Here’s a recipe that I cook frequently. Really frequently! Boroi Diye Niramish. Jujube/ber fruit in a mixed vegetable curry.

Jujube fruit, or Ber fruit, whichever term you want to reference it by, is a very unusual type of small tangy plum. Lets talk about Fruits – Bengali Exotic Fruits

Ripe jujube fruit are typically consumed raw. In Asia, they may be made into pickles, chutneys and candies, or crushed in water to make a cooling drink. Ripe fruits are often preserved through the sun-drying method. Under-ripe jujube fruit may also be eaten raw, seasoned with a sprinkling of salt and spices. I store fresh jujube fruit in sealed bags in the refrigerator, where they can last up to a week. The dried jujube I store in jars in a cool dark place.

I have used dried jujube in a vegetable dish using the authentic Panch Puran mix which uses Radhuni seeds instead of the replacement mustard seeds commercially used now. Lets Talk About Panch Puran

We call this type of vegetable dish a Niramish in Bengal. There is something about the Radhuni seeds that go hand-in-hand in sour dishes. The aroma when tempering is most tantalising. If you’re looking for some Radhuni then they are available at The Herb and Spice Emporium.

The combination of Radhuni and jujube makes this niramish amazing.
It is one of the most delicious tangy niramish dish that always lifts my soul.
Being a lover of sour foods this is one top of my list.
When indulging in rich food it’s nice to have a break and vegetables are always very popular in my home. When I cook this I don’t need anything else, I’m just happy to enjoy the combination of the veg and the sweet sour jujube fruit.

The choice of veg you use is entirely a personal choice. I used leftovers in my fridge. I have listed those below.

Ingredients:

Two carrots sliced
a handful of wobbly beings trimmed and halved.
Three potatoes diced small
for spring green leaves chopped
half a cup of frozen peas
1 cup jujube fruit

1 tbsp of vegetable oil
2 tbsp of ghee
one bay leaf
4 Birds Eye dried chilis or one large one torn
1 tbsp Panch Puran
2 tsp of salt
1 tsp of sugar
2 tbsp of passata or
1 chopped tomato
1 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp kashmiri chilli powder
1 tbsp Basar powder
water

METHOD:

Wash your jujube fruits thoroughly and then leave them to soak in tepid/warm water.

Wash and prepare your veg. Drain well.

Heat a nonstick karai and add your vegetable oil. Let it heat.

Now add your bay leaf and dried chilis, give it a quick stir and add the Panch puran. Let it sizzle until you can smell the aroma and add your ghee.

Once the ghee has melted add you vegetables. Stir and cover for a few minutes so the veg catches the tempering aroma.

Uncover, stir and add salt then the sugar.

Now add in the powdered spices.

Followed by the pasata or fresh chopped tomatoes. Stir this in well.

Now add the jujube fruit and mix this well. Cover and cook for about 4 mins.

Now add half a cup of water, stir, reduce heat and cover. This will plump up and rehydrate the plums and also cook the potatoes through.

After about 5 mins the liquid will have dried up and you should have a loose curry. Check the potatoes are cooked, almost breaking. If not add a little more water, cover and cook. If it’s too wet increase heat and cook uncovered till its drier. Stir gently.

When its all cooked through you can split a few plums if you wish to impart the sourness. Its up to you. I split a few and leave a few whole!

Serve with hot plain rice…they only way I think it should be eaten!

© Copyright, 2020-2021 Papli Rani Dey
All Rights Reserved