Amla gatagat /Gooseberry candy
Amla, or Indian gooseberry, is a very popular fruit that is available only in the winter season. It is considered to be a superfood since it is extremely rich in antioxidants and vitamin C; in fact, it has 20 times more vitamin C than an equivalent amount of orange juice.
Amla can be eaten raw—or it can be prepared into chutneys, jams, candies, sharbat, murabba, etc.
In this recipe, I will show you how to make the popular Indian soft amla candy, called gatagat. The gatagat candy can also be prepared with imli or tamarind, by the way. It can be stored in the refrigerator and consumed all throughout the year.
Ingredients:
250 grams amla (Indian gooseberry)
250 grams Gur (jaggery), broken into small pieces
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 tsp ajwain (carom seeds), ground
1 tsp jeera (cumin seeds), roasted and ground
1/4 tsp heeng (asafoetida powder)
1/2 tsp black peppercorns, ground
1/4 tsp saunth (ginger powder)
1/2 tsp Kala namak (black salt)
1/2 tsp sendha namak (rock salt), or table salt
1 1/2 tsp amchur (mango powder)
Boora chini (powdered sugar), as needed
INSTRUCTIONS:
- In a steamer, steam the amla for 15 minutes or until soft. Remove from steamer. When cool enough to handle, deseed and grind the segments to a fine paste.
- Do not add any water to grind them. Pulse and scrape the sides every few seconds while grinding. Set aside.
- While the amla is steaming, add all the spices and salt in a bowl (do not add the lemon juice yet). Stir until well combined. Set aside.
- In a pan, add the amla paste and stir-roast for 2-3 minutes on medium heat. Add the jaggery pieces and keep stirring until it melts completely, keeping the heat around medium to low.
- Reduce heat to low and add in the spice/salt mixture. Mix well. Add lemon juice. Stir-cook the mixture until it thickens and comes together, leaving the sides of the pan (about 20 minutes).
- Transfer the amla mixture to a plate and let it cool down completely.
- Make small round balls from the mixture and roll in the powdered sugar to coat well. Let cool for some more time to firm up a bit more.
- Store amla gatagat in an airtight container.
Astha's Kitchen 