What is Amchoor?
Cooking with spices is a great way to add flavor to your dishes without adding too many calories. They are also superfoods that support our health. One great spice, mostly unknown in our continent, is called amchoor.
Amchoor is a spice powder made from dried, unripe mangos and used as a citrusy seasoning to impart a sour, tangy, fruit flavor to a meal without any added moisture. Amchoor is high in iron and vitamins A, C, and E and is used to improve digestion, reduce acid stomach and help gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
In Ayurvedic medicine, it is used to treat urinary infections, diarrhea and digestive problems. It improves eye health and helps eliminate toxins from the body. Amchoor is an exceptional spice for stimulating metabolism.
Where does amchoor come from? Mangos!
Mangos: The Goddess of Fruits
Mangos are considered the queen of fruits and with good reason! They are rich in vitamins and minerals and they caress our taste buds with their psychedelic flavors. The fruit is filled with fiber which will help your body reduce cholesterol; they lower the risk of gastrointestinal cancer and the rich fount of antioxidants help protect you from heart disease.
Mango is a fruit high in fibre but with a low-calorie content. The antioxidants in mango0s help your eyes to filter the harmful blue light that dampens brains and eyesight. A recent study found that mangos work better than fiber supplements because their polyphenols reduce inflammation as they change the microbiome of the gut. Eating one mango a day was found to serve as an effective laxative and reduces inflammation. On the contrary, its leaves offer a potential antidiarrheic.
Amchoor Recipe: Amchoor Turmeric Potatoes
SERVES 2
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon ground amchoor
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1⁄2 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 tablespoon coconut oil or virgin cold-pressed olive oil
- 2 cups potatoes diced into 1-inch cubes
- 1⁄2 cup coriander leaf
- 1⁄2 cup Greek yogurt
Directions
- Combine all the spices and oil in a bowl and then stir in the potatoes and mix well. (If you do not eat potatoes you may use yucca as a substitute.)
- You can then fry or roast the potatoes. If frying, add a little more oil to the pan and cook over a medium heat until browned. Otherwise, place in an oiled roasting pan and roast at 400°F for 45 minutes.
- Top with fresh chopped coriander leaf and a little Greek yogurt.
Try this Mango Blueberry-Ginger Salad
Along with this delicious dish, make this mango recipe to boost your health and get all the benefits of this fruit.
This salad gives you just the right boost as it tickles your tongue with three distinct flavors that when combined, synergize each other. Prepare this salad just 30 minutes ahead of your meal or let it sit overnight, covered, in the fridge.
Ingredients
- 2 large ripe mangos
- 1 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries
- 3 teaspoons of candied ginger
Directions
- Cube the mango
- Toss in the blueberries
- Chop the ginger into tiny little pieces
- Mix and voilà! You have a sensational treat.
Get more health-forward recipes like this in my book Nutrition Essentials for Mental Health, A Complete Guide to the Food-Mood Connection and The Good Mood Kitchen, Simple Recipes, and Nutrition Tips for Emotional Balance.
She served as a Fulbright scholar on traditional medicine, a Clinical Fellow at Harvard Medical School, and a National Institutes of Health-funded research scientist in mind/body medicine.
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