By Ratna
“Poof”, the long stem struggled out from my right ear, the two leaves with it, the folded leaves straightened after exit. This was followed by another stem with leaves from my left ear. I could feel a rumble inside my tummy as if something was becoming bigger and getting ready to come out from my nose. I must have given out a loud shriek, for the next thing I remember was my Ma comforting me in my bedroom.
Every summer holiday we visited our Dadu and Dida’s house. The whole day was spent playing games with our cousins, running around with no particular aim or plan. The dark, shiny Jamuns were washed and being marinated for later use. Just when I thought there was nobody watching me popping a couple of them in my mouth, I was busted by Bapi, my older cousin. In the commotion I swallowed a stone from the fruit. Bapi wouldn’t let this opportunity slip by so easily, and educated me in detail about the fate of the stone inside my tummy. That is what led to the incident later that night.
I vividly remember the fear even today after many, many summers.
I had never seen Jamuns ( Syzygium cumini ) in Canadian stores before. Recently however I came across this frozen packet. I had to get those, knowing very well they will never taste as good the fresh ones.
Today’s recipe is really not a recipe in the strict sense, but a way of enjoying those fruits.
Recipe:
Ingredients;
Plums (Syzygium cumini) one 12 oz packet
Kashundi (Mustard sauce) Two tbsps
Sea Salt To taste
Brown sugar One Tbsp
Method;
Wash the plums. In a glass bowl marinate them with the mustard sauce, sugar and salt. Taste and titrate to your liking. Cover with a tight fitting lid and put in the refrigerator for couple hours. When ready shake the bowl with lid on, so that the plums get a bit macerated and obtain a good coating of the marinades.
Inside Scoop:
The fresh Jamuns have a very smooth and shiny skin, unlike the crinkly ones we see here in the picture.
They are full of Vitamins and antioxidants. Having a low glycaemic index, it is good for the diabetics too.
Mustard sauce or Kashundi is available in Indian grocery stores.
The Jamuns could stain clothing.
Dadu and Dida is the bengali word for Granpa and Granma.