It is the ripe, deep purple fruit you often see in mounds, hugging the handcarts of fruit vendors at every nook and corner, during the blazing summer. The non-glamorous cousin of litchi, thaatinungu as it’s called in Kannada, and tadgola in Marathi, the ice apple is ubiquitous as the summer dessert pirouetting on nouveau menus with elan in combination with other fruits and ingredients on your table.
Natural hydrator
Packed with minerals and water, the fleshy fruit serenades you in cool forms to beat the heat. Says Sarika Nair, Mumbai-based dietitian of SlimnHappy fame, “Ice apple is excellent for hydration. It regulates your body temperature beautifully when the sun shines bright. You get approximately 43 calories from every 100 gm of fruit as well as a rich infusion of potassium and zinc.”
Naturals Now celebrates the quivering pulp in the ‘tadgola sundae’. In keeping with the freshness of the preparation, they bring in over 300 pieces of ice apple from the neighbouring area of Dahanu village every day. Says RS Kamath, founder, Naturals Now, “The nature of the fruit makes it quite challenging to cut and prepare for serving. We have devised a special in-house method of cutting and processing the fruit while retaining its absolute freshness and firmness.” So, the chunks canoodle with ice cream in a tall, cold glass to serenade your palate in icy goodness.
The bland flavour of the palm fruit offers the perfect canvas to play with in combination with other additions. The king of fruits, alphonso mango, dives into a cardamom-infused coconut milk with shimmying rice dumplings in the paal paniyaram — a lip-smacking dessert perfected by Mrs Meyyappan (of the heritage hotel The Bangala fame near Chettinad in Tamil Nadu) in the ‘Eat Like a Chettiar’ pop-up at The Bombay Canteen.
Tasty all the way
The jelly-like fruit is a vitamin cocktail, with its slightly sweet flesh hugging a liquid heart within. “Make the most of this fruit in summer by eating in moderation. You can blend with coconut water to make a cooler, slip into kheer, or whip up a milkshake,” says Sarika.
Yet, if you do not wish to go the beverage route, there are ways of gorging on it even more beautifully. “The idea for this dessert was to highlight all the beautiful, seasonal summer produce, and for it to taste like summer on a plate,” says Heena Punwani, pastry chef at The Bombay Canteen and O Pedro, of the sweet dish ‘summer sundae’ at O Pedro. “The under-appreciated fruit is so delicious and refreshing when served ripe and chilled. In this dessert, it comes complete with the summer stars like mango, tender coconut, litchi, candied water chestnuts, and is served with kokum sorbet and condensed coconut milk soup. Caramelised red rice adds crunch to the plate,” she says.
But it’s better to consume it as soon as it’s cut as it is highly perishable. Says Chennai-based nutritionist Deepalekha Bhattacharjee, “Ice apple gives instant energy owing to its high calorific value, and is a natural coolant. You can combine it with lime juice, or rose water, too. But overripe sap is not good and may lead to stomachache and indigestion. Make sure you buy the unpeeled fruit and consume the moment it is freshly cut.”