CASHEW FRUIT MOR KUZHAMBU

Cashew apple or cashew fruit it is called, is the fleshy part of the cashew fruit attached to the cashew nut.  The top end of the apple is attached to the stem that comes off the tree and the bottom end is attached to the nut, which is encased in a shell.

The curry is made with the cashew apple as well as the fresh cashew nut also.  The cashew apple can be eaten fresh, cooked in curries, fermented into vinegar as well as an alcohlic drink.. It is also used to make preserves, chutneys, and jams in some countries such as India and Brazil. It is also used to flavor drinks, both alcoholic and nonalcoholic in some parts of the country.

Today I made Cashew fruit mor kuzhambu and Sambhar as I purchased the same when I went to market.  If  I keep the same for tomorrow, it might lose the freshness so tried both the recipes.

Let us look at the recipe now.  Some more information is given below the recipe which you can read it after going through the recipe of the dish.

Ingredients: 3 nos Cashew apple/cashew fruit 1/2  tsp jaggery 1/2 tsp red chilli powder 2 tbsp fresh curd pinch turmeric powder (optional) salt to taste Paste 3 tbsp grated coconut 1 no green chilli Tempering: 1 tsp oil 1 tsp mustard seeds 2 pcs broken red chilli few curry leaves

Method:

Step 1

Wash and cut the fruits into big chunks or medium size pieces as you wish.  In a vessel, add 1 cup water and cook the pieces with salt, turmeric and red chilli powder.

Step 2

Grind the coconut and green chilli to a smooth paste.  beat the curd and keep aside.

Step 3

When the fruits are cooked, add the jaggery, coconut paste and bring to boil.  add the beaten curd mix well and switch off gas.

Step 4

In a kadai, heat oil.  Put the mustard seeds when it splutters, add the curry leaves and red chilli pcs.  Pour this into the mor kuzhambu.

How to serve:

serve hot with rice, chapati, pidi kozhukkattai etc.

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BRIEF ABOUT THE FRUIT.  

Cashew nuts are more popular than cashew apples in many parts of the world that do not grow cashews, because the fruit, unlike the nut, is difficult to  transport as the outer parts gets spoiled very fast.  Cashew apple juice, however, may be used for manufacturing blended juices.

Cashew apples have a sweet but  astringent taste which may not be liked by all.  You have to develop the taste for it.  Some may feel bit itchy or alergic while eating the fruit.    This astringency is sometimes removed by steaming the fruit for five minutes before washing it in cold water; alternatively, boiling the fruit in salt water for five minutes or soaking it in gelatin solution also reduces the astringency.

In Goa, the cashew apple is mashed and the juice extracted and kept for fermentation for a few days. Fermented juice then undergoes a double distillation process. The resulting beverage is called feni/fenny.  (Kaju fenny).  Cashew oil and shell oil is also produced.