground. Amchur gives a fruity, mouth-puckering sourness without any liquid, which is why it goes into dry dishes where tomato or tamarind would make things soggy: bhindi masala, stuffed karela, samosa and kachori fillings, chole, chaat masala and pav bhaji masala. A kilo of mangoes gives roughly 100 g of powder. Common mistake: grinding slices that still bend; even slight moisture makes the powder clump into hard lumps in the jar. Chef's tip: choose small, rock-hard, very sour green mangoes with white flesh, not ones starting to turn yellow; riper fruit dries into a brown, sweetish powder.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 24
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ lb raw green mangoesvery sour and firm, about 4–5
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric (optional)keeps the slices pale
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Wash and dry 2 ¼ lb raw green mangoes thoroughly, then peel off all the green skin.
10 minStep 2: Cut the flesh away from the stone in slices no thicker than 3 mm. Thin slices dry evenly and stay pale. Toss them with ¼ tsp ground turmeric if using.
15 minStep 3: Spread the slices in a single layer, not touching, on a clean cotton cloth or steel trays, and cover with fine muslin. Dry in full sun for 4–6 days, turning daily and bringing them indoors at night.
Step 4: The slices are ready when they are shrivelled, pale beige and snap with a crack when bent. If any feel leathery, give them another day.
2 minStep 5: Grind the slices in a dry spice grinder in short bursts to a fine powder, then sift through a fine sieve and regrind the coarse bits.
10 minStep 6: Store in a clean, completely dry, airtight jar away from light, and use a dry spoon. It keeps its tang for about a year; whole dried slices keep even longer and can be ground as needed.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 10 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 3 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
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Good to know
- How long does amchur take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 24 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of raw green mangoes?
- Tinned mango pulp, same weight.
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