‘Ambate’, a very well-known fruit along the Coastal Karnataka is known for its sweet and tangy taste. It is also known as ‘Amte’ in Kannada and ‘Hog Plum’ in English.
If you go by looks, you may be easily deceived it to be a small variety of Mango. But trust me, it is very different from mango and has a unique taste of its own; if once tasted, you will never forget it. It is green in colour and small in size with a fleshy outer layer wrapped to the innermost seed.
I remember, in one of my casual conversations with my dad, he said, he found a seedless variety of ambate in a nursery and he purchased few saplings of this variety and planted them in his backyard. I am eager to see this variety as it is for the first time I am coming across a seedless variation of this fruit. Will keep you updated!!!
Ambate / Hog plums are not just great to taste, but also good for health. High on calcium, vitamins and iron, this fruit helps us in fulfilling the daily nutrition requirement for the family too.
Wide variety of dishes are possible using Ambate. The most popular and tastiest of all is ‘Ambate Menaskai’.
Menaskai is a unique curry prepared in the Coastal Karnataka which is a great combination of aromatic coconut with nutty flavoured sesame seeds, spicy chillies with sweet jaggery, and tamarind mixed with few Indian spices. I am sure you will love it if you get to taste it once. Ambate brings in the sourness to the dish along with mild sweetness replacing the need for tamarind.
Total time: 25 minutes
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
Hog Plums: 10
Fresh Grated coconut: ½ cup
Jaggery: 2 lemon size
Salt to taste
For Menaskai Masala:
Red Chilli: 3
Urad Dal: 1.5 tsp.
Coriander seeds: 1/4th tsp.
Fenugreek seeds: 1/4th tsp.
Sesame seeds: 2 tsp.
Method:
- Wash and dry the hog plums and keep aside
- Roughly chip off the outer layer of the hog plums. You may even smash it gently
- With water to dip all the hog plums, boil in medium flame with jaggery and salt. Cook in medium flame for about 10 minutes
- Meanwhile, prepare the Menaskai Masala by following the steps below:
- In a pan, heat some oil and add the red chillies to it and fry in medium flame
- Add urad dal and fenugreek seeds and fry till they turn golden brown
- Add coriander seeds and fry for a few seconds
- To the above add sesame seeds and fry till they start to spurt out. Remove from flame
- In a mixer, add coconut, little water and fried red chillies and grind it well
- Add rest of the masala ingredients and grind to a smooth paste
- To the cooked hog plums, add the ground paste and mix well
- Add water and salt if required and bring it to boil
- Serve it hot with rice or Idlis or dose
Note :
- Menaskai tends to thicken when cooled due to the presence of Urad dal in it. Include water accordingly
- You may use any sesame seeds – be it black coloured or brown or white coloured. The colour may differ accordingly, but the taste remains the same
- I have used Kashmiri red chilli here as they are high on colour and low on spice
Ambate Stories :
In Coastal Karnataka, it is a common sight to find this tree in the backyard of almost every other ancestral homes. As kids, when we all came together for any pooja / function / some event at my maternal house, our days were spent either in the Cashew farms or in the Mango grooves or under the Sapota or the Ambate trees. Ambate / Indian Hog Plums were cherished when cooked. So, this was one fruit, which promptly came to the kitchen, as we plucked them. Of course, few of my cousins, loved having them raw, with some salt and chilli powder, but I preferred having them cooked.
Ambate menaskai is one of my favorites. Specially the way my mom and maternal aunts prepare with the Ambate from my maternal grandmother’s farm.
Apart from menaskai, it is commonly using in pickling. Ambate ’Gojju’ is also a favorite among few households.
I was surprised to find traditional herbs and fruits like Brahmi leaves / Timare and Hog Plums / Ambate at Indian stores across Europe.
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