Sol,Kokum,berinda sol ,they all are the same.Goa is very famous for its Sol kadi and kokum sar. Kokum, sorrel fruit , tamarind is most commonly used in Konkan
cooking as it adds tangy taste and blends with the other spices and balances
the curry.In konkani we call it as Berinda sol and most common preparation is
Berinda saru which I will post soon.My mamama is used to prepare the best sol kadi whenever there was fish preparation.In Mumbai ,it is served with the Malwani fish thali. We also have a big kokum tree which yields hundreds of fruits even now, in my paternal
grandfathers ancestral house in Kerala.My mom still dries it in the house and
stores and gives my share too.The inner seeds of the fruit which resembles like
mango steen, is edible ,which is
swallowed,and outer part is dried in the sun until crisp for few days by adding little salt
and then stored for years.The newer the Sol ,then you can expect great pink color,the older,the light color.When I was a child,I was damn scared to eat swallow the seeds as I was scared I will be transformed into a tree, lol. My brother used to swallow the seeds and I used to wait until next day to check whether he has been transformed to a tree.Poor bro.Hes still human .haahah. Me and my imagination.haha....Nostalgia...They make the best juice
too,which we say as berinda sherbath in Konkani. Kokum soda tastes
superb,and imagine if you have it after a heavy meal it is simply mind blowing. Kokum juice is very good for health.Overall, Kokum is a healthy fruit.For more information on Kokum you may refer here.Sol kadi makes the best appetizer.
Ingredients:
Grated coconut-2
cups
Kokum(Sol)-7-8
pieces(garcinia indica)
Salt to
taste
Garlic-3-4
Green chilly-1
Coriander
leaves-few to garnish
Water-2 cups
Method:
- Soak the
kokum in the warm water for an hour.
- Grind the
grated coconut along with garlic and
green chilly to a fine paste.
- Take a
broad vessel and place a strainer and
extract coconut milk by adding little water and squeezing thick extract
first,keep it seperate.
- Again add
little water and squeeze water ,this will be the thin extract.
- Add salt
to taste,mix both the thick and thin coconut extract,soaked Sol ,adjust the consistency and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
- As times passes the kokum releases its color.
- Relish it with rice or as an appetizer.
My notes:
You may also soak the Sol overnight to get a deep pink color.
You may also boil the Sol for 6-7 minutes to get the Sol extract.
You may strain the mixture if you want so.
You may also use ready made coconut milk and kokum syrup and make this preparation.