Wood appple dessert (or) Velaga pandu pachadi

This is one of my favourites, usually my grand ma prepares this after Ganesha chaturdhi.

Wood apple is also called as elephant-apple , monkey fruit, and curd fruit.

It has a very hard rind which can be difficult to crack open, and contains sticky brown pulp and small white seeds.

This fruit is eaten by elephants, with out even breaking the shell. This is what we studied in our school... 

            Siri da vaccina vaccunu

            Sarasambagu narikela jalamula bhangin,

            Siri da boyina bovunu

            Kari mingina velagapandu kramamuna Sumati!

One of the poems from sumati satakam :)

The fruit is eaten plain, mixed into a variety of beverages and desserts, or preserved as jam. The scooped out pulp from its fruits is eaten raw with or without sugar, or is blended with coconut milk and palm - sugar syrup and drunk as a beverage, or frozen as an ice cream. It is also used in chutneys and for making jelly and jam.

Indonesians beat the pulp of the ripe fruit with palm sugar and eat the mixture at breakfast. Indians eat the pulp of the ripe fruit with sugar or jaggery.The raw pulp is mixed with yogurt and made into raita. The raw pulp is sour

in taste, while the ripe pulp would be having a smell and taste that is a mixture of sourness and sweet.

The ripe fruit is rich in beta-carotene, a precursor of Vitamin A; it also contains significant quantities of the B vitamins thiamine and riboflavin, and small amounts of Vitamin C.

This is very useful fruit for diabetic disease. In addition it is widely used as a good herbal remedy for an upset stomach.

Method: The wood apple is first broken, the inside part is taken in a bowl and smashed by hand while adding some water in several doses. Then the seeds are squeezed to extract as much juice as possible and then separated by hand from the juice. The juice (Similar color as Mango or Papaya Juice) is then taken with or without sugar.

The ripe fruit is rich in beta-carotene, a precursor of Vitamin A; it also contains significant quantities of the B vitamins thiamine and riboflavin, and small amounts of Vitamin C.

Preparation time : 5 mins
Serve : 2

Ingredients :

Wood apple (or) velaga pandu : 1
Sugar : 1/2 cup
Milk : 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup

Method :

Take wood apple and break it.

Scoop out the flush into blender.

Blend it to a smooth paste by adding milk and sugar.

Refrigerate it before serving.

Enjoy your dessert :)

Thank you, do post your comments.