Elephant apple / ou tenga : Assamese cuisine

 

This is an Elephant Apple a very regular and liked food item with many health benefits used in our Assamese kitchens.Being from north i had never come across this fruit until i got married... since the time i first tasted it i fell in love with this one.It is called Ou tenga (pronounced O ,tenga means sour).Its outer covering is hard and you need to be very careful while cutting it as the inside pulp is slippery in nature.We consume it in cooked form when the fruit is not too young or too ripe.It is considered as a liver and heart tonic and anti diabetic....it is known to have a cooling effect on the body .After cutting it into small pieces(seeds are discarded ) we prefer to pressure cook it by adding some water to it....it is very acidic in nature.Once boiled some musturd seeds are spluttered in a wok or kadhahi and the boil mix is added ,later a pinch of turmeric and salt is added.....to make it more interesting fried fish can be added which is the most preferred choice out here.Its great specially if you are experiencing a very hot day .Tenga is served as the last dish (with the rice) i.e. once you are done with eating all the other items served.When kids are unwell and refuse to eat anything i always make this preparation because just one bite of tenga and rice mix is enough to stimulate their appetite.

I am only focusing the folk medicine culture in our food habits...if somebody is interested an expert advice is suggested.

Khar of Assam - An indigenous way of making bio-antacid

This is how khar (a bio-antacid)is made in my house.To make this BHEEM-KOL(a heavily seeded variety of banana)is used.Khar is an indispensable item in an Assamese household.......its a handy antacid and is also helpful in soothing a sore throat.Its a must have in every Assamese house.Displayed here is Bheem kol ...you can see it is heavily seeded....this banana is known to have beneficial properties ,for ages it is considered as an option for first baby food(seeds are removed and mixed with rice flour).We sun dried the banana peel . Once fully dried we burn the peels in an iron vessel.........the ashes which remain is collected. A muslin cloth is used to drain the extract,traditionally , a coconut shell is used to strain the same.Plain drinking water is poured over it and in an hour or so you get this clear liquid which is stored at room temperature for months. It is of a very strong strength so very little quantity is used at a time(1 tbs approx).A dish is made using this ....a raw papaya or cucumber or bottle gourd is cut in small pieces to which salt and desired khaar is added ...cooked in medium heat..very often small fishes are added to it too. I am only focusing the folk medicine culture in our food habits .If somebody is interested an expert advice is suggested.