इमली Tamarind

Description:

The name ultimately derives from Arabic tamr-hindī, i.e. date of India. The tamarind is best described as sweet and sour in taste, and is high in acid, sugar, B vitamins and, oddly for a fruit, calcium. The fruit pulp is edible. The hard green pulp of a young fruit is considered by many to be too sour and acidic, but is often used as a component of savory dishes, as a pickling agent or as a means of making certain poisonous yams in Ghana safe for human consumption.[citation needed] The ripened fruit is considered the more palatable, as it becomes sweeter and less sour (acidic) as it matures. It is used in desserts as a jam, blended into juices or sweetened drinks, sorbets, ice creams and all manner of snacks. In Western cuisine, it is found in Worcestershire sauce,[10] and HP sauce. In Karnataka, India, the tamarind is called "Hunasae Hannu" and is used in saaru (lentil soup), sambhar or sambar (Vegetable Soup),Gojju(Sauce),Majjigae Huli (Yogurt based soup) and several types of chutneys. Imli chutney and pulusu use it. Along with tamarind, sugar and spices are added to (regional) taste for chutneys or a multitude of condiments for a bitter-sweet flavor. The immature pods and flowers are also pickled and used as a side dish. In regional cuisines, such as Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu (where it is called "Puli") and Andhra Pradesh, use it to make rasam, sambhar, vatha kuzhambu, and puliyogare. In Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, tender leaves of tamarind called chintha chiguru (ఛింత ఛిగురు) and puliyankozhunthu (புளியங்கொழுந்து) respectively, are used with lentils to make raw chutney. It is also dried and used in place of ripe tamarind for mild flavour. In southern parts of Kerala, mostly along the coastal belt, it is added to fish curry masalas, with ground coconut for flavouring.

Notes:

The wood is a bold red color. Due to its density and durability, tamarind heartwood can be used in making furniture and wood flooring.