Recipe
Amla murabba — fruit in syrup
- Herb:
- Amla Phyllanthus emblica
- Method:
- Honey macerate
- Plant part:
- Fruit
About 60 minIntermediateRecipe science profile
Procedure
- Wash the amla fruits, prick them several times with a fork and soak overnight in water with a teaspoon of salt; drain in the morning.
- Blanch them 3–4 minutes in boiling water to soften and shed some astringency, then let them drain.
- Make a syrup from 400 g sugar and 200 ml water, add the fruit and simmer 20–30 minutes until the syrup thickens and the fruit turns glassy; add cardamom at the end.
- Rest for 2 days in a covered jar, top up with honey or syrup so the fruit stays submerged, and keep refrigerated.
Extraction
- Herb:
- 500 g of fresh amla fruit per 400 g of sugar or 300 g of honey
- Solvent:
- sugar syrup, then honey; the fruits are first pierced and scalded
- Shelf life:
- 6 months in the fridge in a sterile jar
- Target compounds:
- sugar draws water out of the fruit and preserves it; tannins and some vitamin C remain in the fruit
Notes
An Indian sweet preserve that Ayurveda gives one at a time on an empty stomach. It is confectionery — people with diabetes count the sugar. Blanching softens the astringency.
Why it works
Sugar and honey act osmotically — they draw water out of the fruit and hold back microbial growth, which is why murabba keeps for months. The review by Variya et al. 2016 summarises the fruit's rich content of hydrolysable tannins (emblicanin A and B) and vitamin C, but notes that most data on effects come from the laboratory and animals; the preserve is a food, not a medicine.
Literature
- Variya BC, Bakrania AK, Patel SS (2016): Emblica officinalis (Amla): A review for its phytochemistry, ethnomedicinal uses and medicinal potentials with respect to molecular mechanisms. Pharmacological Research 111:180–200 — Review of composition (tannins emblicanin A/B, gallic acid, vitamin C) and traditional preparations.
Related
Amla — Herb card
Honey macerate — Processing method detail