Nellikka in honey is older than any of us — grandmothers made it long before anyone called it a product. The amla is dried until its sourness settles down, then left in honey for three weeks while the two of them argue and finally agree. What comes out is neither fruit nor honey but something Kerala has loved for generations.
The home method
A small home jar, the way we would tell a friend to make it. Our own batches follow the same idea — with a few stubborn habits we keep to ourselves.
You need
- 1 clean, completely dry glass jar
- 250 g raw honey
- 1 cup dried amla (nellikka) pieces
The way
- Use properly dried amla — the pieces should feel leathery, with no damp centre.
- Fill the jar loosely with the amla and cover completely with honey.
- Close and keep in a dark cupboard for three weeks, turning the jar twice a week.
- The amla plumps as it drinks the honey. Eat a piece with the spoonful of honey it soaked in.
One rule: The fruit must be dried, never fresh — fresh nellikka carries too much water. Three weeks is the minimum; a month is kinder.
Or let us do the waiting — we make a small batch each season. This jar reaches the shop when we open.