Sauce 101
What Is Amba Sauce? Tangy Pickled Mango
Yes, the sauce shares a name with our restaurant. Amba sauce is a tangy, golden pickled mango sauce, and it is one of the five drizzles you can pick on any bowl at AMBA in Joliet.
Quick answer
Amba is a tangy pickled mango sauce made from green, unripe mangoes cured with salt and spices like fenugreek, turmeric, mustard seed and chili. It came to Iraq through Iraqi Jewish traders who knew Indian mango pickles, then traveled to Israel, where it is a favorite on falafel, shawarma and sabich.
What is amba sauce made of?
Amba starts with green, unripe mangoes, not the sweet ripe ones. The mango is salted and pickled, then blended or chopped with spices into a loose, golden-yellow sauce. Turmeric gives the color. Fenugreek gives the flavor most people remember.
Recipes vary, but the usual lineup looks like this:
- Green mango, salted and pickled
- Fenugreek, for a nutty, slightly bitter, maple-like note
- Turmeric, for the bright yellow color
- Mustard seed and chili, for bite
- Vinegar or lemon and salt, for tang
Where does amba come from?
The word amba comes from Marathi, a language of western India, and means mango. In the 1800s, Iraqi Jewish merchants traded between Baghdad, Basra and Indian ports like Bombay, and they fell for Indian pickled mango. They brought the idea home, and in Iraq it became a softer, saucier condiment that fit Iraqi food.
When Iraqi Jews left Iraq in the early 1950s, many settled in Israel and brought amba with them. Today it is a regular at Israeli falafel and shawarma stands and shows up across the region next to tahini and hot sauce.
That trip, from Indian pickle jars to Baghdad kitchens to Tel Aviv street stands, is part of why amba feels at home with so many Middle Eastern and Mediterranean foods. It was built for street food: something sharp to pour over something rich.
What does amba taste like?
Tangy first, then savory, then a little funky in a good way. It is sour and salty, not sweet like mango chutney. The fenugreek gives it a deep, earthy, almost curry-like smell, and many versions carry a gentle heat.
If you like pickles, you will probably like amba. It does the same job a pickle does: it wakes up rich food. The color is a giveaway too, a deep golden yellow from the turmeric. Not sure? Ask for a taste at the counter. That is what we are here for.
How do you eat amba sauce?
Amba is a drizzle sauce. It is at its best on fried, grilled and creamy things, where the tang can cut through. The classic Israeli move is sabich, a pita with fried eggplant, egg and amba, but it is just as good on shawarma and falafel.
- Over chicken shawarma or gyro
- On falafel, with tahini alongside
- Next to hummus, for a sour-and-creamy bite
- On roasted vegetables
How to try amba mango sauce at AMBA
Amba mango sauce (V, GF) is one of the five drizzles in step 5 of our build-your-own bowl, next to tahini, toum, tzatziki and harissa. Our sauces are made in house, and your bowl is built in front of you.
Our suggestion for a first go: falafel or chicken shawarma, classic hummus, pickled turnips, parsley and tomato and cucumber salad, then amba on top. Want to know more about the four brothers behind the counter? Read our story, or order online for pickup.
“Greeted when we hit the door. The cook staff let me try different meat options to add to my shawarma bowl – saffron rice was flavorful so were all the toppings to add.”
Good questions
Asked at the counter.
Is amba sauce sweet?
No. It is made from green, unripe mango, so it tastes tangy, salty and savory, not sweet. If you are expecting mango chutney, amba will surprise you.
Is amba sauce spicy?
Many versions have a mild heat from chili, but it is not usually a hot sauce. The main notes are sour, salty and the earthy taste of fenugreek.
Is AMBA restaurant named after amba sauce?
The restaurant and the sauce share the word, and yes, you can get amba mango sauce on your bowl here. For the story of the brothers who run the place, read our About page.
What is amba sauce good with?
Fried and grilled foods love it. Try it on falafel, shawarma, gyro, roasted vegetables or fries. It also pairs well with tahini, since the creamy sesame balances the sour mango.
Is amba sauce vegan and gluten free at AMBA?
Our amba mango sauce is marked vegan (V) and gluten free (GF) on our menu board. Tell us about any allergy at the counter and we will help you build around it.
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1522 Illinois Rte 59, Joliet. Mon to Sat 10:30am to 8:30pm, Sun 11:30am to 7:30pm.
