Palm is recognized by various names, commonly referred to as the doub palm, panai maram, palmyra palm, tala or tal palm, wine palm, toddy palm, or ice apple. This sweet and juicy summer fruit is cultivated in South Asia and South-east Asia. Besides, bestowing delicious taste, palm or ice apple can provide potential health benefits. It is an abundant source of essential nutrients such as vitamins B and C, iron, zinc, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, thiamine, and riboflavin. This fruit is also good for the diabetic people. 

7 Best Recipes to prepare from Palm Fruit or Ice Apple 

Palm can be enjoyed raw or mixed with other dishes for added flavor. In Bengali cuisine, palm fruit is utilized in the preparation of various popular dishes, desserts, and sweets. These include palm candy, pitha, payesh, bora, kheer, and so many more. We have gathered versatile use of palm for delightful Bengali foods.

Palm Fritters (Taler Bora)

Ingredients

1 medium size palm or 3 cups of pulp, 1 ½ cups whole wheat flour, ½ cup rice flour, ½ cup suji, 1 cup freshly scraped coconut, 1 ½ cup sugar: 11/2 cup, ½ teaspoon salt, and oil for frying. 

Process

To start, extract the pulp from ripe palm fruits. Transfer it to a heavy-bottomed pan and cook the pulp over low heat. Meanwhile, keep stirring. Be careful not to let it boil. After about 5-6 minutes remove the pan from the heat. Then add the required amount of sugar to enhance the taste, starting with a smaller amount. 

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After a 5 minute cooling period, add flour, suji, and salt to the mixture. Mix everything well until a thick dough-like batter is formed. Adjust the sugar if necessary, and then add the coconut.

In a separate heavy-bottomed pan, heat oil over low-medium heat. Take small scoops of the batter and drop it into the hot oil. Frying them on medium heat, it may take approximately 9-10 minutes to turn a golden brown color. Make sure to fry them evenly, and once done, strain any excess oil.

For the best taste and texture, let the fritters sit overnight, as the flavors will develop and the outer skin will soften. Your sweet delicious palm fritters or taler bora is ready to be enjoyed, even for the next few days if preserved rightly.

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Taler Kheer

Ingredients

2 cups palm pulp, 1 cup milk, ¾ cup sugar, ½ cup grated coconut, and ¼ cup milk powder (optional).

Process

Create a puree using ripe palm and set it aside. Place the milk on heat, bring it to a boil, and then lower the flame. Let it simmer for 10 minutes and stir continuously. Next, add milk powder and give it a good stir to ensure there are no lumps. This will thicken the milk. After that, remove the mixture from the heat.

In another pan, take the palm puree and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue cooking until the moisture evaporates, resulting in a thick paste. Add sugar to the paste and cook for an additional 7-8 minutes over medium heat. Stir constantly until the color darkens. At this stage, add grated coconut, mix thoroughly, and cook for an extra 2 minutes.

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Now, combine the palm paste with the milk and mix quickly. Cook it over low heat for 5 minutes until you reach the desired consistency. Turn off the heat and transfer the mixture to a bowl. Allow it to cool and serve chilled, garnished with nuts or your preferred toppings.

Easy Ice Apple Juice (Taler Shash er Juice)

Ingredients

4 ice apple, 1 cup water, and sugar 2 tablespoon (optional)

Process

To begin, clean the palm seeds (Taler Shash) or ice apples thoroughly to remove any dirt or impurities. Next in a blender take the ice apples and blend until smooth. Then pour half of the water and blend again.

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In this stage, keep in mind that the juiciness and texture of the ice apples may vary depending on their maturity. Usually the tender ones are juicy and squishy. So be careful of your apple types and mix the required water and blend once more. 

Normally this is very tasty and refreshing. However, if desired, add sugar as per your taste. Serve it instantly with ice.  

Ice Apple (Palm seeds or Taler Shash) Sherbet

Ingredients

6 ice apples, 10 gram cardamom, and  5 milliliter fresh lime juice. 

Process

First, extract the Ice apples (Palm seeds or Taler Shash) from palms and clean them from any dirt or impurities. Then, remove the white skin from the fruit. After that, roast cardamom and grind it to a powder form. Add hot water to the powder and cover it to get the extract of cardamom. In a blender take the Ice apples and strained cardamom juice. 

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Blend the mixture until smooth and add fresh lime juice. Mix it again and then freeze the mixture until it reaches a firm consistency. Bring it out, use an ice cream churner to churn it and your sherbet is ready to enjoy. When serving, sprinkle cardamom powder on top for an appealing garnish.

Ice Apple  (Palm seeds or Taler Shash) Smoothie

Ingredients

6 fresh ice apple pulp, 1 ½ cup coconut milk, ½ cup water, sugar as per taste, 1 or 2 tablespoon soaked chia seeds, and crushed ice. 

Process

Extract the ice apples  (Palm seeds or Taler Shash) from the palms. Clean the ice apples thoroughly and remove their white skins. Add the pulp, coconut milk, water, ice, and sugar in a blender. Next, blend the combination well until it reaches the desired smooth consistency. 

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Taste the level of sweetness and add sugar if necessary. To enhance the taste, you can pour some previously soaked chia seeds to the smoothie after serving in glasses. Serve or enjoy your refreshing chilled Ice Apple smoothie.  

Palm Cake (Taler Cake)

Ingredients

1 ripe palm pulp or 150 milliliter, 1 cup milk, 2 eggs, 150 gram jaggery, 100 milliliter vegetable oil, 50 gram ghee, 50 gram rice flour, 100 gram all purpose flour, 20 raisin, 20 cashewnut, 20 pistachios, ½ teaspoon baking powder, and ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder. 

Process

Take the palm pulp in a pan and start boiling on low flame. Cook for 5-7 minutes until it thickens and emits its sweet nutty aroma. Remove it from heat and add the milk and whisk it altogether. Gradually add oil, ghee, liquid jaggery (heated in the oven), eggs, rice flours, all purpose flours, and baking powder. Mix it properly.

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Next, gently fold in raisins, cashew nuts, and pistachios. Grease a baking tray with vegetable oil and pour the batter into the prepared mold. 

Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for approximately 25 minutes. To check if it's done, insert a toothpick into the cake and bake further until it comes out clean. Once baked, transfer the cake to a wire rack to cool down. Now, you have a delectable palm cake ready to be savored. You can store it in the refrigerator for up to 10 days and enjoy it at your leisure.

Sugar Palm Fruit Dessert

Ingredients

1 cup rice (soaked for an hour and strained), ½ cup sago (soaked for 10 minutes and strained), 200 gram sliced ice apple, 1 cup coconut milk, ½ cup palm sugar, ½ teaspoon sea salt, and 2 cup water.  

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Process

In a medium-sized pot, bring water to a boil and cook rice over medium heat for approximately 15 minutes. Then, add palm fruit, sugar, half of the coconut milk, and salt. Reduce the heat and stir the mixture gently. Allow it to simmer until the rice becomes tender.

Next, add the sago and continue stirring until it turns translucent. Once done, turn off the heat and let it sit for 15 minutes. Then serve it warm in small bowls and garnish with remaining coconut cream on top. 

Conclusion

Due to its abundant vitamins and minerals, palm and ice apple serves as a wholesome and nourishing dessert for people of all ages. Palm juice, sherbet and smoothies are popular drinks to beat the scorching heat of the sun. These recipes are highly valued as a traditional delicacy during the summer season. Furthermore, various mouth-watering recipes of palms or ice apple fruits are prepared combined with other healthy ingredients. 

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