Our summers bring baskets and baskets of seasonal phal. Many are intriguing regional varieties. Some you may never have heard of before. Do seek these fruit out and taste them. They are exquisite.
Phalsa Or Grewia Asiatica
The tiny, purple berries, which grow in many parts of north India, pack a punch -- sweet, tart, they are incredibly refreshing on hot summer days. Often sold chilled, the berries are eaten with a sprinkle of black salt. Or made into a squash.
White Mulberry Or Safed Shahtoot
Delicate and juicy, white mulberries are lesser-known cousins of the dark purple ones and even tastier. The pale, sweet fruit is known for its mild honey-like flavoor. They grow in the north during late spring and early summer.
Natal Plum Or Christ’s Thorn Or Karvanda
Tiny dark berries with a sharp tang, karvande is a wild summer fruit popular in western India (Maharashtra, Goa, and Karnataka). Used in pickles, jams, chutneys, they can be munched raw with salt and chilly powder for a lip-smacking treat.
Water Apple Or Safed Jamun
Another common sight of summer, that goes by many names, like panneer nava, jambakka, gulaabijamichettu, the slightly crunchy water apple grows in most states, including the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It is also has green and pink species.
Carambola Or Kamaranga Or Star Fruit
The unripe ones are green.They turn golden yellow and depending on their type and ripening state, their taste varies between sweet and more citric. Found all over India, the sour fruit work well in curries and chutneys.
Rayan or Khirni
A small yellow fruit that's sweet, pulpy, it's a hidden gem of India’s summers, growing wild. It is enjoyed fresh or used in local sweets and jams. It is beloved in rural parts of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh.
Kumquats Or Chinese Oranges
They look like mini oranges. Either oval or round, kumquats have a thin edible skin and are mostly sweet. Farmers in South India grow this fruit at higher altitudes. It makes great jam.
Wood Apple Or Bael
With a hard shell and fragrant, fibrous pulp, a sharbat made from the fruit cuts the summer heat beautifully. Found across north and central India, bael is often offered in temples.
Indian Jujube Or Bor
Also called ber, the cherry-sized tropical fruit turns golden-brown when taiyar and is available in most parts of India. Crisp, tangy, and slightly sweet, bor was/is a childhood favourite purchasable from street vendors and relished with salt and chilly powder.
Manila Tamarind Or Jungli Jalebi or Goras Imli
Despite its name, Manila tamarind is not related to regular tamarind. It has a twisted, pod-like shape with a pink-green outer shell. Inside, you’ll find pulp-covered seeds with a tangy-sweet flavour, enjoyed by itself or with a dash of salt and chilly powder.
Ice Apple Or Tadgola
Soft, translucent, the jelly-like tadgola, a natural coolant, is found in Indian coastal areas. Harvested from the palmyra palm, it’s mildly sweet, hydrating and likened to nature’s version of coconut jelly.
Breadfruit Or Kada Chakka Or Nirphanas
The exterior looks much like a jackfruit, but they are often smaller in size. When unripe, breadfruit is cooked and eaten in coconut curries in India's southern and Konkan coastal belt. Or even as fritters and in dessert. When they ripen, they can be consumed raw.