It’s from the end of January to the end of March depending on when each tree begins fruiting.
If we thought that the Tamarind tree was only about the sour Tamarind fruit,there’s much more to it !.
Most of our native plant life offer a variety of options when it comes to ingredients for cooking. The Tamarind tree is no different. As we move away from traditional recipes we tend to lose touch with foods that are staring us right in the face.
Our roads in Coimbatore are lined with innumerable Tamarind trees but scant attention is paid to the benefits it contains. The young leaves if you remember we mentioned in an article last year, is most delicious when cooked along with lentils ( paruppu) or made into a chutney. These leaves last only for a few weeks before they mature.
Now the trees are dotted with pretty yellow and orange blossoms which turn the otherwise sedate tree into a happy vibrant one.
The branches are filled with the young green of the leaves interspersed with the delicate flowers. It’s from the end of January to the end of March depending on when each tree begins fruiting.
By April the existing pods begin to dry, the young leaves begin to sprout in a bright almost neon green and the tree commences it’s natural cycle once more.
How many of us are aware that these flowers are not only edible but form an important part of the traditional summer diet !?!.
Summer is when the flavours are kept simple and not over powering. So while the freshly picked Tamarind fruit is allowed to age, the young leaves and flowers are used to add the sour taste to a rasam or a simple podi.
Another interesting fact that I realised this year is that these old Tamarind trees weren’t planted only in the plains. They are found all along the ghat roads leading to the Nilgiris upto the 10th hairpin bend above Burliar. The trees are just as lush and full of flowers.
These first flowers are quite fragile and tend to get blown away by gusty winds. This is probably why our ancestors included it as part of the summer diet. The flowers that form later are what actually turn into fruit.
If you take a look at the ground during this time of year, you will notice a carpet of windswept tamarind flowers. Take a look at them up close. They have an unusual shape and comprise of several colours and shades.
The thin green stalk and stamen must be removed before cooking these flowers. A Tamarind flower rasam can be made by allowing the flowers to simmer in the rasam water. Alternatively it can also be lightly pounded with the other ingredients and then added to the boiling process.
We also made a spice powder at home by adding the Tamarind flowers to a traditional paruppu podi.
While frying the lentils of choice, simply add the Tamarind flowers and fry on low heat until all the moisture is removed and the petals become dry. Allow it to cool before making into a powder (podi).
The taste is familiar but with a twist. It can be eaten alongside rice or mixed with ghee to be eaten with idli/dosai/uthappam staple.
When we embrace our native cuisines we do tend to take notice of that which exists in our landscape and as a result pass that on to the next generation. This is the best kind of education that happens outside the classroom. The understanding of a rich culture like ours has definitely inculcated in me the need to preserve, protect and promote our valuable heritage. That’s the very least we can do in celebration of our existence.