{"title":"Fresh Fruit","description":"\u003cp\u003eFruit does two jobs in a South Asian kitchen and they pull in different directions. Lemons and limes are kitchen equipment, squeezed over chaat and fried fish, salted down into pickle, stirred into nimbu pani on a hot afternoon. Mangoes, bananas and papaya are eaten for themselves, and the green mangoes that look unripe are not: they are what a proper mango pickle or a sour curry is made from.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eRipe, unripe and in between\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eBuying fruit here means knowing which of those you are after. A green mango should be hard and sour and stays that way; a ripe one gives slightly at the stem and smells of itself. Bananas and papaya finish ripening at home on the worktop, away from the fridge, which blackens the skins and stalls them. Citrus is the opposite and keeps far longer cold.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWhat goes with what\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eSour fruit and salt belong together, which is the whole idea behind lunu dehi, lime pickle and the green mango that goes into a Sri Lankan curry. Sweet fruit tends to meet dairy instead, in lassi, falooda and shrikhand.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen the fruit is for pickling, the \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/pickles-pastes-and-sauces\"\u003epickles, pastes and sauces\u003c\/a\u003e department holds the ready made versions, and \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/spices-and-masalas\"\u003espices and masalas\u003c\/a\u003e has the chilli powder, mustard and fenugreek a homemade one needs.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"amla-indian-gooseberry","title":"Amla (Indian Gooseberry)","description":"\u003cp\u003eAmla, the Indian gooseberry, is a firm, pale green fruit about the size of a large marble, with faint ridges running from top to bottom. It is sharply sour and astringent when raw, with a bitter edge that softens into sweetness after each bite. Indian kitchens turn it into pickle, chutney, murabba in sugar syrup and a tangy dal, and many families eat a slice or two raw with salt and chilli.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eHow to use it\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eWash the fruit and cut the flesh away from the hard central stone, which comes out in one piece. For a quick pickle, steam the whole amla for 10 minutes until the segments separate, then toss with salt, turmeric, chilli powder, fenugreek and mustard seeds tempered in mustard oil. For murabba, prick the fruit all over, blanch, and simmer slowly in sugar syrup with cardamom. Grated raw amla goes into a coconut chutney or a rice dish in place of lemon.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eGood to know\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAlso called nellikai in Tamil and amla or aonla in Hindi\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVery sour raw; cooking and sugar soften it\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChoose firm fruit without brown patches\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSold in a tied bag\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Chandra Stores","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55577672745299,"sku":null,"price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1101\/7433\/9411\/files\/amla-indian-gooseberry-front.png?v=1792780769"},{"product_id":"avocados","title":"Avocados","description":"\u003cp\u003eGreen skinned avocados with pale, buttery flesh around a large stone. They usually arrive firm, so you can ripen them at home to suit the day you want to eat them. Mash one onto toast, slice it into a salad, or blend it with lime, chilli and coriander for guacamole; in Sri Lanka ripe avocado is often blended with milk and sugar into a thick drink.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eHow to use it\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eLeave avocados in a fruit bowl at room temperature until they give a little when you press near the stalk, usually 2 to 4 days. To speed this up, put them in a paper bag with a banana. Halve around the stone, twist the halves apart, and scoop out the flesh with a spoon. Squeeze lime or lemon juice over cut flesh to slow browning. Mash with red onion, tomato, green chilli and coriander for a quick chaat style topping.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eGood to know\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRipen at room temperature, then refrigerate\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRipe fruit gives slightly near the stalk\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLime juice slows browning\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSold loose\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Chandra Stores","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55577689751891,"sku":null,"price":1.69,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1101\/7433\/9411\/files\/avocados-front.png?v=1792780833"},{"product_id":"bananas","title":"Bananas","description":"\u003cp\u003eA bunch of yellow bananas, sweet and soft when ripe, with a few brown freckles as they reach their best. Eat them as they are, slice them over cereal or porridge, or keep the ripest ones for baking. In Indian and Sri Lankan homes, bananas go into sheera and kesari, fried pazham pori batter, smoothies and lassi.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eHow to use it\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eLeave the bunch at room temperature until the skins turn fully yellow. Very ripe, well speckled bananas are the sweetest and best for banana bread, pancakes and a mashed banana halwa with ghee and cardamom. Blend one with yoghurt, milk and a pinch of cardamom for a banana lassi. Peeled ripe bananas freeze well in a bag for smoothies.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eGood to know\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRipen at room temperature\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSpeckled skins mean sweeter fruit\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFreeze peeled ripe bananas for smoothies\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSold loose\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Chandra Stores","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55577698074963,"sku":null,"price":11.29,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1101\/7433\/9411\/files\/bananas-front.png?v=1792780864"},{"product_id":"coconut","title":"Coconut","description":"\u003cp\u003eA whole brown coconut, mature and heavy, with the hard shell still carrying some of its fibrous husk. Inside is a layer of firm white flesh and a little coconut water. Freshly grated coconut is the base of South Indian and Sri Lankan cooking: coconut chutney, pol sambol, thoran and poriyal, avial, and coconut milk squeezed fresh for curry.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eHow to use it\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003ePierce the softest of the three eyes with a skewer and drain the water into a glass. Hold the coconut in one hand and tap firmly around its middle with the back of a heavy knife or a hammer, turning as you go, until it cracks into two halves. Scrape the flesh with a coconut grater, or prise it out and grate or blend it. For coconut milk, blend the grated flesh with warm water and squeeze through a cloth; the first pressing is thick, the second thinner.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eGood to know\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eShake it: a good coconut sloshes with water\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAvoid any with damp or mouldy eyes\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGrated coconut freezes well\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSold loose\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Chandra Stores","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55577722421587,"sku":null,"price":1.59,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1101\/7433\/9411\/files\/coconut-front.png?v=1792780923"},{"product_id":"guava","title":"Guava","description":"\u003cp\u003eGuava, amrood or pera, is a round fruit with green skin that yellows as it ripens and firm white flesh full of small hard seeds. A firm guava is crisp and lightly sweet with a sharp edge; a ripe one is soft and fragrant enough to scent the room. Many people eat it sliced with salt, chilli powder and chaat masala, and ripe guava goes into juice, jam and cheese.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eHow to use it\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eWash and eat the whole fruit, skin and seeds included, or cut out the seeds if you prefer. Slice a firm guava into wedges and sprinkle with salt, red chilli powder and a squeeze of lime for a quick snack. Ripe fruit blends well into a guava lassi or juice, and can be cooked with sugar into jelly or a thick guava cheese.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eGood to know\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAlso called amrood or pera\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGreen and firm for chilli salt; soft for juice\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSkin and seeds are eaten\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSold loose\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Chandra Stores","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55628487262547,"sku":null,"price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1101\/7433\/9411\/files\/guava-front.png?v=1793096389"},{"product_id":"lemons","title":"Lemons","description":"\u003cp\u003eWhole lemons with bright yellow skin and sharp, juicy flesh. Lemon juice finishes a lot of Indian food: squeezed over chaat, pakoras, tandoori chicken and dal, stirred into lemon rice with curry leaves and peanuts, or poured into a jug of nimbu pani with salt, sugar and roasted cumin. Whole lemons go into a salted lemon pickle that keeps for months.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eHow to use it\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eRoll the lemon firmly on the worktop before cutting; it gives more juice. For South Indian lemon rice, temper mustard seeds, chana dal, peanuts, curry leaves and green chilli, add turmeric and cooked rice, then squeeze in the juice of one lemon off the heat. For nimbu pani, mix the juice of two lemons with cold water, sugar, black salt and a pinch of roasted cumin.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eGood to know\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAlso called nimbu or elumichai\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRoll before squeezing for more juice\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGrate the zest before you cut the lemon\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSold loose\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Chandra Stores","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55628490539347,"sku":null,"price":0.69,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1101\/7433\/9411\/files\/lemons-front.png?v=1793096412"},{"product_id":"limes","title":"Limes","description":"\u003cp\u003eFresh limes with thin green skin and very juicy, sharp flesh, with a more floral sourness than lemon. Lime is the souring of choice in Sri Lanka and much of South East Asia: squeezed into pol sambol and gotukola mallum, over grilled fish and kottu, and into Thai curries and salads. In India it goes into chaat, kachumber, chutneys and lime pickle.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eHow to use it\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eRoll the lime on the worktop and cut it lengthways into wedges for the most juice. For pol sambol, pound dried chilli, red onion and salt, then mix with grated coconut and finish with lime juice to taste. Squeeze a wedge over pani puri water, a plate of bhel or a bowl of dal. Grate the zest into a marinade for fish or chicken before you cut the fruit.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eGood to know\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAlso called nimbu or dehi\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMore juice at room temperature\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYellowish skin is fine; it is often juicier\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSold loose\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Chandra Stores","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55628491293011,"sku":null,"price":0.69,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1101\/7433\/9411\/files\/limes-front.png?v=1793096417"},{"product_id":"plantains","title":"Green Plantains","description":"\u003cp\u003eGreen plantains are cooking bananas, larger and firmer than eating bananas, with starchy flesh that is not sweet. They are always cooked. Keralan and Tamil kitchens fry them as thin chips in coconut oil and cook them into vazhakkai poriyal, erissery and avial; Sri Lankans make an alu kesel curry; Caribbean and West African cooks fry them as tostones.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eHow to use it\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe skin is thick and sticky, so oil your hands or a knife. Cut off both ends, slit the skin along the ridges and peel it off in strips. For chips, slice very thinly straight into hot coconut oil and fry until crisp, salting at the end. For a poriyal, cube, boil for 5 minutes with turmeric and salt, drain, and fry with mustard seeds, curry leaves and grated coconut.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eGood to know\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAlso called raw banana, vazhakkai or alu kesel\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCook before eating\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOil your hands before peeling\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSold loose\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Chandra Stores","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55628507119955,"sku":null,"price":3.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1101\/7433\/9411\/files\/plantains-front.png?v=1793096504"},{"product_id":"raw-mangoes","title":"Raw Green Mangoes","description":"\u003cp\u003eRaw green mangoes, kachi kairi or manga, are firm, unripe mangoes with pale, crisp, very sour flesh. They are picked for cooking, not for eating sweet. Indian kitchens turn them into mango pickle, aam ka panna, sweet chhunda and quick chutneys; South Indian cooks make maangai sadam and a sour mango sambar; Sri Lankans cook a mango curry with coconut milk.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eHow to use it\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eWash and dry the mangoes completely before pickling. For a quick cut mango pickle, cube unpeeled mango with the stone removed, toss with salt, turmeric, chilli powder and roasted fenugreek and mustard, then pour over hot sesame oil tempered with hing. For aam panna, boil or roast the mango, scoop out the pulp and blend with sugar, roasted cumin, black salt and cold water.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eGood to know\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAlso called kairi, maangai or amba\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVery sour; for cooking and pickling\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDry well before pickling\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSold loose\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Chandra Stores","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55628520030547,"sku":null,"price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1101\/7433\/9411\/files\/raw-mangoes-front.png?v=1793096554"},{"product_id":"wood-apple","title":"Wood Apple","description":"\u003cp\u003eWood apple has a hard, woody shell the size of a cricket ball, filled with sticky brown pulp and small white seeds. The pulp is sour, sweet and strongly fragrant. In Sri Lanka, where it is divul, it is blended into a thick drink with jaggery or coconut milk, and cooked into a dark jam or chutney; in India, where it is kaitha or kavath, it goes into chutney with jaggery, chilli and cumin.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eHow to use it\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eCrack the shell on a hard edge or with the back of a heavy knife and scoop out the pulp. For a drink, soak the pulp of one fruit in a cup of water for 10 minutes, press it through a sieve to remove the seeds and fibres, then sweeten with jaggery or sugar and add a little coconut milk and ice. For a quick chutney, mash the pulp with jaggery, salt, roasted cumin and chilli powder.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eGood to know\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAlso called divul, kaitha, kavath or vilampazham\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRipe fruit smells strong and sounds hollow when tapped\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSieve the pulp before using it in drinks\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSold by the piece\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Chandra Stores","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55646334091603,"sku":null,"price":10.69,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1101\/7433\/9411\/files\/wood-apple-front.png?v=1793195722"},{"product_id":"lemons-3-pieces","title":"Lemons 3 Pieces","description":"\u003cp\u003eThree whole lemons, the size most households get through in a week. Bright yellow skin, sharp juicy flesh, and enough between them for a jug of nimbu pani, a pan of lemon rice and still a wedge left for the dal. If you only want the one, we sell \u003ca href=\"\/products\/lemons\"\u003esingle lemons\u003c\/a\u003e too.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eHow to use it\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eRoll each lemon firmly on the worktop before cutting, which breaks the flesh inside and gives noticeably more juice. Squeeze over chaat, pakoras, tandoori chicken or a bowl of dal just before it goes to the table. For lemon rice, temper mustard seeds, chana dal, peanuts, curry leaves and green chilli, add turmeric and cooked rice, then squeeze in the juice off the heat so it stays fresh.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eGood to know\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSold as three whole lemons\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKeeps in the fridge for up to two weeks\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhole lemons are what you want for a salted lemon pickle\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Chandra Stores","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55717284675923,"sku":null,"price":1.29,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1101\/7433\/9411\/files\/lemons-3-pieces-front.png?v=1793632179"},{"product_id":"limes-3-pieces","title":"Limes 3 Pieces","description":"\u003cp\u003eThree whole limes, thin skinned and sharper than lemon, which is why they belong in a Sri Lankan kitchen. Enough for a bowl of lunu dehi, a round of lime sambol and a squeeze over the rice and curry. If you only need the one, we sell \u003ca href=\"\/products\/limes\"\u003esingle limes\u003c\/a\u003e too.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eHow to use it\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eWarm them to room temperature and roll them before cutting, since a cold lime gives up very little. Squeeze over kottu, hoppers or fried fish as it comes off the heat, and into a glass of soda with sugar and salt. Quartered limes packed with salt and chilli become lunu dehi, which keeps for months and gets better as it goes.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eGood to know\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSold as three whole limes\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKeeps in the fridge for up to two weeks\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSharper and more floral than lemon, so the two do not swap cleanly\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Chandra Stores","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55717284872531,"sku":null,"price":1.29,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1101\/7433\/9411\/files\/limes-3-pieces-front.png?v=1793632185"}],"url":"https:\/\/chandrastores.co.uk\/collections\/fresh-fruit.oembed","provider":"Chandra Stores","version":"1.0","type":"link"}