Kodbael Makha (Wood Apple Relish) .... a Simple Drool-worthy Snack!

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)

Method:

• First, you will need to break the fruit in halves. For that slam it lightly against the floor or use a small stone or pestle to get a crack. Now hammer little more along the crack and remove the hard shell in pieces.
• With a spoon take the pulp out in a bowl. Don't bother about the seeds .... they are soft and edible.
• Finely chop the green chillies and coriander leaves. Alternatively you can smash them in a mortar and pestle to release the flavour!
• Add all the ingredients mentioned above and mix thoroughly with your hand.
• Now is the most interesting part .... taste .... and adjust the seasoning ... taste again.... and adjust ....and taste... until you are fully satisfied with the balance!
• Take everything in a small bowl (if you need a big bowl then you have not tasted it enough) .... and lick your messy fingers clean .... believe me, that's the best part of this "experience".
• You can use half of the hard shell of the fruit as a serving bowl too, if you can get it intact.

Notes:

• The quantities of salt, sugar and chillies are entirely "to taste". Everything depends on the size and sourness of the fruit and your taste buds. You can start with salt, jaggery and chilli a little less than what I have mentioned, then keep adding and adjusting as you go!
• In our childhood, coriander leaves were not available during summer. Nowadays, we get it throughout the year in Bangalore. So, I added it. You can skip if not available.
• When selecting the fruit, smell it first .... the ripe fruits will smell strong and that smell is good enough to motivate you! The right ripeness is important here .... unripe or dried fruit will not give the desired result!
• Finally, there is a confusion between Wood Apple and Stone Apple in the web. People use the names interchangeably to indicate Bael and Kodbael. To the best of my understanding, Kodbael (Limonia acidissima) is Wood Apple while Bael is Stone Apple(Aegle marmelos).
• Suggested links:
• For a detailed analysis of the nutritional facts read this article from International Journal of Pharmaceutical Science and Research.
• To know more on this naming confusion and benefits of Wood Apple read this and this.