Amla candy is indeed the juicy and nutritious sweetmeat of the Indian gooseberry, owing to the incredible health benefits that can be found in it. This sweet and chewy candy quenches your sweet urge and brings you a punch of vitamin C and antioxidants that are an excellent addition to your diet. This simple recipe of amla candy uses very few ingredients and can be easily prepared at home with no hassle. To prepare the amla candy recipe, first, wash freshly chopped amla into small pieces, boil them in water until they become soft, then throw away the water and keep the pieces ready. Prepare a sugar syrup by dissolving sugar in water till it has a one-string consistency. Boiled amla pieces can now be added to the syrup and cooked until shiny and well-coated with the sugar syrup. Allow them to cool, then dust them with powdered sugar or desiccated coconut. This simple candy recipe on amla not only keeps the natural goodness of amla but turns it into a delightful treat sure to be savoured at any time. Enjoy this as an entertaining treat on its own, combine it with breakfast cereal, or share it with friends and family as a wholesome gift. Sweet and sour flavoured recipe of amla candy can surely make one of your children's favourite treats at home. It will make one know that healthy snacks can be as tasty as the bought ones!

• 1 kg gooseberry
• 700 gms sugar

• To prepare a tasty treat of amla candy, use freshly plumpy gooseberries or amla.
• The flavour should be mild and juicy and in such a nature that it doesn't even dry out after getting desiccated.
• After you get the best among them, wash them thoroughly to clean up dirt or impurities, and then pat them dry with a clean piece of cloth and set them aside.
• Now steam the amlas to preserve their nutrients.
• For this, take the cleaned gooseberries in a steamer and keep them in a vessel of boiling water.
• Steam them for about 10 to 12 minutes till they are easily torn apart using a fork.
• You can use an idli steamer or any other steaming apparatus.
• Steaming not only retains the health benefits of amla but also makes it soft enough to be worked upon easily.
• After steaming the amla pieces, remove all the seeds and discard them.
• Allow the gooseberries to cool completely.
• Take three cups of white sugar and put it in a grinder.
• Grind it into fine powder. Keep half a cup of this; we will use it later.
• Now transfer the cooled amla into a large mixing bowl and spread the powdered sugar on top; the remaning half a cup of the powder will be used for coating later.
• Now, gently toss the pieces of amla in sugar; meanwhile, you will realise that the sugar will start melting and spreading as a layer of sweetness around the fruit.
• Once well mixed, put the sugar-coated amla into a large vessel and cover it tightly. Let it sit there for around two to three days, stirring it gently from time to time.
• In this duration, you will see the liquid that has settled into the jar which signifies that the sugar is sucking the moisture content present in the amla.
• After two days have passed, strain the soaked amla through a sieve and allow it to sit there for some time till all the excess liquid is drained.
• Don't discard this residual sugar syrup; it is packed with the taste of amla, and you can even make it into a very refreshing drink by adding a little bit of lemon juice and cold water.
• Spread the strained amla pieces on a flat plate and sun-dry it for two days.
• Once the drying period is over, you'll feel the amla turn into a nice mushy candy-like consistency.
• Once dried completely, transfer the amla into a bowl.
• Coat with the reserved half cup of powdered sugar, and mix well so that every piece is nicely coated.
• Your amla candy is now ready. Keep it in an airtight container to preserve its freshness. Besides curing your sweet tooth, it is also packed with health benefits to be had for your diet daily.
• That would be a way of enjoying the sweet taste and the health benefits of homemade amla candy.