All About Amchur | Know Your Spice Amchoor or Mango Powder (Mangifera indica)

All About Amchur | Know Your Spice Amchur or Dry Mango Powder (Mangifera indica)

Amchoor or dried mango powder is extensively used in many of the Indian cooking. It is very popular in India and is used in several asian cuisines.

Amchur is prepared by drying mangoes and grinding them into powder (recipe for homemade amchur is below).

Amchoor powder offers a very high nutritional value, as it contains many nutrients including Vitamins A, E and C, and antioxidants.

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Citric acid and related compounds are responsible for the amchur sour taste.

Several terpenes (ocimene, myrcene, limonene), aldehydes and esters have been found in the dried unripe fruits. Further­more, unripe mangoes contain proteolytic enzymes.

It contains many nutrients including vitamin A, E and C, and antioxidants, and is used in preparing many Ayurvedic medicines. Amchur is also rich in iron.

The mango tree is native to the India-Burma-Malaysia region and is one of the oldest cultivated fruits.

In India it has grown for over 4,000 years; the various uses of the fruit are probably ancient.

In Hinduism and Buddhism, mango tree is highly revered as a tree having many granting abilities.

Hindu mythology and various rituals followed in the religion show how a mango tree holds special position amongst the Hindus.

Lord Buddha was presented a mango grove.

History says that Mogul King Akbar (1556-1605) once set a campaign for planting over 1,00,000 mango trees as part of the promotion of mango cultivation in India.

After the European explorations during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, mango spread to all parts of the tropical and subtropical world, especially Africa.

Mango powder has a subtle, resin-like taste. It is tangy or sour yet sweet to taste. It should be used when only a hint of tartness is desired.

• Dried mango powder is a souring agent so it can be used to flavor braises, stews, soups and vegetable dishes.
• Amchoor also tenderizes meat so you can add it to your favourite marinades like for chicken tikka.
• Aamchur is commonly used in Northern Indian dishes. It used as a citric flavouring for curries, soups, chutneys, marinades and as a condiment.
• It is commonly used in dals to counter the sweet taste.
• Add it to your potato and cauliflower curry.
• It is an essential ingredient for making chana or chickpeas curry.
• It’s one of the spices used to make pav bhaji masala / chaat masala.
• Amchoor is nice sprinkled on fresh fruit.
• You can use dry mango powder in your chutneys, pickles & even chaas.

You can store the amchoor for up to a year in an airtight container – ideally in a cool, dark place.

For the best results, keep it stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator drawer as usual. You can also store it as you would other spices in a dark, dry space away from heat & moisture.

Like all sugary powders, amchoor tends to clump. For this reason it’s best to get it into a airtight container as soon as you buy it.

You can buy amchur in most South Asian grocery stores and online.

If you want to make your own, look for small, unripe green mangoes in Asian groceries. You can use a food dehydrator to dry these slices, and then blend them to a fine powder in a spice blender. 

Health Benefits of Amchur or Benefits of Amchoor

• Health Benefits of Aamchur in Improving Eyesight – Amchur powder contains essential elements like vitamin A and vitamin E, which are important for your eyes.
• Health Benefits of Dry Mango Powder for Heart – Regular consumption of amchur powder may help in taking care of your heart. It may help to improve cardiovascular health.
• Health Benefits of Amchoor for Digestion – Amchur powder improves your digestion and helps to fight acidity. Mango contains powerful antioxidants, which ensures good bowel movement and helps combat constipation and flatulence.
• Health Benefits of Dry Mango Powder as a Scurvy Treatment – Scurvy is a medical condition that is caused due to deficiency of vitamin C in our body. A combination of amchur and jaggery is very effective in treating scurvy.
• Health Benefits of Amchoor for Weight Loss – Amchur is packed antioxidant that helps in boosting your metabolism and helps you to stay in shape.
• Health Benefits of Aamchur as an Acne Treatment – Amchur powder helps in removing acne and can be used as a mild scrub for your skin. It makes your skin clean, clear and supple.
• Health Benefits of Dry Mango Powder as a Detoxifying Agent – Amchoor helps the body in eliminating harmful toxins and detoxifies it, all thanks to the presence of vitamin A, C, D and B6. Hence, amchoor is used in ayurvedic medicines to treat diarrhea, dysentery and urinary tract infections.