Toddy palm trees are tall and every part of the tree is useful to mankind.

The trunk of the tree is used as pillars to make huts. The leaves are used as home-made fans. The unripe fruit (Tati Munjelu) is a delicacy forgotten by many. Juice from the fruit is used to make jaggery (Tati Bellam) which has a unique taste and flavour.

The fruits are ripened by leaving them on the tree. The ripe fruit when falls on the ground is covered with clay to reproduce the plant. The tender shoot from the fruit is called Tega which is also a popular edible item in the villages.

The ripened palm fruits are juicy with a sweet smell.

Extracting Pulp:

Separate the hard shells from the fruit by plucking with fingers. Hold the fruit in hand and hit to the ground so that the fruit breaks. It doensn’t break like a coconut. It just shows signs of separation on the skin / cover. Separate the outer cover by pulling with fingers. Using the back of a ladle or any flat tool separate the three seeds from the fruit. The seeds are covered with juicy fiber. Hold the fibrous seed and grate using a large holed side of a box grater. Turning the sides and grating extract the pulp. Similarly remove pulp from all the seeds of the palm fruit. The pulp still contains fiber which needs to be removed. Place a strainer (Large Holed) into a vessel. Pass the pulp through the strainer by rubbing with the back of a ladle. The smooth pulp is used to make sweet dishes like tati pandu kudumu, tati pandu cake etc..

Palm fruit has unique smell &taste. Enjoy this fruit which will be available during rainy season.