RECEIPE OF SOL KADHI

This refreshing kadhi is great with plain rice. Some people like to drink this at the end of their meal.
1 Coconut milk tin
10 Kokam pieces
2 cloves garlic
1 green chili
1 teaspoon chopped coriander leaves
Salt to taste
Soak kokam in about 3 tablespoons of warm water. The water will turn reddish pink. Grind the garlic and green chili. Mix the coconut milk, garlic and green chili paste, salt, kokam water together. Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves on top. Keep in the refrigerator. Serve chilled with hot rice and fried fish!

WHAT IS KOKAM?
Kokam is a fruit which is often halved and dried, so that the dried seeds are visible in their chambers like a citrus fruit. It is available in the dried form and it is dark purple to black, sticky and with curled edges resembling a thick plum skin. When added to food it imparts a pink to purple color and sweet and sour taste.
Similar to tamarind, kokum skins are usually infused in hot water. The deeper the color the better the kokum. Kokum especially enhances coconut-based curries or vegetable dishes like potatoes, okra or lentils. Kokum is especially used with fish curries, three or four skins being enough to season an average dish. It is also included in chutneys and pickles.
The skins are not usually chopped but are added whole to the dish. Seasoning should be checked as they are quite salty. Beware of biting on a stone as a few are often left in the skins.

It will keep in an airtight jar for about a year.
Kokam which is grown along the Konkan coast in Konkan, Malabar and Kanara regions of Western Maharashtra, not only makes for a tangy cold drink but it is also a medicinal fruit that counters acidity and indigestion. It is also an essential ingredient in the sol kadhi served in various fish joints in Mumbai.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF KOKUM :

Little is known about these tangy, purple berries native to India. Used widely in refreshing drinks and coastal curries, kokam offers a wide range of medicinal properties. Read on to find out what these pretty fruits can do for you and what you can do to max out the health benefits of kokam.

Kokam (botanical name: Garcinia indica), is a deep purple fruit that is very similar to Mangosteen. The tree is native to the Western Ghats and Konkan regions of India and the fruit is commonly used in west-Indian cuisines. Various parts of the tree such as the seeds and bark of the root are used in Ayurvedic preparations since they offer a myriad of health benefits.

Dried Kokam fruit rinds are widely used in cooking as they impart a sweetish-tangy flavor to the food. The fruits contain citric acid, acetic acid, malic acid, ascorbic acid, hydroxycitric acid and garcinol.

MEDICINAL PROPERTIES AND APPLICATION:

· Kokam fruits contain rich amounts of anti-oxidants that bind with free radicals and prevent oxidative damage to body cells. They also promote cell regeneration and repair.

· Kokum juice is especially popular during scorching summer months as it has a cooling effect on the body and shields the body against dehydration and sunstroke. It also helps in bringing down fever and allergic reactions.