Koduka Puli – Remember This?
- 06
- January
- 2009
Also Known As: Manila Tamarind. Kodukkai Puli, Kodi-kai puli. Kodukalikai. Konakai, Konai-kai. Sweet Tamarind. Thai-Sweet Tamarind. Camachile Fruit. Koduka Puli.
My back home cook, Usha Nandhini…brought some surprise to me! These Camachile fruits!!!
The Botanical name of this tree is Pithecellobium dulce. Sources say it originated from Mexico! Then traveled to America, Central Asia and to India. Although I have seen these trees through out the highways in India. Never had a clue of their culinary use! It resembles tamarind and it is widely called as Manila Tamarind. I had hard time finding its Tamil name…’Koduka Puli’. When thoroughly analyzed the words…got the meaning…like ‘Kodi-kai puli’(vined tamarind)! It is commonly called as ‘Madras Thorn’ or ‘Monkey Pod’ in English and ‘Jungle Jilebi’/ ‘Bilayati Imli’ in Hindi. My friend Kranthi just furnished me with its Telugu name ‘Seema Chintakayalu’, probably means ‘Foreign/Alien Tamarind’! Well…again my blog friend Rajeshwari told they call it called ‘Kona Puliyankai’ in Tamil, probably this is pod coils so much…’Twisted Tamarind’, nice name 
Even my cook called it as ‘Konakkai’ means ‘Twisted Vegetable’!
It is generally eaten by school kids, from road side vendors! I have never seen them hitting any market place (so far). Considered as intruding weed, if it grows in the residential area! The pod/pulp is widely used in the tanning industry (to clean their leather, I guess!)
These pods are greenish when raw and on maturation goes to pinkish to deep red! Parrots and Squirrels like them a lot. The Pulp is in white color and sweetish in taste(when they are ripe). It has many medicinal properties, they are astringent in nature…used to treat venereal diseases. The bark is said to be very curative for bowel movement/constipation! The leaves are used in folks remedy for indigestion.
If anyone of you know their culinary use or folks remedy, please don’t hesitate to share with me.
Wow, how fascinating! I have never seen those before. I’ll look forward to seeing what you make with them
Malar, i have seen this, and i’m pretty sure i’ve had this too..i vaguely remember it tasting little different than the regular tamarind. i will check with mom about this.
Dear Rachel,
Thanks for following by blog. Wish I get them here!:) Will try to fix atleast salad, they tasted good when eaten just raw!:)
Dear Vibaas,
Nice to see you around. Wish your Mom knows a lot about it! I have eaten this as a kid too…vaguely remember those days, actually looking for its culinary use!
First time i am discovering. Nice to learn a new ingredient.
Malar.
these are called cheema chintakayalu in telugu……
i used to eat them a lot in childhood…i love them.but it’s been years that i saw them……..
thanks for reminding….
Thanks Cham…
Oh really, that sounds nice Kranthi. Cheema Chintakayalu…probably/literally means ‘Foreign/Alien Tamarind, right!
I have heard about this one, I can ask my grandma about this. Where did you find this in US?
Ya Malar, Kodukapuli i used to eat in my childhood days in Salem, Tamilnadu. We have that tree in our quarters and i used to jump and break the branch even. Those are lovely days..
Thanks for taking me to those days dear.
Do check my new blog at http://www.sanghi-worldfoodtreat.blogspot.com and leave ur comments.
Malar,
These are called seema chintakayalu in telugu and you guessed it right… that means foriegn tamarind.Btw,cheema means ant in telugu.
This one I have eaten a lot from my childhood days and we call it as kona puliyangai! Good one,thanks for sharing!
WOw wat a post Malar, i had them when i was kid at grandma’s place…this makes me nostalgic.. wonderful n quite a long i have seen them even in picture..great u r!!
malar…i used to love this .it testes different. but havent sen this in cities. do u get this here in US?
this is my favourite one..
We used to eat this stuff from trees on way to school when we were little. In Hindi we call them ‘Bilayati Imli’! Long time since I had them:)
i love this one very much in my childhood days i use to eat very much..u reminded my past…thanks yaar..
Hi Malar,
Wish you a very Happy New Year to you and ur family. I love ur blog too. I love kodikaipuli so much. I would like to share it with you for Happy New Year. It’s hard to get it in US. Pls let me know where to find it.
I love this fruit. I will be eating this all the Time (seasonal), when in India.Btu now I miss them and I want to know the name of it in English and where is it found in USA.
. After seeing in this blog …. it tempts.
hi malar,
this is a fruit know as “gora’s amli” rather pronounced as gora samli all over gujarat. till this date we find this fruit on streets of gujarat. i had the priviledge of enjoying this during my last vacation to my hometown baroda (100 kms frm ahmedabad), ie in dec 2009. i guess the name gorasamli came frm the word bilayati imli, as gora means vilayati and amli means imli.
hope this answers your quest.
Thanks Malar .. I was looking out for the image of this fruit to show to my friends and luckily I found in your blog.. I was not sure about the name.
I have eaten lot of these and still eat them
In the recipe 13.9.09 you mention Sarai paruppu. These are called Charoli in Marathi. Please see details of this here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charoli
Just tasting one in chennai in my house. bought 250gms for 30rs and its taste tooo good. its been years i eat these