Not just winters, India has so much to offer in terms of seasonal produce during summers too. While this season is sweltering with extreme heat, one of the typical fruits called wood apple does its round during this time because of its cooling properties for the body. Thus, a very popular summer beverage is the Wood Apple Juice, especially in northern and eastern parts of India. This is one of the easiest Wood Apple Recipes in Indian cuisine, which is not just tasty but is a nutritious drink. A completely vegan-friendly and gluten-free recipe too.
About wood apple
Also known as monkey fruit or elephant apple, wood apple is one of the rare tree species native to India as well as other regions of Southeast Asia. The fruit, as well as its leaves, seeds, etc., are known to have many health and medicinal properties too.
This round shaped hard-skinned fruit has a mushy and soft pulp within, with many seeds. The aroma of this fruit is distinctively peachy with a sweetish, sour flavor to it.
Sweeter, I would say, when completely ripe. The Wood Apple Juice is one of the most popular summer Beverage Recipes.
In addition to this sharbat, more of Wood Apple Recipes that are common in the Indian subcontinent are pannas and other juices, murabbas, jams, jellies, desserts, etc. which are prepared from its pulp. The tiny, tender shoots or leaves are also consumed in salads as greens.
More on Wood Apple Juice
Apart from breaking open the hard cased wood apple fruit to scoop out the pulp, then soaking it in chilled water, mashing and finally straining to get rid of the seeds and coarse fibre, there is not much you have to do to make this Wood Apple Juice.
As I have mentioned earlier too, this is one of the simplest Wood Apple Recipes that makes for a refreshing and cooling yummy summer drink. It is best to invest some time to prep up the fruit and make the pulp at home, rather than purchasing a readymade one from the market.
This way the juice that you will make at home is definitely more beneficial and freer from added preservatives and/or chemicals that the store-bought ones usually have. To prepare this Wood Apple Juice, you will need ripe fruits. After removing and mashing the pulp, you will have to strain the mixture and then sweeten it by adding jaggery or sugar.
Wood apple is a storehouse of Vitamin C, other nutrients, with a lot many health benefits. Some of which are – it aids digestion, is helpful in getting rid of ulcers and constipation, supports blood purification and the most obvious, is cooling for the body during the scorching summer heat.
While we are talking about cooling beverages, some more traditional Indian drinks in this lot are the following:
You must try all these, as they are really amazing beverages brimming with goodness.
You can serve this seasonal juice just as it is, immediately after preparing it. The remaining can be refrigerated and consumed within a few hours.
Step-by-Step Guide
How to make Wood Apple Juice
Preparation
1. First, take the fruit and with a rolling pin (belan) hit all around it. For this recipe, I have used 2 small and 1 medium wood apple fruit.
2. You will see the outer hard shell cracking. Open the hard shell and you will see a light brown colored pulp.
3. With a spoon, scoop out the soft pulp.
4. Add the scooped soft pulp in a bowl or pan.
5. Then, add 1 cup chilled water. Soak the pulp for 20 minutes.
6. After 20 minutes, with a veggie masher, mash the pulp.
7. Mash very well.
8. Then using a strainer, strain the mashed mixture in parts. Do not use a fine strainer.
9. With a spoon, stir so that the mixture is strained well.
10. While straining, add water also. Overall, add about ½ to ¾ cup water, while straining.
11. Continue to stir with a spoon so that the fine pulp is extracted and the seeds and coarse fibre is left behind.
12. This is what remains after the pulp is strained well – seeds and some coarse fibre.
13. Here is the strained pulp.
Making Wood Apple Juice
14. Now, add 12 tablespoons jaggery. You can also add sugar. Both jaggery and water can be adjusted as per your requirements.
15. Then, add â…“ teaspoon roasted cumin powder.
16. Next, add â…“ teaspoon cardamon powder and 2 pinches black salt.
17. Mix very well.
18. Pour in glasses and serve Wood Apple Juice. You can make the juice thin or thick, by adding more or less water.
Expert Tips
- You can either add jaggery or sugar for sweetness in this beverage. Both these can be adjusted, according to how sweet you want your drink to be.
- I like to add the cardamom powder for an enhanced flavor. You can skip it, if you want.
- In case, the bael fruit you are using is very sweet, then you can even add a few drops of lemon juice in this recipe to have that perfect balance in the drink.
- You can make this sharbat thick or thin, by adding more or less water in it.
- If you have a huge garden in your home or even some good enough space for plants, then you can clean the seeds that are left after straining the pulp and sow them in the soil. Who knows, you might just have a wood apple tree soon in your backyard!
More Indian Beverages Recipes To Try!
Please be sure to rate the recipe in the recipe card or leave a comment below if you have made it. For more vegetarian inspirations, Sign Up for my emails or follow me on Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter.
Wood Apple Juice Recipe
This Wood Apple Juice Recipe is a summer cooling drink made from this typical fruit, also known as elephant apple.
Prep Time 25 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
First take the wood apple and with a rolling pin (belan) hit all around. For this recipe I have used 3 medium sized fruits.
You will see the outer hard shell cracking. Open the hard shell and you will see a brown colored pulp.
With a spoon scoop out the soft pulp.
Add the scooped soft pulp in a bowl.
Then add 1 cup water.
Soak this mixture for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, with a veggie masher, mash the pulp. Mash very well.
Then using a strainer, strain the mashed mixture in parts. Also overall add about ½ to ¾ cup water while straining.
With a spoon stir so that the mixture is strained well.
Once the mixture is strained, then add 12 tablespoons jaggery. You can also add sugar. Both jaggery and water can be adjusted as per your requirements.
Then add roasted cumin powder, cardamon powder and 2 pinches of black salt.
Mix very well.
Pour in glasses and serve Wood Apple Juice. You can make the juice thin or thick by adding more or less water.
