Have you heard of a superfruit, that is a culinary delicacy indigenous to India’s North East and offers many medicinal benefits?
Elephant Apple, locally known as Ou Tenga, is found in the Indian states of Assam, Meghalaya, Odisha, and West Bengal. it is found in other parts of Asia too, however, its uses are few and far between there. It is an inseparable part of the Assamese cuisine. Cooked to perfection with a myriad of ingredients varying in texture and flavour, it is a fruit mostly treated as a vegetable.
The various tribes and communities of North East India have created magic out of Ou Tenga. It is sour in taste with different levels of sourness depending on its ripeness. It has a unique, soft outside and fibrous inside texture. It can be eaten raw by cutting it in tiny pieces, simply mixing salt and chilli for flavour in it.
Is delicacy all that it is supposed to be?
Going beyond food, this vegetable is good for one’s health. A prime example of taste and health combination, it is low in cholesterol, has beneficial phytochemicals, and loaded with Vitamin C, mandatory for a strong immune system, Iron, for increasing haemoglobin, and the B Vitamins for maintaining a constant energy level in your body.
Other benefits
- Ou Tenga contains potassium in it, making it a feasible remedy for Hypertension and regulating heartbeat. Put some Ou Tenga pieces in your Dal and enjoy eating the soft flesh after your meal.
- Drinking Ou Tenga juice immensely benefits the skin- it helps in giving it a softer texture while also helping in diminishing fine lines. Just add some sugar and a pinch of salt, and this drink is the perfect refreshment on a hectic day.
- Being filled with antioxidants, a ripe, mildly sweet Ou Tenga in breakfast would help get rid of the toxins and cleanse the body.
- It has a good amount of Vitamin A in it, which makes it an ideal food for a strengthened retina and lens for good eyesight.
- Even the barks and leaves are used as laxative and astringent commonly by the tribes of North East.
- Many communities use this plant for various medicinal purposes.
Ou Tenga for hair
Although these reasons are good enough to include Ou Tenga in your diet, wait till you get to know its benefits for the hair. Application of Ou Tenga in your hair and scalp helps stop dandruff and hair-fall. The concoction for strong roots and shinier hair can be prepared in simple steps-
- Take an Ou Tenga and cut it into half.
- Take out the jelly-like substance from the center.
- Apply it on your head twice a week, do not shampoo afterwards.
Food and Culture
Ou Tenga has been in use for making different traditional dishes since centuries. Be it vegetarian or non-vegetarian. The most common has to be Ou Tenga with fish, or “Masor Tenga”. Prepared in Mustard oil with almost no spices involved, it is a simple and delicious recipe that is close to the heart of every Assamese.
Another dish has to be Ou Tenga with Pork, called “Ou Tenga Gahori” in Assamese, which is a signature dish of the tribes of Assam, like the Bodos, Deoris, Rabhas, Mishings and many more. This hassle free and easy dish is cooked in Mustard oil as well. Adding the staple Indian spice combo of garlic and ginger, its taste is enhanced by seasoning it with Bhoot Jolokia or Ghost Pepper. The fat from the pork is finely balanced by the sourness of the Ou Tenga.
If you’re in the mood for a “lazy day” and want to make something that does not require more than 10 minutes, the perfect Ou Tenga dish for you would be the Chutney made from it. It is a tangy condiment that is sweetened a bit by adding sugar. If you are a diabetic, you can switch to jaggery for the sweetness. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. To make it, you can
- Pressure cook the Ou Tenga pieces for 3-4 whistles.
- Remove the cooker from heat and let the lid open by itself, set the pieces aside to cool.
- Heat some Mustard Oil in a pan and add some dried chillies, cumin seeds and bay leaves to crackle.
- Add the lot from the cooker and jaggery/sugar.
- Let everything infuse and cook till the water content is reduced.
- When the chutney becomes thick, remove from heat and let it cool down.
You can store it in a jar and enjoy it as a side dish as well as a dip with pakoda/chops.
