I still busy with routine work and it's like 24 hours not enough for me. It's make me very tired and demotivate to update my blog...sometimes ;( I think, I need some rest or go for holiday, to recharge my energy and my mind. My body so tired and make my head empty...since last CNY Orchid Show.
Then, yesterday, after take half day work...got some idea to write something different from orchid , but it's in my garden. It is Averrhoa bilimbi or 'belimbing buluh'. I plant this tree last 3 years from seeds and now it's grown more than 8 feet. This year after rainy season, this tree got their fruit season and it's so generous with the fruit. As I know, there are two varieties fruit, one is green color even matured and another one in light yellow color since young till matured. The green fruit is more sour than light yellow color. In my garden, I only plant the green color fruit.
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| Averrhoa bilimbi plant |
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| Averrhoa bilimbi plant |
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| Averrhoa bilimbi flower |
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| Averrhoa bilimbi fruits |
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| Averrhoa bilimbi fruits |
Some facts about this plant...
From Wikipedia...this plant origin from Malaysia, Indonesia and spread out through South East Asia to India. This plant also found at Jamaica, Timor and Queensland, Australia and some in Madagascar. The taste of this fruit it too sour, so normally people not eating raw. Normally they used as cooking ingredient and for medical interest.
When its come to medical interest, I have tried many times to heal my coughing. I just take a cup of this fruits and mix it with a cup of water, then heat it till the fruit comes soft. Then take one or two spoon every morning and evening. I also used the leaf to release the body temperature, when I got fever. Take a bunch of the leafs, mix with a basin of water for shower. There are a lots of medical interest using this
fruit, leaf and flower, i just list what I already tried before.
As a cooking ingredient, I normally put it in the Malay traditional dishes, such as 'Masak lemak telur ikan' (coconut milk with fish egg), one of my favorite dishes. Actually it also can change to fish, prawn or even chicken.
Here I share the recipe (for 2 person):
Ingredients:
500 g of fish egg (chicken/ fish/ prawn)
2-inch of fresh turmeric (or 2 tea spoon powder)
2-inch of galangal
3 lemongrass
10 bird eye chilies ( small chilies)
10 small onion (red onion)
2 garlic
salt to taste
1 table spoon of sugar
2 cups of coconut milk
10 bilimbi fruits
Methods:
First, blend the onion, garlic and turmeric with bird chillies until its got a fine texture. Then put the blended ingredients in the cookware with water [1 or 2 cup(s)]. Heat it up for a few minutes. Then chops the lemongrass and galangal and mix together with the blended ingredients. When it already boiled put the coconut milk and fish egg, then followed by salt and sugar. Leave it boiled for few minutes, then its ready to be served with plain rice.
This fruit also you can make it as pickle (achard), here I share the
link.
This post I dedicate and welcome to my new Orchid Friend - Diane from North Carolina, USA with her Along Life's Highway The Yard Art Game blog to my Orchid de Dangau. Thanks Diane for being my 34th friend here. I really appreciate your support.
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