Odia Recipes

Ambila
ଆମ୍ବିଳ

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About the Recipe

Ambila is a traditional sweet-n-sour dish of vegetables which is prepared mostly in the Ganjam district of Odisha. This old dish has perhaps now lost favour in the food preferences of modern homes.

Ingredients

Vegetables: Pumpkin (Kaddu /Kakharu)
Sweet Potato (Shakkar Kand / Kanda Mula)
Taro (Aravi /Kuji Saru)
Radish (Mooli / Moola)
Brinjal(Baigan/ Baigana)
Tamarind (Imli/ Tentuli)
Desi Ghee or Refined oil (Ghee/ Refine Tela)
Panch Phutan
(It is Combination of Jeera, Saunf, Sarson, Methi and Kalonji)
Turmeric powder (Haldi / Haladi Gunda)
Dry Chili (Sukhi Lal Mirch / Sukhila Lanka)
Asafoeetida (Hing/ Hengu)
Curry leaves (Curry Patta / Bhursunga Patra)
Sugar or Jaggery (Chini / Gud)
Salt to taste (Namak/ Luna)

Method

Cut the vegetables into medium sized pieces. Soak the Tamarind in water for a while and separate the pulp of it. Then boil the vegetables in water, by adding a little turmeric powder and salt. No need to boil for long lime; rather para-boil it. Then take tow teaspoonful of Desi Ghee or Refined Oil in a pan and heat it. Prepare the tempering (Tadka) by adding the Panch Phutan, Asaefetida, Curry leaves and dry chili to the oil. Stir it till the Panch Phtan crackles on the pan. Then Add the boiled vegetables to the pan. Then add the pulp of tamarind to the vegetable. How much tamrind pulp to be used, depends upon how much sourness suits your taste. Then add the sugar or Jaggery to such an extent that the sweetness equally matches the sourness of the tamarind. Let it all boil further, for about 10 minutes. Now your Ambila is ready to be served.