Brined (Mitta Udkaka Ghallele) Amla / Avalo / Gooseberry / Nellikai .........
Brining is a process where vegetables are prepared to preserve in salted water. Many people brine vegetables too if in excess and are found to be perishable. Brining saves it from getting wasted or wanting to use them at later date. However, I have not ventured into brining of vegetables as in India we have fresh veggies available all round the year, and I always prefer seasonal veggies. Also its always better to have them fresh than brined. All said, some of the items taste best when brined too. They have their own unique taste, that cannot be explained. One has to taste them to know the difference.
Brining is a type of pickling process where certain vegetables are made to preserve and used later on when they become out of season or during rainy season when people find it difficult to venture out and get vegetabls. Also during times of emergency when either there is a shortage of vegetables in market or at home and you are unable to get some. Some more are brined for the awesome taste they give when they are brined and stored for long periods. Some of these are Raw Mangoes, lemon / lime, Amla / Avalo / Gooseberry, Raw Jackfruit etc. We Saraswat GSB’s are famous for brining of the above mentioned items. Raw Mango is something we relish during rainy season by preparing gojju a sort of chutney with lots of garlic which is had with hot steaming rice. Similarly amla / avalo can also be prepared the same way. Also if the Avalo / Amla / Gooseberry are brined when in abundance, they can be made into pickle or any other dish at a later on date.
Method of Brining of Amla : Wash, drain and wipe clean 1 Kg of Amlas. They should we wiped clean and there should be no trace of water. Also the amlas used should be fresh, firm and blemish free. Bring 1 litre of water to boiling point and add about 3 cups full of salt to it and mix well. Once the water reaches boiling point and the salt has mixed in, remove from fire. If you find traces of dirt /impurities in the water, which sometimes you may due to addition of salt, sieve it immediately on a muslin cloth to remove all impurities. Now add in all the amla’s immediately to the hot salt water. Mix with a clean spoon, cover with a tight lid and let remain aside till it has completely cooled off on its own. You can make them and keep them overnight to cool off completely.
Storing of Brined Amla / Avalo / Gooseberry : Now with a clean spoon add the amlas into a sterlized glass bottle to ¾ th its level only. Always use glass or ceramic bottle for storing of brined items. Now pour in the salt water into the bottle. Ensure that the water is about an inch above the amla level in the bottle. This ensures that the amlas do not get spoiled. Add a few green chilles (wiped dry) along with few cut to pieces (Optional). Keep a clean plastic sheet to which you can apply coconut oil on the that which faces inner side and then add the lid tightly on the bottle to seal it off from any aeration. You have now completed the task of brining of the Amlas. Keep the bottle away in cool dark place, away from sunlight. These are ready to be consumed withing 2-3 weeks of time. Remains good for over a period of year, but they never have remained for that long in my house as they get consumed with 6-7 months of time. Many dishes can be prepared out of the same. Chutney / gojju / pickle or for that matter any dish prepared with fresh one’s can be prepared with brined one’s too.
Using of Brined Amlas : While using brined amlas instead of fresh one’s, just remove the no. of amlas you need with a clean spoon from the bottle and put it in some tepid water for a few hours, changing the water 2-3 times to remove extra saltiness in them. These are then ready to use as and how you need them. Also check the amount of salt being added to the prepared amla item / dish before adding in more to ensure that the dish does not turn out too salty. That is all the care you have got to taste about these brined amlas. Now do go ahead and brine the amlas when in season and enjoy them all year round.
** You can just check in for Amlas Recipe, under the Amla section in this Blog and prepare the same. There are already many recipes that I have included and very soon I will be adding many more. Do enjoy the benefits of Amla which is considered very good for health for its high content of Vitamin C. I will not go into the benefits of Amlas as I am sure all of you know them very well. If still not aware, please do google for the information and you will be surprised at all the no. of benefits this little fruit gives us.
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** Here are some of the most famous Amla Recipe links, for rest of the Amla Recipes please check out under the Amla section. Thank you.
** For the Avale (Mitta ghalele) Loshne Gooli / Brined Amla Garlic Chutney Recipe, Please go to the link given below …..
** For the Avale Gojju Losun ghalnu / Amla Chutney With lots of Garlic Recipe, Please go to the link given below …….
** For the Avale Nonche / Amla Pickle Recipe, Please go to the link given below ......
** For the Amla Chitranna with Amla Radish Ginger Pachodi+. Recipe, Please go to the link given below ......
** For the Chilled Amla-Pudina Juice. +. Recipe, Please go to the link given below ......
** For the Coriander + Mint + Amla + Dates + Raisins Chutney Recipe, Please go to the link given below ......
Thank You So Much for this awesome article. Thumbs up… Wow! very lovely.... Yummy !
ReplyDeleteThis recipe is soo good. Can you tell me the side dish or pickle given to this pickled amla and pineapple. It is like a pickle.
ReplyDelete