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.
 |
| Averrhoa bilimbi plant |
 |
| Averrhoa bilimbi plant |
 |
| Averrhoa bilimbi flower |
 |
| Averrhoa bilimbi fruits |
 |
| 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
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.
.JPG)
Wah lebat nye buat belimbing you tu Makarimi, jeles I! Tak sabar nak tengok belimbing yang I beli di MAHA 2010 berbuah macam you punya. Today not only belimbing tree you are showing us, but your culinary skill too! Yummy!
Thanks p3chandan. Pokok ni senang sangat hidup jika cukup cahayanya. Saya tanam dari 'seed', selepas 8 bulan dah berbuah. I love cooking...especially my favorite dishes, one of my hobby. Hope your plants better than me ;)Thanks a lots for commenting.
hi,
I was going thru your blog and find it so interetsting. I would like to know if you can help me concerning orchids.
I got this spiderorchid but it grows & grows but never flower.
I had boughted a powdered fertiliser and diluted it in 1/2 pail of water and water it 2 weeks once. Still no flower.
Any suggestion?
Hi James, Thanks for the compliments and droping here. The spider orchid you means, maybe arachnis Maggie Oei Red/ yellow ribbon. I checked with your blog about that, that one is Aranthera Bartha Braga. This types of allied hybrid need more sunlight than others orchid. If there are not flower, maybe over fertilized or watering or too shady. So you need to give them more sunlight, prefer to less watering for few days and not give fertilized for few weeks. Only after she flowering, then give back the fertilizer as usual. Just email me for more details with pictures, here I just give comment base on what you wrote here.
Wow! You grow this seed 8 months ago? That's impressive. I have not tasted this before. Is it very sour? It's not meant to be eaten on its own right?
Hi One, I grow this plant already 3 years, only after 8 months I can harvest the first fruit. It's very sour, cannot eat raw, maybe you can add some in your sambal belacan eat with traditional salad. Yummy ;)
Really interesting! I'd never heard of this plant, thanks for sharing!
2 tablespoon of turmeric powder?
banyak tuh, or is it 2 teaspoon?
Wah, so many fruits! Belimbing memang rajin berbuah! Mine is already about 10 years old and it constantly bears me with tons of fruits. Love it in sambal tumis and asam pedas. Got to try out your recipe. Sounds good. Thanks for the link. It is always nice to know how to use the belimbing in cooking, too many fruits! I always gave them away, tak habis makan!
Thanks a lot. I really appreciate your help and your suggestion.
The one you commented on my blog was taken in Orchid Garden in KL, they are not mine.
please refer to this location for pictures:
http://jamesmissier.blogspot.com/2009/08/reed-stem-orchid-epidendrum.html
I have them for 2 years now, they grow & grow and look very healthy and lushful. But still no flowers. They get all the sun (morning till evening)
Wah this is my favourite tree. The first thing to get in my priority list if I am living in tropical place. Masak lemak cili api with belimbing buloh is so delicious.Thank you for the medicinal value tips.
Thanks so much for the dedication, I was very touched. I love everything about the Averrhoa bilimbi. The flower is beautiful the fruit is a wonderfully interesting shape. What kind of flavor does it add to a dish: sweet, tangy or spicy?
hi, the tree you posted now is very famous in the Philippines for our kitchen needs. We call it 'kamias' or 'kalamyas'. The Tagalog people in the country are fond of sour dishes, so the fruits are commonly used fresh, cut and cooked with fish either with or without coconut milk. Because a tree produces lots of fruits, but not fruiting the whole year, we slice them in summer and dry under the sun, then store it and use also in cooking. BTW, the fruits shouldn't be eaten much when fresh because it has lots of oxallic acid which reacts or destroys the enamel of the tooth.
Fascinating post. I have so much to learn!
Dona> Your welcome dona. I'm so appreciate you come visit me again. Thanks also for commenting.
juliadam> thanks for corrected, overlooked about that. Terima kasih atas teguran dan terima kasih for dropping by.
kf> My pleasure. 10 years plant...must be bigger than me and for sure the bilimbi is more than enough. I also like with sambal tumis telur/ udang...so nice to eat with nasi lemak.If too much...normally my brother make pickle or just dry it with salt.
JM> My pleasure, I'm happy to assist you.
Diana> Thanks so much for commenting. Masak lemak cili api...one of my favorite if cooked with fish egg. I just share what my sister teach me during my childhood.
lifeshighway> My pleasure. When it's add to the dish it will be tangy. You can reduce the taste by putting more chilies/ sugar/salt or reduce the quantities of bilimbi.
abagillon> Thanks for dropping by here again and commenting. Thanks also for sharing the info. My brother also dry it under the sun for future use.
shrylene> Thanks for commenting and drop by again.
That recipe sounds fiery hot. I must try it ! - but maybe with chicken rather than fish eggs. What would be a good substiute for bilimbi (we don't have this in the UK)?
b-a-g> Thanks. Actually with chicken or fish also nice. You can use dry Garcinia atroviridis (5 pcs) or just a lemon juice. Hope you enjoy the dishes. Good luck!
Wow-That's a fast growing tree! 8 months from seed to fruit :) Very interesting post!