Amla (Indian gooseberry): what it is and how to eat it

Amla is the Indian gooseberry (Phyllanthus emblica): a small, round, pale green fruit with a very sour, astringent taste. In Polish it is called agrest indyjski, which is the name to look for on Polish labels and shop pages. Despite the name, it is not related to the European gooseberry. In India people eat it raw with salt and make it into pickle, sweet preserves in syrup and chutney.

Amla in Polish and on the shelf

If you are searching a Polish shop, these are the words you will see:

• agrest indyjski: Indian gooseberry, the usual Polish name;
• świeży agrest indyjski: fresh amla;
• amla w syropie cukrowym: amla in sugar syrup (murabba);
• marynowany agrest indyjski: pickled amla.

Most packs also print "Amla" and "Indian Gooseberry" in English, so you can match them either way.

What amla looks and tastes like

The fruit is the size of a large grape or a small plum. The skin is smooth, shiny and pale green, with six faint lines from top to bottom. Inside is a hard stone. The flesh is crisp and juicy.

The first bite is very sour and drying, a little like an unripe plum or a quince. After a moment a sweetish aftertaste stays in the mouth, and water drunk after amla seems sweeter. Raw amla is usually eaten in slices with salt and a little chilli.

How to eat amla: ideas from Indian cooking

• Raw: slice around the stone and sprinkle with salt, black salt (kala namak) or chaat masala.
• Amla murabba: whole fruit cooked in thick sugar syrup. Sweet, soft, with most of the astringency gone.
• Amla achar: amla pickle in oil with mustard seeds, chilli and turmeric. More on Indian pickles in Indian pickle (achar).
• Chutney: amla blended with coriander, green chilli, ginger and salt.
• Drink: amla juice diluted with water, with honey or sugar and a pinch of salt.
• Dried and powdered: sun-dried slices and amla powder go into chutneys, drinks and spice mixes for a sour taste.

You can also use amla like other sour fruit in a Polish kitchen: add a few to kompot (a light fruit drink) or cook them into a jam with plenty of sugar.

How to prepare fresh amla

1. Wash and dry the fruit.
2. To soften the astringency, blanch it in boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes or steam it for a few minutes. The skin splits and the flesh comes away from the stone easily.
3. Cut the flesh into segments. Throw away the stone.
4. Use straight away, or cover with syrup, or make pickle.

A simple amla chutney: blend the flesh of 4 fruits with a handful of fresh coriander, 1 green chilli, a piece of ginger, a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of sugar. Add a little water to make a thick sauce. Serve with samosa, paratha or rice and dal.

Fresh amla usually keeps in the fridge for a few days to two weeks. You can also freeze the fruit whole.

Amla Gold is not the fruit

Many people search for "amla gold" and land on the fruit. Amla Gold is the name of a hair oil by Dabur. It contains amla extract and other ingredients (the label gives the full list), but it is a cosmetic, not food. The description and ingredients are on the page for Dabur Amla Gold hair oil.

Where to buy amla in Poland

Fresh amla is on the page Indian gooseberry amla 1 kg, with a smaller pack as Indian gooseberry amla 500 g. Fresh fruit is seasonal, so check the product page. Preserves are there all year: amla in sugar syrup Ahmed and amla pickle with garlic Telugu Foods. Little India has shops in Warsaw, Kraków, Wrocław and Gdańsk and ships orders online. Another fruit Indian cooks look for in Poland is guava: see guava fruit.