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MEALS THAT HEAL
Scrumptious scoops
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Whip up a milk shake with a unique fruity flavour
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MAKES A DELiCIOUS DESSERT Passion fruit
The passion fruit vine is a shallow-rooted, woody, perennial, climbing by means of tendrils. The alternate, evergreen leaves, deeply three-lobed when mature, are finely toothed, 3 to 8” long, deep-green and glossy above, paler and dull beneath, and, like the young stems and tendrils, tinged with red or purple, especially in the yellow form. A single, fragrant flower, 2 to 3” wide, is borne at each node on the new growth. The flower of the yellow variety is showier, with intense colour. The nearly round or ovoid fruit, one-and-a-half-three inches wide, has a tough, smooth and waxy rind, ranging in hue from dark-purple with faint, fine white specks, to light-yellow or pumpkin-colour. It is one-eighth inches thick, adhering to a quarter-inch layer of white pith. Within is a cavity filled with an aromatic mass of double-walled, membranous sacs that have orange-coloured, pulpy juice and as many as 250 small, hard, dark-brown or black, pitted seeds. The flavour is appealing, musky, guava-like, sub acid to acid.
Medicinal properties
The juice, but mainly the leaves of passion fruit, contains alkaloids which have blood pressure lowering, sedative and antispasmodic action. The leaves are used in many countries as medicine. The flower acts like a mild sedative. Passion flower has been used in the treatment of nervous and easily excited children, bronchial asthma, insomnia, nervous gastrointestinal disorders and menopausal problems.
Culinary uses
One needs only to cut it in half lengthwise and scoop out the seedy pulp with a spoon. For home use, Australians do not remove the seeds but eat the pulp with cream and sugar or use it in fruit salads or in beverages, seeds and all. Elsewhere, it is usually squeezed through two thicknesses of cheesecloth or pressed through a strainer to remove the seeds. The resulting rich juice can be sweetened and diluted with water or other juices (especially orange or pineapple) to make cold drinks.
Passion fruit juice can be boiled down to a syrup which is used in making sauce, gelatine desserts, candy, ice cream, sherbet, cake icing, cake filling, meringue, cold fruit soup and cocktails. The seeded pulp is made into jelly or combined with pineapple or tomato to make jam.
Now, for a recipe.
Passion Fruit Milk Shake
Ingredients
Cold milk: 1 cup
Passion fruit: 2
Chocolate ice cream: 2 large scoops
Whipped cream for garnish (optional)
Method: Scoop the pulp from the two fruits and put it into the milk. Stir the mixture with a fork to extract the juice from the pulp. Strain if desired to remove the seeds. Put the ingredients in a blender and process on ‘high’ for 30 seconds or till smooth and creamy. Serve in a tall, chilled glass with a straw. Garnish with whipped cream, if desired.
Note: use more fruit if a stronger flavour is desired.
RISHI MANUCHA
SOUS CHEF, TAJ CONNEMARA
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