Description of amchur seasoning and manufacturing method, energy value and chemical composition. Use in official and traditional medicine, restrictions on use. Seasoning recipes and history.
Amchur is an Indian cuisine spice made from unripe mango after drying. Consistency - fine powder, texture - coarse, with grains of different sizes; smell - hot dust with a fruity tint. Taste - bitter, resinous, "camphor"; color - beige, grayish-brown. It is used to acidify and soften the main ingredients of the dish - more often vegetables and fruits, less often - meat, fish and seafood. When consumed, the recommendations of the recipe must be followed, otherwise the food will taste bitter.
How to make amchur seasoning?
In the photo, seasoning amchur from mango
The seasoning is made from unripe mango fruits. The trees from which they fall in strong gusts of wind are grown artificially. Cultivation consists in pruning the crown. Under natural conditions, the trunks reach 40-45 m, and the fruits, flying from a similar height, are broken.
The fruits are collected, washed, dried and cut into thin slices, removing the stone. The peel is not removed. They are laid out in one layer on sheets resembling baking sheets, dried in the sun.
When the pieces become crunchy, hard, they are ground into powder using stone mortars and pestles. At home, you can make amchur like coffee, grinding the slices in a coffee grinder or blender. But the Indians themselves believe that contact with metal impairs the taste of the spice.
The resulting powder is packaged in sealed tin containers or sold in bulk, by weight. Shelf life is 1 year. To prepare 1 kg of spice, you have to process 25-30 kg of unripe fruits.
Composition and calorie content of amchur
Mango - the raw material for the preparation of the spice - has a rich vitamin and mineral composition. When the pulp dries up, many useful substances disintegrate, the energy value increases due to the evaporation of the liquid.
The calorie content of a ripe fruit is at the level of 60 kcal per 100 g, and the calorie content of amchur is 209 kcal, of which:
- Protein - 1 g;
- Fat - 0.53 g;
- Carbohydrates - 54, 4 g.
A complete study of the chemical composition of the spice has not been carried out. It was found that the powder contains a high amount of organic acids, with a predominance of tartaric and citric, phenolic compounds, essential oils.
It is still not clear if sugar is present. Some nutritionists suggest including this product in the diet, claiming that it is free of sucrose, fructose and glucose. But during the spectral analysis of the powder, 3% of the sugar was isolated. Experiments are continuing, and so far it has been decided that the composition of amchur depends on the ripeness of the raw material, that is, mango.
In addition, the powder quickly absorbs moisture. 2-3 hours after the samples are scattered in a room with a humidity of 50-60%, the seasoning begins to clump, and the humidity reaches 14.7%.
Vitamins per 100 g:
- Ascorbic acid - 8 mg;
- Vitamin B2 - 30 mg;
- Vitamin A - 150 mg
Minerals per 100 g:
- Phosphorus - 8 mg;
- Iron - 4.5 mg.
On the market, the spice is often mixed with a small amount of crushed turmeric to give it a presentation. In this case, the chemical composition changes, the amount of magnesium and potassium increases.
Note! The product can be purchased not only at the bazaar as a spice, but also as a dietary supplement. But even in this case, no additional substances, including GMOs, are introduced.
Useful properties of amchur
Traditional medicine of India uses the spice not only for food, but also for medicinal purposes. It is introduced as an ingredient in medicines and means of eliminating and preventing many diseases and restoring general condition.
The benefits of amchur:
- Reduces the speed of peristalsis, has astringent properties, stimulates the regeneration of the mucous membrane covering the stomach and intestines.
- It has an antioxidant effect, isolates free radicals circulating in the bloodstream and intestinal lumen, and prevents the production of atypical cells.
- Increases blood clotting.
- It accelerates blood circulation in the parts of the brain, improves memory, increases the ability to memorize, and stimulates impulse conduction.
- Strengthens the gums, eliminates bad breath.
- Has a beneficial effect on the visual system, improves hearing.
- Prevents the development of anemia and increases muscle tone.
- It has an immunostimulating and immunocorrective effect, helps to avoid infection during the ARVI season. If already infected, it stops the development of complications from the lower respiratory tract. Thinns phlegm and promotes expectoration. Acts as a natural antibiotic.
- Reduces the acidity of gastric juice and the incidence of peptic ulcer disease. The absorption of nutrients does not decrease, on the contrary, protein substances are absorbed in full.
To make a tonic drink based on amchur in a glass of boiled water at room temperature, dissolve 1/3 tbsp. l. seasonings. Drink during the day, 30 minutes before meals, or 45 - after. You can take 1-1.5 glasses per day.
To stop prolonged bleeding, the wound - if it is not from a burn - can be sprinkled with amchur powder, and if the vessels of the nose are weak, it is regularly washed with a spice in a solution.
Amchur is most useful for women. In young women, it normalizes the menstrual cycle, in pregnant women, it contributes to the formation of a healthy neural tube of the fetus, during lactation, it increases milk production. In adulthood, it stops the growth of degenerative changes at the cellular level, increases tone, restores energy and mineral reserves, stops the development of depression, eliminates mood swings - tearfulness and irritability. And another very important property - it accelerates weight loss and prevents the formation of cellulite.
