Whether it is the tamarind, kokum or kodampuli, when it is added to food, the outcome is delicious.

Souring agents are such a huge part of our culinary traditions. Depending on the state and community, the “pullippu” note varies. Tamarind, kodampuli, kachampuli , kokum… all add that special tang to a dish. It’s a taste that Indians acquire from childhood and love. The street where I grew up in was lined with tamarind trees from end to end. It was fairly common back then to watch passersby eagerly picking the ripe fruits that had fallen to the ground. The sweet tartness of the flesh makes it an irresistible treat. The lip-puckering tamarind is the quiet hero in most Indian dishes. The full-bodied flavours of a traditional rasam and sambhar come forth only after the addition of the dark pulpy tamarind extract.
To reach its full flavour, the tamarind goes through a special process. When the fruit is ripe, the pale brown skin turns brittle.
It is snapped open to take out the flesh. It is then sun-dried and pounded. This helps to soften the fibres and make it easy to cook. Tamarind has its origins in Africa, but has been a part of Indian cooking for so long that most people are unaware of this. This is an ingredient that the rest of the world is now waking up to. Paired with jaggery, it offers that perfect balance in taste. Many chefs abroad are now adding a bit of tamarind in their plum cake batter for that extra lift. Tamarind candy is a refreshing treat to suck on at the end of a meal. Jams and tapenades, both sweet and savoury, are introducing tamarind as an exciting taste blend. The fact that it keeps for a long time also adds to its many advantages. As it gets older, the colour turns a deep black and the flavour, more intense.
Kerala fish curry, with Kodampuli in it, is made more delicious by the zing brought on by the addition of this dried berry.
Kodampuli is like a large amla, but with prominent sections. In its fresh form, it is known to possess medicinal properties, and is the basis for a weight-loss tonic. The English name is Brindleberry. Before it is stored, the kodampuli is taken apart in slivers, dried, and then, smoked. It’s at this point that the green fruit turns to a matt black and is ready for use. It needs to be soaked in warm water and torn apart before being added to the curry. I’m looking forward to using it in place of tamarind the next time I make fish curry.
Kodampuli also grows in Coorg. But there, they prepare it differently. It is abundantly available in the monsoon months, which makes storage a problem. Rather than just drying it, the fruit is left out in baskets until the pulp breaks down. A large vat is kept below to collect all the juices, and the pulp is then removed. The juice at first is pale and golden. It is then heated in large clay pots until it turns dark burgundy in colour. This slow heating turns it into an almost-syrupy vinegar that improves with age. In fact, the older brews are preferred over the newer ones for cooking. In Kodava language, the fruit is called ‘panapulli’ and the extract is the kachampuli. Kachampuli is especially used for making the famous Coorgi Pandi curry.
Kokum is related to the mangosteen family. The reddish outer covering of the fruit is sun-dried and used as a staple souring agent in Maharashtrian, Gujarati, Goan and Manglorean cuisines. It is also used in Assamese cuisine to make ‘tenga dali’ or sour dal.
The kokum sherbet is the perfect refresher for the summer months. Aagal is the same in concentrate form. It is added to coconut milk, and the sweet and sour flavours make a delicious dish called solkadhi.
Source: The Hindu