Andhra Amla Pickle

Product Description and Details

Amla has a taste that takes a little getting used to — sour, astringent, slightly bitter, and then suddenly sweet in the aftertaste. As a pickle, all those qualities come together in a way that's genuinely interesting. People who grew up eating usirikaya pachadi in Andhra homes tend to love it. People encountering it for the first time often need a second try.

This is made with fresh Indian gooseberry (amla/usirikaya), cut into pieces, with Guntur red chilli powder, roasted mustard seed powder, fenugreek, rock salt, turmeric and cold-pressed sesame oil. The bitterness of the raw amla softens as it cures in the oil, but the sour and astringent notes remain — that's what the pickle is supposed to taste like.

It pairs best with plain rice and ghee — simple food that lets the complex flavour of the amla come through. It also works with curd rice and is surprisingly good alongside upma. Some families eat a small piece of amla pickle first thing in the morning as a habit, before the day's first meal.

Beyond taste, amla is naturally high in Vitamin C. This pickle keeps you connected to that without needing capsules.