Today's Spice is Amchoor - Dried Mango Powder
Amchoor powder is made from dried & powdered unripe mangoes... so, it kind of goes without saying that it's pretty tart. Most fruit is pretty tart before it gets ripe, right? Well, amchoor is used to add souring or tang to a lot of different Indian recipes, and it's actually a pretty common ingredient in a lot of Indian food.
I picked this Channa Masala recipe because it called for a whole tablespoon of the amchoor, and you could definitely taste its bright, fruity tang in the final dish. Still, I can't say this was my favorite chana masala experience ever. It needed quite a bit of lime juice and salt to bring out the flavors. I will continue to search for the holy grail of chana masala recipes.
Amchoor powder is very much the same color as my cutting board, but they don't taste the same!Do you have a favorite recipe that calls for amchoor? I've still got a pretty big box to make my way through!
I've seen amchoor in recipes in Madhur Jaffrey's "World Vegetarian", but had no idea it was made from mangoes. I love the spice-a-day idea!
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of amchoor! I'm really intrigued.
ReplyDeleteI loooove Amchoor! It's made a lot of difference in my Chana Masala making. Have you tried this recipe before? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDWfDUi108U
ReplyDeleteI looove this guy. I can't remember where the actual written recipe is, but it's around somewhere!
That sounds like an awesome spice! I must keep a lookout for it.
ReplyDeleteI've wanted to get amchoor for a while but kept putting it off. Now I'm craving chana masala so I might need to pick some up.
ReplyDeleteAwesome! I really hope ppl add more ideas for its use. I have no ideas - but I'll pick up some! :)
ReplyDeleteLike cathy mentioned, I think there are a ton of recipes in Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian that call for amchur... I feel like I always see it ingredient lists and think "I should buy some of that so I have it for next time" and then don't!
ReplyDeleteManjula over at www.manjulaskitchen.com has several recipes with amchoor powder in them. Maybe you'll find something there that tickles your fancy!
ReplyDeleteSo sorry to hear you didn't like the chana masala.... but I love how you feature ingredients that I have but never use. You buy it and then forget which recipe needed it. ;)
ReplyDeleteoh,... i am sorry u dint like the chana masala.. i just posted my version of chana masala with my own spice blend here. http://hobbyandmore.blogspot.com/2011/10/chana-masalachole-chickpea-curry-vegan.html
ReplyDeleteThe amchur i had wasnt as potent, so i used a combination of pomegranate seed powder and rock salt.. hope u find a favorite soon!
I have Yamuna Devi's Indian Vegetarian Cooking, and it's got a bunch. Let me know if you want some ideas and I'll have a look through!
ReplyDeleteI can never find amchoor! I looked and looked in the Indian market and I must have not seen it. I was going to ask if they had any, but then I was all shy and worried I would pronounce it wrong.
ReplyDeleteWhen you find the holy grail of channa masala recipes, please let me know!!! You are talking my language here. Love love love Indian food :)
ReplyDeleteThis looks sooooo good. I am drooling. Thanks for the recipe. =) I must try this.
ReplyDeleteOops! I just saw that this is not actually a recipe. Hope you find a good one. I will check back to see. -)
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