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.