Satiate your sweet tooth with these ice apple dessert recipes

Fruit-based desserts are a delight. They can be healthy and tasty all at the same time! While mango, apple and banana are some of the common fruits used for sweets, let’s find out how to make ice apple recipes.

Ice apple is a natural cooler and helps to maintain body temperature. It is basically a fruit of sugar palm tree, which acts a coolant. It is a summer fruit found in coastal regions of India, known in different names across the different areas as nungu in Tamil Nadu, tadgola in Maharashtra, taal in West Bengal and thaati nungu in Karnataka. The size and colour of the fruit makes it slightly resemble an eggplant.

It is sweet, delicious, fleshy and transparent in nature. Encased in a coconut-like structure when cut open to extract the seed, it is transparent and fleshy and resembles ice. The prime season for ice apples is summer!

“This exotic fruit can also be used in Indian sweets” says Chaitra, Executive Nutritionist, Cloudnine Group of Hospitals, Bengaluru, Malleshwaram.

She suggests two ice apple recipes for you to try!

Ice apple recipes

Nungu Payasam:

Ingredients:
Nungu/ice apples
2 cups boiled milk
¼ cup sugar
12 blanched almonds
2 cardamoms
Few strands of saffron (optional)

Preparation method:
1. Peel the skin of nungu/ice apples. Cut them into small desired shapes and keep them aside.
2. Now take blanched almonds and cardamom and blend it in mixer into a smooth paste.
3. Now add the smooth paste to milk and cook it over a low flame until it thickens.
4. Now add sugar and mix well, and keep stiring on low flame for about 3-4 mins.
5. Remove from heat and allow it to cool completely.
6. Add the chopped nungu/ice apples and mix well. 7. Refrigerate it until ready to serve.
8. Serve chill with saffron strands added on top.

Ice apple rose milk

Ingredients:
Ice apple: 1
Basil seeds: 2-3 tbsp
Rose syrup: 1 tbsp
Milk: 200ml
Sugar: 1tbsp

Preparation method:
1. Take basil seeds and soak it in milk and refrigerate it until the seeds swell up.
2. Peel the skin of ice apple and cut it into small chunks and keep aside.
3. Once the basil seeds milk is ready, add the rose syrup and sugar, mix well
4. Now add chunks of ice apples and rest it for good 30 minutes.
5. Serve chill.

Health benefits of ice apple

Ice apples provide good hydration and it gives a balance of good minerals and sugar. Ice apple for weight loss is also a great option! Traditionally, it has also been used to treat digestive issues and stomach ailments.

1. Hydration:

It is a must-have summer fruit as it contains around 87.6gms of water per 100 gm. The high amount of water content in the fruit helps quench the thirst during scorching summer. It helps in preventing risk of dehydration which leads to nausea and headache and also heatstroke a major summer problem can be avoided.

2. Natural coolant:

It acts as a natural coolant, which helps in regulating body temperature during hot summers. Consuming ice apples during summer days helps keeping the body stay cool.

3. Combats fatigue:

Fatigue is common during summer in all age groups, due excessive sweating. Intake of this fruit help fight fatigue and hydrates body, balances electrolytes and provides nutrients such as vitamins and minerals, needed for healthy body.

4. Energizes the body:

Packed with electrolytes and nutrients such as phosphorous, B complex vitamins, vitamin A, vitamin C, phytochemicals. These compounds together help balance electrolytes and replenish energy lost due to sweat during summer days.

5. Improves digestion:

Due to heat in summer, digestion gets slower due to imbalance of gut microflora and loss of appetite. As ice apples have a soothing effect on body consuming them directly or in any form of recipes helps in aiding digestion and eventually it helps in improving appetite.

6. Helps in reducing nausea:

It helps pregnant women overcome nauseous feeling and helps in constipation-related problems.

7. Glowing skin:

Due to its cooling properties, it helps in treating inflammatory skin problems like redness and itchiness. It keeps the skin hydrating and glowy and alleviates skin problems.