While writing the last post on Kamranga Makha, my mind started wandering over the summer afternoons of my schooldays. We used to get some solace from those unbearable hot, humid and long afternoons, when ma offered to prepare some makha for us! It was a group activity .... ma, didi and sometimes a few neighbourhood kids joining the team. There are sooo many indigenous fruits that come to the market summertime .... Chalta, Kodbael, Pholsa, Bilati Amra, Jolpai and the Kancha-mitha Aam to name a few.... all very tangy but full of flavours and have lots of health benefit ... something I didn't care about those days. While some of these fruits need some cooking .... most you can enjoy in their simplest form, makha .... cut, mix with the irresistible combo of black salt, sugar/jaggery, green chilli and a few drops of mustard oil .... and smash everything nicely by hand while drooling over that delectable flavour!
One of them is Kodbael or Wood Apple. It has a soft woody shell with strongly flavoured tamarind like pulp when ripe. Be extra careful when buying. It should give a very strong pungent smell when ripe. If the fruit is not ripe enough, you can't smash the flesh and it wouldn't be tasty either!
Wood apple has lots of health benefit too! An analysis from the University of Agricultural Sciences (Bengaluru), published in the Indian Journal of Science said that wood apple has crude fibre, calcium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, copper, manganese, sodium, potassium and Vitamin C among others. Therefore, wood apple definitely qualifies as a super food.
This fruit is used in India as a liver and cardiac tonic, when unripe, as an astringent (halting diarrhea and dysentery), effective treatment for hiccups, sore throat, and diseases of the gums. Wood apple lowers the blood glucose level, blood pressure and reduces lipid levels in hyperlipidemia.
More importantly, the juice is well known in India as a good way to beat the summer heat and can reduce flatulence.
The easiest way of consuming wood apple is to scoop the pulp and eat it with some jaggery or make a drink with some black salt and jaggery. But if you want to add little extra zing to your plate, definitely try this recipe!
Kodbael Makha (Wood Apple Relish) Recipe
Ingredients:
Kodbael or Wood Apple - 1 Ripe
Jaggery - around two Tablespoons or to taste
Black Salt - 1 Teaspoon
Green Chillies - 2 hot
Coriander leaves - one small bunch (optional)
Mustard oil - 1 tablespoon
(See note)
