Now these interesting fellas, took me on quite an investigation.
I purchased them thinking that once I got home, I could do a google search and come up with photos and information on what exactly it was and how to prepare it.
No such luck. Dosegai????
Two searches came up – all the words were foreign.
I posted a search on a helpful board I came across – a wild and exotic food forum. They were very helpful - but with the limited info I gave, no one came up with a name.
So I did what I should have done originally – would have saved me a lot of time – I called the store. The woman who answered didn’t know and passed me on to produce. “It’s an Indian cucumber – except sour”. I inquired as to whether or not their was an alternative name spelling or name – “nope”.
So I began searching under “cucumber” and “Indian vegetables” and came across it. Though none of the spellings were the same as what was on the label of mine. I came up with names like: dosakai, dosakaya, vellarika.
We cut open the “cucumber” and it did taste like a sour cucumber. The consistency and flavor reminded me of a melon. Once we took out the seeds (I wasn’t sure if they were edible) there wasn’t much of it left to prepare. We were not so crazy about it plain – so I fixed it like we fix our cucumbers….sliced up, shake on some salt n pepper and add enough vinegar to cover them. My grandma used to do that with regular cucumbers and sometimes she would add some finely cut up green onion. Great!
I purchased them thinking that once I got home, I could do a google search and come up with photos and information on what exactly it was and how to prepare it.
No such luck. Dosegai????
Two searches came up – all the words were foreign.
I posted a search on a helpful board I came across – a wild and exotic food forum. They were very helpful - but with the limited info I gave, no one came up with a name.
So I did what I should have done originally – would have saved me a lot of time – I called the store. The woman who answered didn’t know and passed me on to produce. “It’s an Indian cucumber – except sour”. I inquired as to whether or not their was an alternative name spelling or name – “nope”.
So I began searching under “cucumber” and “Indian vegetables” and came across it. Though none of the spellings were the same as what was on the label of mine. I came up with names like: dosakai, dosakaya, vellarika.
We cut open the “cucumber” and it did taste like a sour cucumber. The consistency and flavor reminded me of a melon. Once we took out the seeds (I wasn’t sure if they were edible) there wasn’t much of it left to prepare. We were not so crazy about it plain – so I fixed it like we fix our cucumbers….sliced up, shake on some salt n pepper and add enough vinegar to cover them. My grandma used to do that with regular cucumbers and sometimes she would add some finely cut up green onion. Great!
7 comments:
Indian as in Native American or Indian as in the country India? Where did you purchase them? Actually where do you get most of your finds? Do you search them out or do they just jump out at you while shopping?
Indian as in India.
Most of the stuff I find is at a store called Global Foods Market. Huge grocery store w/aisles and aisles of food from all over the world.
We just kind of wander up and down the aisles and if something looks interesting - we buy it. Sometimes it's the kids finding the stuff - sometimes it's me.
We don't ever go in there planning on a certain item - unless it's something we bought previously and really enjoyed. Like the Armenian Bread (we've bought that 3 or 4 times now) and the quail eggs (bought 2 times).
How fun! I love weird fruits and vegetables. I just can't pass them up.
Hey, have you ever seen an Ugli fruit? I bought one just so I could hack it open and see what was inside...it's citrus, and really sweet and good, and very UGLY, indeed!
I've only seen pictures of the ugli fruit - I would love to try one!
The other unusual looking fruit I'd love to try, but have not come across is the dragon fruit - the colors are so beautiful...kind of like the parrot of fruits.
I bought a dosakai cucumber at an Indian Market, just to try it out. We ate it then composted the seeds, and later tilled that into the garden. Turns out they are extremely prolific in Texas and I currently have about 20 lbs of this fruit.
We have been doing all sorts of things with them and found that they are FANTASTIC pickles (been making dill), they hold up really well to heat. They can also replace potatoes in soup (we use half and half, chopped), and be used in stir fry as well as eaten fresh. We have also turned the very large ones into bowls and filled them with cold cucumber soup.
Are you in northern Virginia?
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