There are many Stone Apple and Wood Apple Trees in Tadoba.. the fruits from the tree had fallen and we managed to get some of the wood apples and got one stone apple during the Jungle Safari.. given to us by one of the forest authority…
Many people get confused between both the fruits… but both are totally different in texture and taste.. the wood apple is sour and the shell of the wood apple is rough, whereas the stone apple is sweet and the shell is smooth. The wood apple is used to make Chutney and Achhar.. the stone apple is use to make sweet Sharbot and Panna - summer drinks and murabba.
The stone apple is very good for stomach and is very cooling for summers…
Here is a recipe for the summer drink…
Ingredients
1 Stone Apple
1 cup Curd
2 to 3 tbsp or more Sugar as per the sweetness
1/2 tsp Black Salt
1 cup Water
Ingredients
Break the stone apple into half, scoop out the pulp, take a bowl, add the pulp and a cup of water… mash the pulp well with water, remove the seeds and fibre from the pulp…. Take a blender, add the pulp, curd, sugar and black salt… blend until the sugar dissolves and all the ingredients have blended well together… the summer drink is ready.. add ice to serve or keep it in the fridge, cool the drink to enjoy…
Some dishes are purely emotions.. specially when you eat them after ages… it’s nostalgic….. “shitkaler dupure… baranda ai boshe mridu rod khete khete kodbel makaha khao ar moja tai alada” (licking the Kodbel Makha with a book in other hand or enjoying the Adda in an winter afternoon in the balcony where soft sun kisses your skin is purely an emotion). I am sure many will relate with me..
Wood apple has a strong and a sharp aroma and it’s sour in taste.. it’s fleshy and sticky from inside..
It’s a cooling fruit hence helps in digestion and also has other health benefits.
Some times we tend to get confused between Bael and Kodbel.. but both are different from each other in taste. Bael is sweet and mostly made into juice, where are Kodbel is made into makha / mash, chutney or Pickle because of its sour taste..
Ingredients
1 Wood Apple cracked into half
1 Green Chilli chopped
Few leaves of Coriander
Salt to taste
2 tbsp Sugar / Jaggery as per taste
1/4 to 1/2 tsp Black salt
1/2 tsp Roasted Red Chilli and Roasted Cumin powder
3/4 tsp Kasundi (optional)
1 tsp Mustard Oil
Method
Mash the green chilli and coriander together using the mortar and pestle.. then scoop out the pulp of the wood apple and continue to mash, now eventually add sugar, salt, black salt and roasted cumin and chilli powder and continue to mash.. then add kasundi and mustard oil and continue to mash until your mouth start to water and you can’t wait to lick the makha 😃
Last year I had made Kanji of Beetroot and Orange Carrot and I had loved the taste of the Kanji, I was very curious to taste Black carrot Kanji.. which is only available in the North.. so I recently had got a chance to drink Black Carrot Kanji.. that was from a restaurant, but haven’t see the whole black carrot as it’s not available in most parts of India.. it’s apparently cultivated in Punjab and is found only in some states of North India. ..
The carrot tasted earthy and sweetish in taste .. yesterday I had got some black gajar.
It’s said it has - Vitamin B, C, E, it has high anthocyanin content, it fight diseases like cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, obesity, inflammation and oxidative stress, it boost immunity, improves vision and digestion.
I had shared a picture of the black beauties.. I was thrilled to get good responses from my foodie friends.. I thank them for sharing some information about the black carrot.
Apart from the healthy probiotic drink Kanji which is the most popular recipe, dishes like Halwa is made, it’s sold in few shops in Lucknow. Other than that it’s also use for making juice, salad, pickle and murabba. And then of course you can create your own recipes from black carrot like cake, bread, cookies etc.. the idea and innovation is endless..
Here I tried out 3 dishes with black carrot..
I have used jaggery powder and sugar to make the Barfi sweet since I had very little jaggery left in my pantry.. jaggery is a healthy version or otherwise can be made using sugar.
I made a small batch of Kanji, used in making salad and made Barfi out of the rest of the carrots..
Here is the recipe of the Black Carrot Barfi -
Ingredients
2 Cups of Grated Black Carrot
3 tbsps + 1/2 tsp Unsweetened Khoya
3/4 tsp Desiccated Coconut
3/4 cup Milk
3 to 4 tbsps as per sweetness required Jaggery powder
1 tbsp Organic Sugar ( I had no jaggery left at home )
1/2 tsp Cardamom powder
A big pinch of Salt
Some Almond flakes
2 tbsps Ghee
Method
Take a pan, add ghee, once the ghee melts, add the grated carrots, stir fry for at least 5 minutes on low flame.
The whole cooking will be done on low flame..
Now gradually add half cup milk, stir occasionally and cook the carrots until the milk has almost evaporated, add the remaining milk and 3 tbsp of Khoya, mix and stir the ingredients so that no lumps remains in the pan. Continue to cook until the milk has evaporated, now add the jaggery powder, cardamom powder, pinch of salt and little almond flakes, stir occasionally and cook until the mixer starts to separate from the pan and starts to form a lump… to check take a small portion and roll the portion, it will form into a ball. Switch off the flame. Pour the mixture into a tray, flatten and spread the mixture evenly. Add the remaining Khoya into the desiccated coconut and mix the khoya with the coconut. Sprinkle the Khoya - coconut mixture and remaining Almond flakes over the Barfi. Let the Barfi set for few hours before cutting. Enjoy the Barfi any time of the day.
This is a healthy dish made with Rohu fish or Catla fish , loads of Vegetables and with flavour of Wild Celery seeds.. enjoyed with hot steamed rice and lemon. Winter vegetable like radish, carrot, brinjal, onion stalk and flat beans with potato are preferably been used.. other vegetables like raw papaya, raw banana, beans, pointed gourd etc can also be used.
This is my home style recipe where I add onions and garlic too.. we can avoid garlic and onion if we want.. tomato and ginger is used.
Here I have made this dish for 2 people..
For the Wet Paste
Ingredients
1 medium size Tomato cut into pieces
1 small size Onion cut into pieces
1 small piece of Ginger
5 to 6 medium Garlic cloves
1 or more Green Chilli
1/2 tsp Wild Celery seeds / Radhuni
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds or powder
1/2 Turmeric powder
1/4 tsp Pepper powder or 3 to 4 Pepper corn
Salt to taste
Method
Grind all the above ingredients into paste .
For the fish Curry
Ingredients
2 Rohu or Catla Fish pieces
1 medium bowl of vegetables
1/2 Radish cut into thick strips
1 small Carrot cut into thick strips
1 medium size Potato cut into wedges
1 long small size Brinjal cut into thick strips
1 Onion Stalk cut into an inch length
4 to 5 Falt beans cut into 2 halves
1 or 2 Green chillies silt
1/2 tsp Panch Phoron
Salt and little Turmeric powder for the fish
Wet paste
4 tbsp Mustard oil
Method
Take 2 tbsp oil in a wok, heat the oil up, fry the fish with little turmeric and salt until brown in colour, remove and keep it aside.
Add the remaining oil, once the oil heats up add the Panch phoran, let it crackle, add the vegetables and stir for 2 minutes, add the paste.. stir and cook the vegetables for 3 to 4 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups of water, cover and cook the vegetables until soft. Add the fish and let it cook for another 1 minute. Serve the dish hot with hot steamed rice and preferably Gandharaj lemon….
This recipe is shared by one of our “Annapurna”… yes I would call her Annapurna.. they are the actual people in most of our houses for whom we are blessed. They are always behind the scene.
She is the lady for whom we enjoy all the traditional meals each day in my brother’s house.. for the last 6 years..
Unfortunately as my brother has to move on to a different city.. so we will miss her immensely.. before departing, I had requested her to share one of the traditional Bengali recipe. She was so happy to share the following recipe -
As winter is almost in, now a days the market is flooded with winter vegetables like flat beans, radish, radish leaves, brinjal, cauliflower, carrots etc. we got some vegetables from Market 1, C.R. park market as we get many vegetables that are used in Bengali dishes.. and got some prawns and other fishes too..
We used the prawns head for this dish… we can used fish offal like fish oil or small fishes or fish head to prepare this dish…
Ingredients
2 bunches of Radish leaves cut into medium - small pieces
Incase Cauliflower stems are available then the stems of the cauliflower can be cut into medium - small pieces
1 Long Brinjal cut into medium long pieces
1 medium size Radish cut into medium long pieces
1 Big size Potato cut into wedges
Few Flat Beans cut into 2 halves
2 to 3 Green Chillies slit
Few Prawn heads cleaned, washed and marinated with salt and turmeric
1 tbsp Poppy seeds ground into paste
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Chilli powder
1/2 tsp Sugar
3/4 tsp Cumin powder
1/2 tsp Coriander powder
1/2 tsp Panch phoran
4 tbsp Mustard Oil
Method
Blanch the Cauliflower stems and Radish leaves in hot water for few minutes. Drain the water out and keep it aside.
