Amla Juice (Indian Gooseberry)

Amla (Indian gooseberry) is one of the richest natural sources of vitamin C, and a long-standing Ayurvedic tonic — taken in the morning for immunity, digestion, and, perhaps counterintuitively, for acidity. Despite being sour, amla is considered cooling and alkalizing in Ayurveda, which is why it's used to settle an acidic stomach rather than aggravate it. Fresh amla is intensely tart and astringent, so it's diluted and lightly sweetened. This is a daily-tonic remedy, taken in small amounts.

Ingredients

• 4 to 5 fresh amla (Indian gooseberries) — or 2 tablespoons bottled pure amla juice
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon honey, to taste (optional)
• Pinch of black salt or roasted cumin (optional)

Method

From fresh amla

1. Deseed the amla and roughly chop. Blend with the water until smooth.
2. Strain through a fine sieve, pressing to extract all the juice.
3. Dilute to taste — fresh amla is very strong, so start with a small amount of juice in water.
4. Stir in honey and a pinch of black salt if using. Drink in the morning, ideally on an empty stomach.

From bottled juice

1. Stir 2 tablespoons pure amla juice into 1 cup water, sweeten lightly, and drink.

Notes

• Small amounts — amla is potent; a shot to a small glass daily is the traditional dose, not a large drink.
• Cooling despite the sourness — unlike lemon, amla is considered alkalizing, which is why it's used for acidity. Take it diluted on an empty stomach for the digestive/acidity benefit.
• Vitamin C — amla's vitamin C is unusually heat-stable, but drinking it fresh and raw preserves the most.
• Taste — it's astringent and sour; honey and a pinch of black salt make it palatable. Some prefer it with a little ginger.
• Related: for acidity see also the Acidity Cooler (Saunf-Dhania Water) and Cold Milk & Banana Acidity Soother; for a turmeric-based tonic see Lemon turmeric bombs. The Home Remedies Guide maps which remedy suits which complaint.