10 Ways To Add Amla To Your Diet

Amla is one of the most powerful superfoods on the planet with a list of evidence-based health benefits that is long and still growing. 

It has the highest density of antioxidants, and the second highest density of vitamin C of any fruit, making it one of the most nutrient rich foods on earth. It’s packed with calcium, key vitamins, and medicinal compounds to cure a wide variety of ailments.

Health Benefits of Amla (Indian Gooseberry)

Amla has long been prescribed in Ayurveda (Indian folk medicine) as one of the most powerful medicinal plants on the planet. And recently, modern science has begun to reinforce the evidence behind amla’s reputation as an ancient cure-all. 

It has diabetic benefits, immune benefits, promotes weight loss, heart health and better cholesterol just to start. And in addition to its many other evidence-backed benefits, even some of amla’s hard-to-believe claims are true. It’s a viable hair-growth tonic!

The Amla Revolution

Amla isn’t new. In fact, its use is thousands of years old, as a fundamental pillar of Ayurvedic medicine. So why hasn’t it caught on? Well, two reasons. First, it can be very difficult to source organic amla outside of India and Southeast asia. And second, amla tastes bad in its raw form.

We’ve solved both with Amla Green, a 20x concentrated amla powder mixed with green tea or hibiscus to help smooth and enhance this powerful plant’s tart and bitter flavor. The result? A powerful addition to your diet that can mix easy into a number of different contexts. 

In this article, we’ll touch on some of the ways that you can use amla, amla powder, and Amla Green, as well as 10 recipes to make the most of this tasty and incredibly healthy fruit.

Table of Contents

Amla products come in many different forms: amla juice, amla fruit, dried amla, fresh amla, even amla beauty products like conditioners and facial creams. 

For our recipes, we’ll focus on recipes that include amla and amla powder, as we’ve found these forms to best maintain all of the health benefits of amla while making it a tasty addition to your day.

There are many ways to consume amla as a food, a drink, an addition to meal, and many other options, even desserts, and most of these meals are low in sugar, gluten-free, plant-based, and adaptable to a wide variety of different diets. 

Take a look below for our list of 10 amla recipes, along with some links to friends that have full recipes including prep time, recipe videos, total time to cook, and any ingredients you might need.

1: Amla Chutney

It makes sense that we’d start with a classic dish inspired by Indian cuisine. This recipe comes via our friends at Archana's Kitchen, featuring a sweet and spicy amla chutney that serves as a versatile, tasty meal, dip, or side dish. 

The key ingredients here are coriander, fenugreek seeds, amla, and a blend of sweets and spices that are all plant based, with a total prep time of a little under an hour.

2: Amla Fruit Bowl

Brunch, dessert, or afternoon snack, this refreshing smoothie bowl plays well any time of day, bringing the health benefits of amla green into play with a number of other tasty fruits and berries.

Ingredients

• 1 cup of frozen blueberries or mixed berries
• 1 cup of frozen mango
• 1 frozen banana (fresh banana also works)
• 1 scoop of Amla Green (Regular or Decaf)
• 1/4-1/2 cup of water

Instructions

Blend on high for 30-60 seconds. After, pour the smoothie into a bowl and top with 1 tbsp ground flax seeds, bananas and berries.

3: Amla Curries

Amla mixes well with almost any form of Indian and South Asian curry, especially when you use Amla Green. The reason here is simple: a little bit goes a long, long way, and you can add just a pinch of powdered amla to bring some punchy flavor and some powerful health benefits. 

Take for example, a classic veggie curry from our friends over at Tasty. Amla blends seamlessly in with the other spices (cumin, cayenne, curry powder, salt, pepper, and ginger) to add an incredibly beneficial boost to this meal.

4: Tangy and Spicy Amla Dressing

The first of two recommended Amla Green salad dressings and glazes we’ve come up with, this tangy and spicy amla dressing can go on salads, pastas, curries, rices, or even on a plant-based chip for a simple afternoon snack. Another area to explore!

Ingredients

• 1 scoop of Amla Green (Regular or Decaf)
• 1 pinch of ground curry powder
• 1 pinch of ground cumin
• 1 pinch of smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp water
• Black pepper to taste

Instructions

Mix all ingredients well together, then use as a dip or drizzle on top of a salad, with mixed vegetables, or a side of your own.

5: Pickled Amla (Amla ka Achar)

Straight from the heart of India, pickled amla (also known as amla ka achar) is another classic dish that you can make easily with a few pieces of fresh amla fruit. 

Simply steam and dice the amla, prepare your mixture of spices, and then saute for a quick snack or side ready in 15-20 minutes that embraces the punchy tart flavor of amla wholeheartedly.

6: Amla Smoothies

One of many, many options for Amla Green is to mix it into a fruit smoothie! You can experiment for yourself, but this is another area where Amla Green excels. 

Providing a smooth, subtle flavor and a huge set of health benefits, this meal is a great way to get your daily amla with very little change to your favorite fruit smoothie. 

Ingredients

• 1 banana (frozen or fresh)
• 1 cup of frozen mixed berries
• 1 cup of fresh papaya or mango
• 1 scoop of Amla Green (Regular or Decaf)
• 1/4-1/2 cup of water

Instructions

Just blend the ingredients on high for 30 seconds, then pour into a cup and drink!

7: Amla Juices

Amla Green mixes well with almost any juice, but sometimes we like to get a little bit fancier and more fun. This mocktail is especially tasty with Amla Green Hibiscus!

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp Amla Green Hibiscus
• 1 Quart pomegranate juice
• 2 Cups lemonade
• Pomegranate seeds
• Mint leaves
• 2 limes, quartered, plus slices to garnish

Instructions

In a big pitcher, mix, lemonade, lime juice, pomegranate juice, and Amla Green Hibiscus. Fill glasses with pomegranate seeds, ice, and pour juice over seeds, garnishing with mint.

8: Amla Rice (Nellikai Sadam)

Amla rice is another classic Indian preparation, also known as nellikai sadam, used as a spicy and tart side dish with stir fried vegetables, curries, dips, chips, and essentially anything that you can mix with rice!

Like many Indian foods, nellikai sadam brings a diverse collection of spices to the forefront, adding amla to a mixture of mustard seeds, curry leaves, urad dal, bengal gram, cashew, and other flavors for a rich, deep flavor to your rice. 

You can explore one favorite preparation of this dish thanks to our friends at Subbus Kitchen.

9: Mediterannean Amla Dressing

The second of our two favorite amla dressings, this one adds a mediterranean twist that makes it great to go along with an early evening snack or appetizers.

Ingredients

• 1 scoop of Amla Green (Regular or Decaf)
• 1 pinch of ground oregano
• 1 pinch of smoked thyme
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp water

Instructions

Mix well together, then use as a dip, drizzle, or dressing any way that you see fit!

10: Amla Green Tea

And finally, we have the easiest way to add amla to your diet — just add water! Can also mix with a pinch of lemon, coconut water, or add any favorite flavorings to fill out your energizing afternoon tea. In addition, the combination of green tea with lemon, ginger, and honey may lead to a potent drink that could improve many different facets of your health.

Ingredients

• 12 oz of Water
• 2 teaspoons of Amla Green
• Dash of honey, coconut water, or lemon for flavor.

Instructions

Mix well and enjoy!

Remember at the top when we explained that amla actually works as a hair tonic too? Well we weren’t kidding! 

Amla juice has a high value of vitamin C and antioxidants that can significantly improve collagen production and scalp health, helping reduce dandruff, slow premature signs of aging (like gray hair, hair loss), and lead to longer and fuller hair. 

Many people will also combine amla conditioner with products like henna, which is a natural hair dye, to add a richness of color to their hair as well as more volume and length.

Simple Conditioner

Our favorite form of a DIY amla conditioner is simply amla powder mixed with lukewarm water until it is a thick, spreadable consistency. Work this conditioner through your hair and into your scalp, let sit a few minutes, and then wash off thoroughly. 

Who would have thought a conditioner mix would taste this good too!

We think that more people should be able to experience the diverse benefits of amla, which is why we’re offering the first batch of Amla Green entirely risk free. If you don’t like it, just let us know, and we’ll give you your money back. 

But with as many culinary, health, and even cosmetic benefits as alma has, we think you’ll like it.