Nungu Delight / Iceapple Delight

Iniya Tamil Puthandhu Valthukal  ......Happy Tamil New year.......

     Borassus flabellifer , the Asian palmyra palm , toddy palm or sugar palm is native to Indian subcontinent and southeast Asia ,including Nepal , India , Bangladesh, Srilanka  , Cambodia , Laos , Burma, Vietnam , Malaysia , Indonesia and parts of china.

  In tamil we call it as Panai marram ( palm tree ). The fruit is known as Nungu.

                               

                                

 This was a seasonal fruit , it will be available during summer in India ( march till June ). 

The overgrown fruits are buried in land , it will grow into shoots ( panankilangu ), steam and have it , which is rich in fiber content.

                                                  

 The all parts of the tree was useful , the wood and leaf were used in olden days for building huts. They used to make a drink palm wine / toddy / palm toddy ,  theluvu / pathaneer as we call in tamil , is a drink extracted by cutting a leaf and tie a small pot in its stem and left it the whole day, the drained water from tree is drink as theluvu , if limestone was added , if not it is known as kallu.

 With this theluvu, boil and condense it into a hard ,sweet known as  palm jaggery / karuppati/ panakarrupatti . This karuppati is used in olden days instead of sugar. We use karuppati in making sukkukappi.

              

  Another crystal with palm called as panakalkandu ( sugar candy ) , which is a coolant during summer.

                                                

 It was brief introduction though I just gave this for those who don’t know about this fruit. Even in India also it will be unknown for future generation as there are few trees nowadays. Even though it was a drought resistant tree , due to climatic changes and less rainfall  few trees are remaining. 

   This nungu delight was made by me to my sister Anu , it was simple and easy to make.

Ingredients:

Palm fruit – 3 – 4 nos

Boiled and cooled milk – 1 cup

Honey – 1 tbs (optional)

Chopped pistachios

Method:

Remove the outer skin (white layer) of palm fruit.

Add in a blender along with milk and blend well.

Pour into serving glass , drizzle  the honey and sprinkle the chopped pistachios.

Serve chill.

Nungu delight is ready to serve.

Book Review - The Amazing Racist

     Another Book review - The Amazing Racist by Chhimi Tenduf - La . This was his maiden venture .

                      

ABOUT THE AUTHOR :

          Chhimi Tenduf - La - Half Tibetian Half English , grew up in Hong Kong , London , Delhi and Colombo. He is currently living in Colombo with his wife  Samantha and daughter Tara . The writing style of the author didn’t seem as it was his first publication. His next novel is soon to be released ………

About the Book :

 The cover of the book was wounderful with amazing lush green and yellow with a wheelchair as background. The book was priced INR 399 /-.

                                                  

Story Line :

          An English men falls in love with a srilankan girl and their life changes…..

        Eddie Trusted , an English schoolteacher comes to Colombo , Srilanka  on an assignment to teach in the international school. He was a son of a pastor and his family of his father and mother lives in Britain.

        Menaka Rupasinghe  , daughter of Thilak Rupasinghe  with whom eddie falls in love at first sight.

            Thilak Rupasinghe was an orthodox father, who wants her daughter to be married to someone from same race, religion, caste and same locality. He hates white people as he thinks they were supporting the tigers.

            Within few pages , Menaka introduces Eddie to his father Thilak , who owns a law firm. He says Eddie , that he was one of the numerous guys her daughter introduced him . still eddie says he can adjust with menaka and wants to marry her.

            Thilak takes eddie on a trip to Anuradhapuram and to a family get together , were  Thilak tries to bully him in every action. Eddie tried the srilankan drink and spicy curries.

            Another day , Thilak called Eddie to go on a car rally with his friends and he told Eddie to drive and he sits on the passengers seat……. Eddie told him that he didn’t have International license , Thilak said to him its not a problem in Srilanka.

         As they were driving at one signal , a policemen stopped and found that he didn’t have the international license . He was taken to police station , menaka send her brother to take him out .

            Thilak asked Eddie to work part time in his law firm , as he was a economics drop out to check the accounts , it was also illegal as he got visa to work only in the school.

            Atlast thilak approved for their wedding and invited  eddie’s parents to srilanka. Their wedding was held in a grand manner .

  I first thought the story will end by this , but it was end of part I  .

            At the last day of civil war , menaka gave birth to a girl . They named her as Kiki . as the war ended , menaka was busy with her social service and dinners and travels.

            Eddie left his job to take care of kiki and he also looks after construction of their new house in the small land given by his father – in – law .  Thilak was so affectionate towards his granddaughter and he always tells Eddie how he wants kiki to be grown………..

            Menaka filed divorce and wants to live with Guyan , her second cousin , he  was Eddie’s best men in their wedding.

            Thilak was a cancer patient and he was admitted to hospital and chemotherapy. Before his death , he divided his property – half to his son and quarter to menaka and Eddie each.

            Eddie falls in love with Caroline , a new teacher in the school . she cares kiki well. Eddie still drinks with his father – in – law with a glass for him and shares everthing with him  . Kiki too shares with her grandfather.

My opinion :

 When I started reading I thought it was a love story between an English men and a srilankan women , but it was a story about son – in – law who loves and cares for his father – in – law who hates him. How they went through their relationship………

 It was worth reading the book……..

This review is a part of http://blog.blogadda.com/2011/05/04/indian-bloggers-book-reviews