Amba Sauce (Spicy Mango Sauce)
Sweet, tangy, spicy, and packed with earthy aromatic depth, this Amba sauce is the Middle Eastern mango condiment that earns permanent fridge space the moment you make it.
Just 10 minutes is all you need to make this rich, golden, deeply flavorful sauce that elevates everything from falafel and shawarma to grilled meats and grain bowls. Just like my ginger mango chutney, this one's a great way to put some extra mangos to use!
I've been on a mission to try hot sauces, spices and condiments from countries all around the world, and Middle East is my current stop. I recently tried making Schug sauce, which is a beautiful chunky and spicy hot sauce, which turned out to be a huge hit.
I recently also picked up some guavas to make my homemade guava paste, and some fresh mangos that I really wanted to put to use. And that's when I thought of recreating the famous Middle Eastern amba sauce in my kitchen.
Quick Look
- 🔪 Prep time: 5 minutes.
- ⏲️ Cook time: 5 minutes.
- 👪 Servings: 6.
- 📋 Main ingredients: Fresh ripe mangoes, dried red chilies, fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds, ground cumin, garlic, lime juice, sugar, turmeric, oil.
- ♨️ Cooking method: Pan roast mustard seeds, fenugreek, garlic, and dried chilies in oil 🡢 cool 🡢 blend with cumin powder to a spice paste 🡢 blend with mango and remaining ingredients until smooth.
- ⭐ Difficulty: Very easy.
- 🥣 Serving ideas: Drizzle over falafel and shawarma wraps, use as a marinade, or serve as a dipping sauce alongside my Turkish yogurt dip and Acili Ezme for a full Middle Eastern condiment spread.
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What's So Great About the Recipe?
- Traditional amba sauce calls for some fermentation, but this one's a great alternative that doesn't need you to let the sauce ferment, and it tastes just as delicious!
- Just like with my Turkish red pepper sauce, the flavors of the recipe that are super adaptable. You can tweak and play around with the ingredients and come up with a version of the sauce that's just perfect for you.
Recipe Ingredients
- Mangoes: Choose fresh, ripe and sweet mangoes here. These are the hero ingredient, so make sure you choose the best quality that you can get your hands on.
- Red chilies: I used dried red chilies here. These will add a fair bit of spiciness to the sauce and complement the other flavors nicely.
- Spices: I used a mix of whole spices like fenugreek seeds and mustard seeds, and some cumin powder here.
- Lime: Freshly squeezed lime juice adds a lot of beautiful tangy and citrusy flavors to the sauce.
- Sugar: Just a bit, to balance out the tart and tangy flavors. You can use homemade date sugar or some brown sugar for extra depth.
- Garlic: I used fresh garlic, for that incredible aroma and savoriness.
- Turmeric: For that bright yellow color and of course, for its powerful anti-inflammatory action.
- Oil: Any cooking oil should work well- vegetable oil, canola oil or even just olive oil.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- If you don't want to use sugar, you can skip it or use some honey or cane sugar to add that extra sweetness to the sauce. I love using my habanero honey or jalapeno infused honey in recipes where I want an extra kick of heat.
- If you don't have the whole spices that the recipe calls for, feel free to use their ground versions instead.
- Can't find dried red chilies? You can make do with regular red chilies too. Sometimes, I end up using some chilies from my preserved chilies in oil.
How to Make Amba Sauce
Pan roast the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, garlic and red chilies in a bit of oil over medium heat.
Once they turn fragrant, take them off heat, let them cool down and then transfer them to a blender jar. Add the cumin powder and blitz.
You should get a chunky consistency like this. Carefully remove this spice paste.
Transfer it to a blender jar with the chopped mangos and the other ingredients and blend until smooth.
Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- If the sauce has turned too thin, you can add a bit of cornstarch to it, give it a quick mix and let it simmer for a couple of minutes on low heat until it thickens up.
- If the sauce seems too thick, add some more lemon juice or a splash of water to get it to the right consistency.
- For better, intense flavor, you can choose to cook down this sauce in a small pan over low heat, stirring continuously for about 5-7 minutes. I did this when I made my homemade browning sauce too.
- To lend the sauce that authentic Middle Eastern flavor, you can also add a pinch or two of Sumac powder if you have it at hand.
How to Use Amba Sauce
This amba sauce can be a delicious dip for your meats and grills- just like my spicy apricot salsa. I love adding a spoonful of it to some olive oil and turning it into a delicious salad dressing too!
You could also use the sauce as a marinade for your meats! It's also a great addition to your sandwiches, hot dogs and burgers! I like to create a sandwich bar with different toppings- like my Hungarian tomato pepper stew and my favorite homemade spicy tomato jam.
Troubleshooting & FAQs
You can, but remember that raw mangos can be quite tart and sour, and barely have any sweetness. They're also quite tough and you'll need to cook and soften them first before you use them for the recipe.
Store your leftover amba sauce in a clean glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. Use a clean and dry spoon to spoon it out, and cover the jar with the lid once you're done to prevent oxidation and contamination.
More Delicious Sauce Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
If you tried this amba sauce or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Amba Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 mangos
- 2-3 dried red chilies
- 1 lime juiced
- 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2-3 garlic
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon oil
Instructions
- Pan roast the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, garlic and red chilies in a bit of oil over medium heat.
- Once they turn fragrant, take them off heat, let them cool down and then transfer them to a blender jar. Add the cumin powder and blitz.
- You should get a chunky consistency like this. Carefully remove this spice paste.
- Transfer it to a blender jar with the chopped mangos and the other ingredients and blend until smooth.
Notes
- If the sauce has turned too thin, you can add a bit of cornflour to it, give it a quick mix and let it simmer for a couple of minutes on low heat until it thickens up.
- If the sauce seems too thick, add some more lemon juice or a splash of water to get it to the right consistency.
- For better, intense flavor, you can choose to cook down this sauce in a small pan over low heat, stirring continuously for about 5-7 minutes.
- To lend the sauce that authentic Middle Eastern flavor, you can also add a pinch or two of Sumac powder if you have it at hand.
