Aamchur Powder - Health Benefits, Uses and Important Facts

Aamchur, which is dried mango powder, is used a lot in Indian cooking. It is very popular in India, and many Asian dishes use it. Mangoes are dried and then ground into a powder to make amchur. Amchur powder has a very high nutritional value because it is full of vitamins A, E, and C, as well as anti-oxidants and other nutrients.

It gives the food a unique taste. Amchur is also good for your health in many ways. It helps the body digest food, so it is used in a lot of Ayurvedic medicines. It also works well to treat cancer and diabetes. Amchoor powder has a lot of iron and is good for women who are pregnant. Amchur is also good for the skin and hair because it gets rid of acne and cleans the skin.

What is Aamchur powder?

The word "aam," which means "mango," and "chur," which means "to crush," are where the name "aamchur" comes from. As the names suggest, raw mangoes are dried and crushed to make aamchur, amchur, or aamchoor (kairi). Given that using aamchur has many health benefits and little to no risks, it is a spice that you should definitely add to your spice rack.

How to make Aamchur powder?

Take 3–4 raw mangoes that are green and on the hard side to make raw mango powder. Peel the raw mango and cut it into chips-sized pieces. Set out in the sun for 4-5 days to dry. As the chips lose all their moisture, they will dry out and turn a coffee-brown colour. You can also dry things slowly in the oven. Once the raw mango chips are completely dry, put them in a mixer and grind them into fine amchur powder. The colour of this powder will range from light coffee brown to dark coffee brown.

Most people buy aamchur powder instead of making it at home because it takes a long time and is hard to do. You can keep the amchur powder in a jar that doesn't let air in. If it gets wet, lumps may form and the colour may change. Aamchur powder shouldn't be kept with other strong spices like cinnamon or garam masala because the flavours of the spices can mix and change when they do.

Uses of Aamchur powder:

Aamchur has a tangy, slightly sweet taste, and it gives any dish a sweet-sour flavour. In North Indian cooking, it is often used in place of tamarind. It tastes like a mix of tamarind and lemon juice. It is a popular ingredient in dishes like Punjabi chole, matra kulcha, chicken tikka, and aloo tikki chaat. It's liked by pregnant women because the tangy, sweet, and sour taste satisfies their cravings for "khatta" food.

Nutritional value of Aamchur powder:

Adding amchur powder to your meal plan can be good for your health and well-being as a whole. Amchur powder has 36 calories, 2 grammes of fibre, 2% of calcium, 3% of vitamin C, and 13% of sodium per 10 grammes. It has a good amount of iron, which helps treat anaemia caused by not getting enough iron. Aside from that, it has a lot of vitamin A and vitamin C, which help boost the immune system and keep infections away.

Health benefits of Aamchur powder:

1. It has a lot of iron. Because it has a lot of iron, aamchur is especially good for pregnant women and people with anaemia. It's easy to add to cooked vegetables and curries, and pregnant women can eat it every day.
2. Helps with acidity, digestion, and bowel movements because mangoes have phenols. Phenolic compounds are strong antioxidants that can also fight cancer. Most pregnant women have problems with digestion, stomach acid, and going to the bathroom. Aamchur powder helps with all three of these problems.
3. Good for your heart health. Amchur has many benefits that help keep your heart healthy. Amchur is also used in Ayurvedic medicine to keep the heart in good shape. It has been shown to stop people from having heart failures.
4. Detoxification: Mangoes are full of vitamins A, C, D, B6, and beta carotenes, which help the body get rid of waste. Amchoor has similar properties and can help get rid of toxins in the body, cleanse the body, and treat anaemia. Ayurvedic medicine also uses amchur to treat urinary tract infections, which are common in pregnant women.
5. Helps keep blood pressure and diabetes under control. Mangoes help keep a low glycemic index and keep fat levels under control. Because aamchur has potassium, blood levels are kept in check. Since gestational diabetes is a real risk for women, including amchur powder in their regular diet can help them avoid getting it.
6. It helps your eyesight. If you eat amchur regularly, your eyesight will get better and you won't get age-related vision problems like cataracts as quickly.
7. It slows down the ageing process. The pregnancy hormones and high levels of oestrogen will make your skin glow, but aamchur is also good for your skin and hair. It keeps your skin soft and keeps it from getting older.
8. It speeds up your metabolism. The antioxidants in aamchur powder speed up your metabolism and make you feel more active, both of which help you lose weight. If a pregnant woman is feeling especially tired, taking aamchur powder with their lunch can give them that little boost of energy they need in the afternoon.
   Note: An afternoon nap is very good for both the mother and the baby's health.
9. Scurvy: Aamchur is used to prevent and treat scurvy, which is a medical condition caused by not getting enough Vitamin C. When aamchur and jaggery are used together, they are especially good at treating scurvy.