Persimmon: How Mumbai restaurants are using the seasonal winter fruit

The winter season brings with it a variety of fresh produce of fruits and vegetables that make their way to vegetable carts throughout the three-four months. These include the popular leafy vegetables as well as apples, pomegranates and grapes, among others. While these instantly catch the eye of any person, an observation made by this writer sees one fruit not picked up as much as it should be. The fruit is persimmon, or ‘simran' as it is popularly known among vegetable sellers in Mumbai. The medium-sized light orange fruit, which is available for a very short period in the market, is fleshy with a tough skin, and deliciously sweet. It is one that will easily surprise you once you move past its velvety exterior.

Why is it not popular?

While it may be considerably popular in homes, it is not as popular in city restaurants as the writer would have hoped. It is only found in a handful of them, if not more, as others would not promote it as the star of their dish or even include it in their dishes in various forms. Chef Ram at Mainland China in Andheri believes that even though the fruit is popular in Southeast Asia, its limited availability in India restricts its use and thus limits its popularity.

Mumbai chef Ruffy Shaikh agrees with Ram. The senior sous chef at ITC Grand Central explains, "Persimmon cultivation requires organised planting and adequate plant materials from vegetative propagation. There is a lack of suitable cultivators and standardisation also which makes it a little unpopular." The fact that the fruit is a slow growing tree, says chef Thomas Catley, culinary consultant with Bandra restaurant, Tori, and requires cold weather to grow limits its availability and use. "Cultivation of the fruit is slow and is available only in October and November. Another reason being the persimmon fruit has to be eaten in controlled quantities as excessive intake may lead to stomach problems," he shares.

Working with persimmons

Even though the fruit is available for a limited period, Ram, Ruffy and Thomas believe in making use of it while they can, as they love experimenting with seasonal produce. At Tori, the fruit is used in a dish called Cashew Nut Chicken. "The fruit is cut into dices and tossed with the other vegetables and chicken. The persimmon provides a sweetness to the dish which is spiced with cashew sauce," explains Catley. The Bandra restaurant takes it a step further by actually using the fruit as a substitute in their dishes when mangoes aren't available. "We use it as an additive to the protein in the dish because of its sweet and sour flavour," he adds.

Elsewhere, persimmon makes an appearance in the salads in the buffet service at ITC Grand Central's all-day dining restaurant, Hornby Pavillion. "Persimmon with roast butternut squash and candied garlic definitely tastes delicious and is widely loved by our guests," shares Ruffy, continuing, "Its jammy texture and honeyed flavour means that it can be used in salad dressing; charred ones can be used in making sauces and compotes for meats and the firm ones can be used in pickles making it easy to work with." Apart from their salads, the five-star property also makes use of the winter fruit in its jellies, baked pies, jams and compotes too. The availability he observes has been more in the last seven years than ever before due to increasing awareness about the fruit.

While it is used in a savoury dish at Tori and salad at ITC Grand Central, it is added to a dessert called Berry Forest in Mainland China. "Persimmon is included in the mousse because the berry flavour is sweet and slightly tangy, it distinguishes the mousse from other types of mousse," shares chef Ram, who says even though the fruit is simple to handle, its scarcity and perishability necessitate a high level of skill. He adds that the dish has been received well by diners, after they are told about its health benefits as it is high in Vitamin A and Vitamin C; they are happy to eat a dessert made out of the fruit of the gods called ‘ramphal'. The name is only one of many for the fruit that is also called ‘Japani phal' or ‘berry' in other regions in India.

Health factor and consumption

It is not only rich in vitamins, according to chef Ruffy but also minerals, antioxidants and fibre. "Eating persimmons can help you maintain a healthy immune system, reduce inflammation, neutralise cancer-causing free-radicals, and lower blood pressure," adds Catley.

It is also why he says that there are many different ways to consume the fruit, and one doesn't have to go to a restaurant to eat it but can simply start at home. "The uniqueness about persimmon is it can be eaten fresh, dried, raw or cooked. When eaten fresh, they are usually eaten whole like an apple in bite-size slices, and may be peeled. One way to consume ripe persimmons, which may have a soft texture, is to remove the top leaf with a paring knife and scoop out the flesh with a spoon," shares the city-based chef if you want to enjoy it for the rest of the season.

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