During a recent trip to the capital city of Kerala, the sight you see below is what I faced every time I looked out from the house.
They were in full bloom, yet to ripen though. In the native language of Kerala, it is referred to as a chambakka. It is a fruit that is bell shaped and its taste varies from sour to mildly sweet.Usually it is plucked off the tree by children and if any left is made into preserve/jams or squashes. I had to satisfy myself by just looking at this sight. A week later, I received a parcel containing the very same fruits that had ripened.
Isn't the colour just amazing?
I found a recipe in Recipes for all Occasions, Part 2 by Mrs. BF Varughese. The recipe was for Chambakka Jelly.
What you need are just three ingredients.
- 1. Ripe Chambakkas/Water Apples- About 40 to 50
- 2.Sugar-1 Cup
- 3. Water-2 Cups
Slice the fruits into two and deseed and remove the brown fibers.
Boil the sliced fruits with water until the quantity of water reduces to almost half. Strain it. Simmer the juice with the sugar until it reaches a consistency where when you spoon a drop on a plate, it sets. Transfer to a bottle. This recipe makes 3/4 of a cup.
I had mine on bread while my daughter loved it on its own. She said it tastes like Cotton Candy!!!
This pink water apple jelly is my entry to FIC:Pink.
Nostalgic there..we had plenty at our native place..As kids,chambakka was one fruit we alaways looked for ..
ReplyDeleteWhat a bright color yours have !!..this jelly preparetion is new to me though..great idea.
Lived in India, I never came across this fruit, What a lovely pink hue!
ReplyDeleteWow... looks wonderful Rachel! Creative cooking! :)
ReplyDeleteWowow, never seen waterapples too...Jelly look amazing, eyecatching entry!!
ReplyDeleteI have tasted this fruit once in Yelagiri hills...A very innovative recipe using water apple..Lovely color :)
ReplyDeleteWhy do you want to make me homesick by posting those delicious chabakka, it is ages ago i have at them, it takes me back to my childhood.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love this fruit .. that looks soo gorgeous
ReplyDeleteLovely color...I've seen something similar in the stores here but it was pale green. I loved the taste, but not sure if we are talking about the same fruit.
ReplyDeleteThats such an awesome jelly...we had this tree in our home in Kerala and there would not be one fruit if wee were there...used to love them.
ReplyDeletehey, no need pectine and other substance? it will become jelly like with just sugar and water?
ReplyDeleteI love chambakka, Rachel.....been ages since I had one. Just like you mentioned in your post, as a child, I used to pluck these off a tree and eat. Never knew that it had an English name....I didn't think that it grew anywhere outside of Kerala.
ReplyDeleteHi
ReplyDeleteHaven't heard of this fruit before. God they are so delicious looking! real beauties, and u have turned them into a heavenly jelly!kudos! the spread on the slice looks very inviting and must say clicks are superb!
TC
Love chambakka. But have never seen them this red. Probably it was never left to ripe. Jelly is knew to me. Lovely recipe. Thanks for the english name too.
ReplyDeleteThis is really new to me,but just looking at the colour of fruit and then the jam,i feel so tempted to have it ...NOWWWW......
ReplyDeleteVivien-Yes pectin was not used because this fruit on its own does contain some amount of pectin. So when you boil the juice with sugar it does thicken to the consistency of the jelly.
ReplyDeleteHi Rachel ...
ReplyDeleteChambakka kandittu kothy avunnu..Nattil pokan thonnunnu ..chambakka jelly looks great ..Will try this once i bak to kerala ..U gt a great blog ..Keep up the great work
Oh I love chambakka - there was one growing outside my granddad's house when we were kids.
ReplyDeleteAnd I adore BF Varughese. Her's was the first cookbook I owned!!!
Lovely photos, great recipe, & thank you for letting me know what the english name for this lovely fruit is (it's been driving me crazy!) & for visiting my blog :)
We have a tree back in Cochin. Water apple, that's a new name. I know it as rose apples. And the jelly is new to me too.
ReplyDeletechambakka..v hv lots in our place...can u hlp me with a recipe to make champakka pickle
ReplyDeletethis fruit is realy amesome
ReplyDeletei love chambakka...came accross ur blog when i ws searchin for an englich name for chambakka...all my non keralite frnds wre askin for the english name...nd the recipe is awesme..:)
ReplyDeleteIs this fruit available in US?
ReplyDeleteHAD LOTS OF CHAMBAKKA AS A KID DURING MY VISIT TO MY NATIVE PLACE ( TIRUVALLA , PATHINAMTHITTA DISTRICT , KERALA )
ReplyDeleteHad lots of Chambakka as a Kid during my visit to native place ( Tiruvalla , Pathinamthitta District , Kerala ) .. THOSE WHO HAVE NOT TASTED KINDLY PACK YOUR GEAR AND VISIT GODS OWN COUNTRY...
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