This scrumptious mixed fruit salad is adapted from a renowned South Indian dessert, ‘Panchamirtham’, that is prepared as a bhog/prasadam during festivals and pujas in temples and households in Tamil Nadu.
The authentic version of panchamirtham recipe has milk / curd, ghee, honey, edible camphor, elaichi powder and rock sugar. Here, I wanted to keep the salad simple but bursting with natural flavours of the fresh fruits and chia seeds. So, I have made few changes in the recipe… instead of milk/curd I have used lemon juice…skipped edible camphor, rock sugar and honey and have included jaggery and chia seeds.
The recipe calls for fresh fruits like apple, banana, pears, plums, dates and pomegranate. If any of these fruits are not in season, you can substitute that fruit with another, from the same family and with similar taste.
A small portion of jaggery in the recipe helps to subtly sweeten the dessert. Also, it enhances the nutritious value of the dish as jaggery is rich in iron and aids in digestion.
The highlight in this recipe is, I have included organic raw chia seeds that are rich in Omega-3 & Omega-6 essential fatty acids, protein and dietary fiber to make it more nourishing. Also, it gives slight crunchiness to the salad. This delicious recipe can be relished as a dessert or a salad.
Ingredients
- Banana – 1, medium sized, ripe
- Apple – ½ cup, cored and cubed
- Pears – ¼ cup, cored and cubed
- Plums – 4 or 5, deseeded and cubed
- Dates – 5 or 6, deseeded and chopped
- Pomegranate seeds – ¼ cup
- Jaggery – 1 tbsp, grated
- Raw Chia Seeds – 2 tsp
- Cardamom / Elaichi powder – a pinch
- Lemon juice – few drops
Method
- Prepare the fruits. Wash, peel, core or deseed and cube them as required.
- Toss chopped banana, pears and apple with few drops of lemon juice to prevent them from discolouring.
- In a large bowl, add grated jaggery and mash it slightly. Add the fruits, elaichi powder, half of the chia seeds and mix well till jaggery gets coated well on the fruits.
- Sprinkle the remaining raw chia seeds over the fruit salad and serve immediately.
For more salad recipes, plz click Black Chick Peas and Corn Salad with ACV Dressing, Thenga Manga Pattani Sundal, Gado Gado.
Happy Cooking!