Gulf and Iraqi condiment · Keeps weeks
Amba Recipe (Spiced Mango Pickle Sauce)
Green mango. Toast the fenugreek. Cook to a pour.
Recipe by Farwa ZeeshanTested in the NineFoods home kitchenAmba is a tangy, spicy mango sauce with turmeric and fenugreek, brought to the Gulf and Iraq from India and now poured on shawarma, kebabs and sandwiches. Homemade versions taste raw or bitter. The fix is using green mangoes, lightly toasting the fenugreek, and simmering until the sauce coats a spoon.
The 3 laws of amba
Why this recipe works
Ripe mango
Sourness is the base of amba.
Burnt seeds
Over-toasted fenugreek is bitter.
Watery sauce
Thick sauce clings to food.
Shopping and prep list
Ingredients
Amba
The NineFoods sauce gauge
Is the amba thick enough?
Dip a spoon and lift it.
Method · 3 stages
Step by step
Spices
- Warm oil, add mustard seeds, cumin, garlic and chilli.
- Stir in turmeric and fenugreek.
Simmer
- Add mango, salt, sugar, vinegar and water and simmer until soft.
- Use the gauge above.
Blend and jar
- Blend to your texture, cool and jar.
Chef's troubleshooter
What went wrong? Pick the symptom
Why
Fenugreek over-toasted.
Fix next time
Toast only until fragrant.
Why
Ripe mangoes.
Fix next time
Use green mangoes and add vinegar.
Why
Not reduced.
Fix next time
Simmer uncovered until it coats a spoon.
Why
Wet jar or spoon.
Fix next time
Use a clean, dry jar and spoon.
Swap smart
Ingredient roles and substitutes
| Ingredient | Job in the dish | Swap with |
|---|---|---|
| Green mango | Base | Frozen green mango |
| Fenugreek | Signature taste | Fenugreek powder, half the amount |
| Vinegar | Tang and keeping | Lemon juice |
| Turmeric | Colour | No substitute |
After the meal
Serve, store, reheat
Serve with
Shawarma, Iraqi kebabs, falafel, eggs and samoon.
Store
Fridge 4 weeks in a clean jar.
Reheat
Serve cold or at room temperature.
How we tested this recipe
Tested in a home kitchen, not a studio
Recipe developed and tested by Farwa Zeeshan, who cooks and tests every NineFoods recipe on a regular home stove.
- Cooked from start to finish with the exact quantities above for 12 servings, using both the metric and US cup measures.
- Every one of the 3 stages was timed at the stove; heat levels and the 'look for' cues are what we saw in the pan.
- The doneness check (is the amba thick enough) and the troubleshooter come from batches that went wrong, and how we fixed them.
- Reheating and storage advice was checked on leftovers, not guessed.
Keep cooking
Related recipes and guides
Quick answers
Amba FAQ
What is amba?
A tangy mango pickle sauce with turmeric and fenugreek, popular in Iraq and the Gulf.
Is amba Indian?
It came from India via Iraqi traders and is now a Middle Eastern staple.
Can I use ripe mangoes?
Green mangoes give the right sourness; ripe mangoes make it too sweet.
How long does amba keep?
About 4 weeks in the fridge.