Nelli Fruit Juice
Nelli fruit juice is a bright, tangy drink made from fresh amla (Indian gooseberry) blended with cold water, raw honey, and a pinch of black salt. This simple nelli juice recipe delivers a full hit of natural vitamin C and antioxidants in under 10 minutes. Whether you use fresh nelli or frozen amla chunks, it is one of the easiest ways to turn this powerhouse fruit into a drinkable daily habit.
Servings 2 glasses
Calories 50kcal
Cost $3
Equipment
- 1 Blender
- 1 Fine mesh strainer
- 1 Large bowl or jug
- 1 Small knife
Ingredients
For the Juice
- 12 fresh nelli (amla / Indian gooseberry) fruits halved and pitted -- substitute: 200g frozen amla chunks, fully thawed
- 1 1/2 cups cold water for blending
- 2 cups cold water for diluting -- adjust to taste
- 2 tsp raw honey 1 tsp per glass -- adjust to taste
- 2 small pinches black salt (kala namak) 1 pinch per glass
- 1 tsp fresh lime juice optional -- slows oxidation
Instructions
Prepare the Fruit
- Rinse all 12 fresh nelli fruits thoroughly under cold running water. Remove any stems and discard any damaged or bruised spots you find.
- Cut each fruit in half through the center. Use a small knife or your fingers to pop out the hard seed from each half. Roughly chop the flesh into smaller pieces to help the blender work more efficiently.
Blend
- Place all of the pitted nelli flesh (or fully thawed frozen amla chunks) into a blender. Pour in 1 1/2 cups of cold water -- this is the blending water only, not the diluting water.
- Secure the blender lid and blend on high speed for 30 to 45 seconds. Keep going until the mixture is completely smooth and no large pieces of fruit remain.
Strain
- Set a fine-mesh strainer over a large bowl or jug. Make sure it sits stably before you start pouring so the strainer does not tip.
- Pour the blended nelli mixture through the strainer in a slow, steady stream. Once it has drained, press firmly all over with the back of a spoon to push every last drop of juice through. Discard the dry pulp left in the strainer.
Dilute and Serve
- Add the remaining 2 cups of cold water to the strained juice and stir well to combine. This gives you roughly a 1:6 dilution ratio -- a good starting balance for most first-timers. Add a little more water if the taste is too intense.
- Fill two glasses with ice, then divide the juice evenly between them. Stir 1 teaspoon of raw honey and 1 small pinch of black salt (kala namak) into each glass until the honey has fully dissolved.
- If using lime juice, stir it in now -- it slows oxidation and helps the juice hold its green-yellow color for longer. Taste each glass and adjust honey or water to your liking. Serve immediately for the best flavor, color, and vitamin C content.
Video
Notes
Nelli juice oxidizes fast and turns brown within 20 minutes -- serve immediately or stir in the lime juice at the straining step to slow this down.
Raw honey works better than white sugar here -- sugar tends to amplify the natural astringency of amla rather than soften it.
For a stronger, more concentrated version, try a 1:4 water-to-juice ratio. Start at 1:6 if you are new to nelli or amla.
Frozen amla chunks from Indian grocery stores work year-round and produce nearly identical results to fresh nelli fruits.
Raw honey works better than white sugar here -- sugar tends to amplify the natural astringency of amla rather than soften it.
For a stronger, more concentrated version, try a 1:4 water-to-juice ratio. Start at 1:6 if you are new to nelli or amla.
Frozen amla chunks from Indian grocery stores work year-round and produce nearly identical results to fresh nelli fruits.
