March 5, 2018 Leave a Comment
Share Tweet Pin +1Shares 0Chyawanprash needs no introduction in India. It has been used as an Ayurvedic immunity booster for ages and is a winter staple in most Indian homes. Chyawanprash is usually made using Indian gooseberries (Amla) and a variety of Ayurvedic herbs that are nourishing and healthy. There are many varieties of Chyawanprash in stores these days, but the ingredient list can be confusing, especially when you want to give it to your kids. So skip teh jars and bottles on supermarket shelves and make your very own homemade Chyawanprash! And yes, it does require a bit of patience but the end result is worth the effort!
Homemade Chyawanprash Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1/2 kg Indian Gooseberries /Amla
- 1/3 cup ghee
- 400 grams jaggery / Gud
- Few Saffron strands / Kesar
For Spice Powder:
- 1 bay leaf / Tej Patta
- 1 inch Cinnamon stick / Dalchini
- 10 grams Dry Ginger / Saunth
- 10 grams Bamboo manna / Vanshalochan
- 10 grams Long Pepper / Pipli
- 5 grams Cobra’s Saffron / Nagkesar
- 5 grams Nutmeg / Jaiphal
- 5- 7 pieces green Cardamom / Choti Elaichi
- 5 grams Clove / Laung
- 5 grams Black Pepper / Kali Mirch
Method:
1.Wash the Indian Gooseberries. Add 2 cups of water in a pressure cooker. Put in the gooseberries and pressure cook for 2 whistles. Meanwhile, break the jaggery to very small chunks and keep aside.
2. Take all the ingredients under the list “to be powdered” and grind it to a very fine powder. Then sieve the powdered spices / herbs and keep aside.
3. Once the pressure subsides on its own, remove the boiled gooseberries. Allow them to cool a bit and de-seed them. Put the gooseberries along with a little water used for cooking in a grinder jar. Blend to get a smooth lump-free puree.
4. Heat a broad bottom wok (if possible use iron cast wok) and add ghee to it. Once the ghee melts add the gooseberry puree to it . Blend very well and cook on low to medium flame until the liquid evaporates and the mixture becomes a bit thick.
5. Now add the jaggery and mix well. Keep stirring and cooking the mix until all the jaggery melts and the mix begins to thicken again.
6. The color of the gooseberry mix will darken after the addition of jaggery. We can see bubbles bursting out from the mix as it cooks. Be careful as the mix is very hot. Keep the flame low and stir continuously for another 5-7 minutes.
7. Once the mix is thick enough and starts leaving the sides of the pan, add the spice/ herb mix to it and blend with a spatula.
8. The mixture will become thick and the color will further darken. Keep cooking the mix for few more minutes.
9. Lastly add saffron strands and give a quick stir. Cook for another 1-2 minutes and put off the flame.
10. Allow the Chyawanprash to cool down completely before transferring it to a sterilized glass jar.
Store in a cool, dry place and use a clean dry spoon to scoop it out. Homemade Chyawanprash stays good for 4-6 months at room temperature.
This can be given to babies after an age of 1.5 years in small quantities. You can start with 1 teaspoon of homemade Chyawanprash with warm milk in the morning. It is advised to avoid giving Chyawanprash to babies in summers as the ingredients include herbs which produce heat in the body.The fact that you can give your child traditional goodness without sugar and preservatives is reason enough to try this recipe!
- Measurements used 1 cup= 200 ml
- ½ kg Indian Gooseberries /Amla
- ⅓ cup ghee
- 400 grams jaggery / Gud
- Few Saffron strands / Kesar
- To be Powdered
- 1 bay leaf / Tej Patta
- 1 inch Cinnamon stick / Dalchini
- 10 grams Dry Ginger / Saunth
- 10 grams Bamboo manna / Vanshalochan
- 10 grams Long Pepper / Pipli
- 5 grams Cobra's Saffron / Nagkesar
- 5 grams Nutmeg / Jaiphal
- 5- 7 pieces green Cardamom / Choti Elaichi
- 5 grams Clove / Laung
- 5 grams Black Pepper / Kali Mirch
- Wash the Indian Gooseberries. Add 2 cups of water in a pressure cooker. Add the gooseberries to it and pressure cook for 2 whistles.
- Mean while break the jaggery to very small chunks and keep aside.
- Take all the ingredients under the list "to be powdered" and grind it to very fine powder. Sieve the powdered spices / herbs and keep aside.
- Once the pressure subsides on its own, remove the boiled gooseberries. Allow them to cool a bit , then de-seed them. Add them with very little water used for cooking gooseberries in a grinder jar and get a smooth lump free puree.
- Heat a broad bottom wok (if possible use iron cast wok) and add ghee to it.
- Once the ghee melts add the gooseberry puree to it . Blend very well and cook on low to medium flame until the liquid evaporates and the mixture becomes a bit thick.
- Now add the jaggery and mix well. keep stirring and cooking the mix until all the jaggery melts and the mix begins to thicken again.
- The color of the goosebbery mix will darken after addition of jaggery.
- We can see bubbles bursting out from the mix as it cooks. Be careful as the mix is very hot. Keep the flame to low and keep stirring contimously for another 5-7 minutes.
- Once the mix is thick enough and starts leaving the pan , add the spice/ herb mix to it and blend with a spatula.
- The mixture will become thick and the color will further darken. keep cooking the mix for few more minutes.
- Lastly add saffron strands and give a quick stir. Cook for another 1-2 minutes and put off the flame.
- Allow the chyawanprash to cool down completely before transfering it to a sterilised glass jar.
- Use as per need. You can start with 1 teaspoon of chyawanprash to your baby with warm milk in the morning.
Filed Under: Home Remedies, Recipes, Toddler Nutrition Tagged With: ayurvedic immunity booster, Ayurvedic winter tonic for children, foods that boost immune system in children, health supplement for kids, homemade chavanprash recipe, how to make chavanprash at home, immunity boosting food recipe, Indian home remedies
