Aamras with puri
Aamras is the soul of a Maharashtrian summer meal — silky mango puree, lightly spiced, paired with hot, puffed puris straight off the stove. It's deceptively simple, which means the mangoes have to do all the talking.
The story
In Maharashtra and Gujarat, the arrival of Alphonso season in April is celebrated with aamras-puri lunches stretching into long afternoon naps. Traditionally the pulp is hand-squeezed from the fruit (rasaalu) — never blended, because air bubbles are said to dull the flavour. Sugar is barely used; ripe Hapus needs almost none.
Ingredients
- •4 ripe Alphonso mangoes
- •1–2 tbsp sugar (taste first — often unnecessary)
- •1/4 tsp cardamom powder
- •1/8 tsp nutmeg, freshly grated
- •Pinch of saffron soaked in 1 tbsp warm milk
- •Hot puris to serve
Method
- 1
Wash mangoes well. Roll each gently between your palms for 30 seconds — this loosens the pulp inside.
- 2
Snip off the stem and squeeze the pulp directly into a wide bowl, working the seed and skin until almost dry.
- 3
Pass the pulp through a fine sieve, pressing with the back of a ladle. This is what gives aamras its signature velvet texture.
- 4
Stir in cardamom, nutmeg and saffron milk. Taste — only add sugar if the mangoes need a lift.
- 5
Cover and chill for 20 minutes. Aamras should be cool but not icy — extreme cold mutes the aroma.
- 6
Serve in small steel katoris alongside hot puris straight off the stove. Tear, scoop, repeat.
Variations
- •Add 2 tbsp coconut milk for a richer, slightly tropical version.
- •Stir in a spoon of thick yogurt for amrakhand — the love child of aamras and shrikhand.
How to serve
A traditional Maharashtrian aamras thali pairs it with puris, batata bhaji, kurdai (rice fryums), and a small bowl of dal. End with a glass of buttermilk.