Apr 25, 2006

Guess the spice? (Kudampuli)

This is also from in-laws (another nice sweet aunt) who make sure we have two or three kilos of this when we travel back to U.S. The only worry I have at customs is whether they will throw the whole bag out. I am pretty sure, if they ever do that, I will choose the spice bag than U.S. entry :-)

This is a must-use, very important, cholesterol lowering ingredient if you are from central Kerala. Most homes have jars full of this dried and if properly dried it will store for years. It turns from parrot green to blackish black when dried.

Yes, it is the favourite kudampuli. A friend of mine from Trivandrum actually ate this when I made fish curry for her. She didnt know that this should not be eaten. It is just to sour the fish curry.

I have had fish curry from Goa and they put kokum in their fish curries too. They even make some drinks with this I think. But I think kokum and kudampuli are not same,but they are cousins for sure.

3 comments:

Inji Pennu said...

14 Comments:
At 25/4/06 12:49 PM, Santhi said...
Is it purple color i See??????
and U say it is a spice....

Did not have one thing that popped in my mind for a spice IM.....

Still thinking...

At 25/4/06 1:47 PM, Anonymous said...
It is Kokum right? I am originally from Udupi and we get it there as well.

At 25/4/06 2:52 PM, Immigrant in Canada said...
Kudam puli: I have enough to last another 100 yrs....

At 25/4/06 4:01 PM, L G said...
Yes ,it is. Who am I kidding? With all these expert cooks around..

"കുടമ്പുളിയിട്ടു വെച്ച നല്ല ചെമ്മീന് കറി ഉണ്ടു"

Now, I am not sure whether Kokum and kudampuli from Kerala are the same.

At 25/4/06 5:50 PM, Immigrant in Canada said...
enne vilikkandu thanne chemmen curry kazhikkuva alle...karachilu varunnundu

At 25/4/06 7:39 PM, Santhi said...
Very Intresting IM..
I dont know abt this spice and U say it lowers cholestrol...

are u going to post some recipes using this????

At 25/4/06 9:41 PM, Indira said...
Aa.. I missed the guessing game again.:) and I'd never have guessed it right.
First time seeing this spice, I know about kokum but this one, a total surprise.

At 25/4/06 10:10 PM, archanat said...
Hi Inchi,
I have a bag full happily sitting in my kitchen, can't leave without it. Here is one silly,stupid me, i never even knew about the existence of something called Kokkum, till i read Reshma's blog. But then i assumed that KP and Kookum are the same.
Archana

At 26/4/06 1:12 AM, Immigrant in Canada said...
Aha.. finally I got it... long ago a guju friend send me her dhal recipe and it needed kokum and I wasn't aware tht kokum and kudampuli are 2 different stuff and my kids asked me..mama why did you make fish curry with dhal!!!!..

At 26/4/06 11:03 AM, L G said...
santh: Hi santhi,yes, I will post some soon.
When I say cholestrol lowering, lots of foods even garlic and curry leaves is said to be cholestrol lowering so you know.

archana Hi Archana, I too thought the same until I tasted kokum. It is nowhere near our kudampuli in sourness.If you search the net, a lot of sites,
even the brands who sell them name it as same. So we are not alone.
They both look alike I think when dried,but they are different fruits.

immigrantincanda കുടമ്പുളി എന്നു അറിയാമെങ്കില് വിളിച്ചു കൂവണാമായിരുന്നോ?ഞാന് ഒരു മിടുക്കി ആണു എന്നു വിചാരിച്ചോണ്ടു ഇരിക്കൂലായിരുന്നൊ? എനി ചെമ്മീന് കറി കൂടി വേണമെന്നാണല്ലെ? അതു ശെരി! :-)

indira maybe next time. I am so happy you are even visiting my blog.

At 26/4/06 3:39 PM, Gini said...
Oh yeah..kuddampuli. No mallu is going to leave Kerala without a bundle of those!

At 26/4/06 3:42 PM, RP said...
Missed the game. I would have guessed it right. LOL
But this looks too purplish, or is that the magic of camera? I have posted a picture of this long time ago.

At 26/4/06 6:02 PM, L G said...
gini yeah, a mallu worth his/her salt. :-)

rp You have a better picture.Yes, mine looks a little purplish. Yours look real black.

At 27/4/06 1:23 AM, Immigrant in Canada said...
Meen curriyum tharathilla..sathaym paranjathinu sammanavum illa..kashtam thanne ente sthithi

Nichiro said...

Hello,

I know purple coloured Kudampulli but this looks very blue to my eyes.

Are you sure that this is the colour or is this a photograph taken using colour filter?

Naga Jolokia Addict

Thulasy Mary Elizabeth said...

I am just reading your blog.There is nothing wrong in eating kudampuli.We have these trees in our 'parambu'.When it get riped actually , we smash it and take the seeds out.Seeds are juicy & has a sweet and sour taste.We taste it.The raw hard cover is yellow in colour and we smoke it for months or sun dry it before smoking for a long time to get this black coloured one.My mother used to say that 'Kudampuli vayaru shudhi aakum'.
'Ilumpi puli raktham shudhi aakum'
Ilumpi puli also lowers cholestrol and the dried one can be used to make fish curry to get the sour taste.
Happy blogging always.....!