Amchur, amchoor or mango powder is known for its tangy and sour flavors which enhance the overall flavor of the dish. It is used in many cuisines around the world and makes a delightful spice to add a tangy twist and boost the nutritional value of the food.
If you are clueless about how to incorporate this spice in your cooking, then we bring to you some interesting ways to include dry mango powder in your daily life.
- Spice up Roasted Vegetables: Sprinkle a bit of amchur powder on roasted vegetables like sweet potatoes, carrots, or cauliflower to enjoy the refreshing flavors of the spice. The sourness of amchur beautifully balances the sweetness of roasted vegetables.
- Add to Smoothies or Juices: Adding a pinch of amchur to citrus-based juices and fruit smoothies is a great way to add a hint of sourness. This spice pairs well with fruits like berries, mangoes, and oranges.
- Incorporate in Soups and Stews: Adding half spoon of dry mango powder to soups and stews towards end of cooking. It is a great way of adding depth and tanginess to the dish. It works fantastically well in lentil soups and tomato-based stews and enhances the richness of the dish without adding extra liquid.
- Flavor Snacks: Mixing amchoor powder with other spices like cumin, salt, and chili powder is a flavorful way of spicing roasted nuts, chips, and popcorns. Use this spice mix to add zesty, spicy kick to your snacks.
- Toss into Salads: Sprinkle some amchur powder over fresh salads. It tastes incredible with tomato, cucumber, and beans. It adds a tangy zing to salad, similar to lemon juice but does not add any moisture.
- Add to Marinades: Combine dry mango powder with garlic, turmeric, cumin, and chili powder to prepare marinade for meat and fish. Amchur powder works as a natural tenderizer and helps in softening the meat and adding subtle sour flavor.
- Sprinkle on Stir-Fries: A pinch of amchur powder on stir-fried vegetables right before serving is a great way to give the dish a tangy twist. It makes a perfect spice that brightens up the flavor profile of stir-fries.
- Add to Dips and Chutneys: Incorporate amchur powder into yogurt dips, chutneys, and salsas to give your condiments a tangy kick. Dry mango powder enhances the sharpness of dips and chutneys and makes them more flavorful.
- Spice up Fruits: Dusting dry mango powder on fresh fruits is another way of adding a touch of sour flavor to fruits like watermelon, apples, and pineapples. This is a great way of balancing the sweetness of fruits with tanginess of amchur.
- Add to Indian Curries and Lentils: A teaspoon of amchoor powder can elevate the overfall flavor of lentils and curries. This is mostly added right before finishing the cooking. It adds a hint of tanginess which compliments the spices, especially in case of creamy curries and tomato-based gravies.
- Mix into Spice Rubs: Dry mango powder can also be added to dry rubs for meats. Combine this spice with pepper, cumin, paprika, and other spices to add an acidic note for balancing the flavors of other strong spices in the combination.
- In Pickling: While pickling vegetables such as carrots, cucumbers, and onions, adding amchur powder to brine or spice mix is a fantastic way of contributing to the overall tanginess of the pickled vegetables.
How to Select the Right Cookware to Cook Foods with Amchur Powder?
It is important to choose the right cookware while cooking with amchur so that the acidic nature of the spice doesn’t react with certain materials in a negative manner.
We have come up guidelines to help you select the right cookware while cooking with amchur:
- Go with non-reactive cookware: Always go with non-reactive cookware because dry mango powder is an acidic ingredient, and it can react with certain metals and cause the food to develop a metallic aftertaste and potential discoloring. We suggest using cookware made with stainless steel, glass, or enamel-coated cast iron as these are few non-reactive options that do not alter the flavor and color of the food.
- Metals to Avoid: Always avoid cookware made with metals such as aluminum, copper, and uncoated cast iron as these metals react with acidic ingredients and impact the flavor and color of the dish.
- Cook in Ceramic Cookware: Ceramic-coated cookware is non-reactive and therefore, makes a suitable choice of cookware for cooking with amchoor. Use it for sauteing vegetables and slow-cooking dishes.
- Cook in Non-Stick Cookware: Non-stick pans are made with non-reactive materials and that’s why they don’t react with the acidity of amchur. They make a suitable choice for quick sauteing and cooking foods requiring little oil or fat.
- Cook in Clay Pots: Unglazed clay pots are used in many traditional cooking practices. They are ideal for cooking slow-simmered curries and dals and are used for enhancing tanginess of amchur.
Points to Keep in Mind When Cooking with Amchur/ Dry Mango Powder
Here are three important points which always must be kept in mind while cooking with amchur:
- Acidic Reactions: Because amchur is acidic, it is important to pick the right cookware that does not react with the spice in order to prevent unwanted flavor and potential damage to the cookware.
- Flavor Retention: Cooking in non-reactive cookware ensures that the natural tangy flavor of amchur powder does not get altered.
- Even Heat Distribution: It is important to pick a cookware that ensures even heat distribution because dishes with amchur taste more flavorful when they are cooked on low heat.
Experiment with the wide range of ideas shared above for incorporating amchur powder in cooking but make sure that you have picked the right cookware so that your dishes with amchur do not lose on their flavor and color.
We showcase pure and organic amchur powder at Spice Profile. Our amchoor powder is processed from the finest, tangiest unripe green mangoes which are harvested at the right time and then sun-dried before they are processed in powdered form. Add this sour and tangy amchur powder to your recipes and enjoy the real flavors of this spice.