Amba Spice

Amba spice is a tangy golden seasoning built on pickled green mango. The flavour is sharply sour first, in the way unripe mango is, then turns warm and slightly sweet, with turmeric colour and a fenugreek bitterness at the back that is unmistakably Iraqi.

Amba is a condiment as much as a spice, and it can be used dry, finely chopped into a relish, or worked into a paste. Its signature is the combination of sweet, sour and spicy notes in a single spoonful.

How to use it

This is the flavour of Iraqi street food: use it on sabich, shawarma and falafel, and on grilled meats, roasted potatoes and fries. In South Asian cooking it accompanies rice dishes, curries and snacks. It also works stirred into marinades, thinned into a dip, or whisked into salad dressings for a sour lift. Technique tip: for the classic amba sauce, stir a tablespoon of the powder into three tablespoons of water with a squeeze of lemon and a little oil, then leave it fifteen minutes for the mango to swell before spooning it over.

The shaker jar

The jar option is packed in a clear 8 oz shaker jar made from lightweight, food-safe PET, so the colour and texture of the blend are visible at a glance. The flip-top cap opens to a three-hole sifter for an even sprinkle straight over the pan, the grill or the plate, and closes again with a simple press. A pressure-sensitive liner seals the jar until first use, and the fitted cap keeps the blend fresh between uses. When a recipe calls for a measured spoonful, simply unscrew the cap; the wide mouth takes a teaspoon with ease. Once empty, the jar is easy to refill with your next Ameen blend and makes a practical home for dried herbs, chilli flakes, sesame seeds or homemade rubs. Hand wash only.

Details

Also known as

anba, أمبا سبايس , عنبة , עמבה, Mango pickle, Amba pickles, Amba sauce, Amba chutney, Middle Eastern mango pickle, Pickled mango condiment, Sour mango pickle, Amba powder, Amba seasoning, Amba spice mix‎