"PONNOS" (JACKFRUIT)
Part I of this article can be found at:
http://lists.goanet.org/pipermail/goanet-goanet.org/2010-January/189019.html
In the olden days, we used pank to catch birds and squirrels. We would
place pank on a piece of broken tile, climb up a tree and keep it in one
of its joints. Sometimes, we applied a thick layer of pank directly to
one of the branches of a tree.
We then placed bait on the pank, as an attraction. Once a bird or a
squirrel sat on it, it could not fly or move forward. As soon as we
heard their cries, we would climb up the tree, bring down the catch and
place it in a cage.
In the past, the heated latex was employed as household cement for
mending chinaware and earthenware, and to caulk boats and holes in roof
tiles and buckets.
When I was 11 years old, I attended a wedding in Siolim which lasted for
8 days – 4 days in preparation of the wedding and 4 days after the
wedding. There was a huge Rosall jackfruit tree behind the groom's
house, the lower trunk of which was bore dozens of sprouting jackfruits.
While we roamed the area, we noticed crows pecking at ripe jackfruits.
When we approached the tree, we found out there were many ripe
jackfruits. Since everyone was busy with wedding preparations, nobody
had found time to harvest the jackfruit.
We politely asked the "randpinni" (women cooks) to lend us a "konn'nn"
(woven coconut leaf,) which they did. We immediately brought down all
the ripe jackfruits from the tree, placed them on the konn'nn, tore the
rind with our bare hands and ate so much ghore that we had to skip lunch
that day. The next day we ate less ghore so we could also eat some lunch.
In the olden days, whenever there was a bumper crop of jackfruit, people
made "ghoreanchim sattam” (dried jackfruit sweet) out of jackfruit and
used them as sweets during the monsoon season. The preparation process
is very simple:
Open ghore, remove bingttam and tear ghore into two halves. Then cover
them with plenty of sugar and let them dry in the hot sun for at least
two days. When dried, put them in a glass container with a tight lid to
prevent ants from getting to it. Dried jackfruit tastes much better
during the monsoon season than in the summer. Enjoy it with a cup of hot
tea!
In some cases, the ripe bulbs are dried, fried in oil and salted; they
taste like potato chips.
Tender jackfruit leaves and young male flower clusters may be cooked and
served as vegetables. Immature fruit can be boiled, fried or roasted.
Many people in Goa, especially the Hindus, prepare "ponnsachi bhaji"
(jackfruit vegetable) from young jackfruits. The fruit is simply cut
into large chunks and boiled in lightly salted water until tender, when
the really delicious flesh is cut from the rind and served as a
vegetable, including the seeds which, if thoroughly cooked, are mealy
and agreeable. The pank clinging to the pot may be removed by rubbing it
with oil.
Nowadays, everything is available in canned form and jackfruit is not an
exception, but there is no comparison to fresh jackfruit. The crisp
types of jackfruit are preferred for canning.
JACKFRUIT SEEDS
"Ponnsachim bingttam" (jackfruit seeds) are edible and nutritious. They
contain 38% carbohydrates, 6.6% proteins and 0.4% fats. In general,
fresh seeds are considered to be high in starch, low in calcium and iron
and are good sources of vitamins B1 and B2. They may be prepared in
several ways. In the olden days and till today, most people in Goa just
boil them in hot water or roast them in the hot coals of a dying fire.
We would save the seeds in a "varn" (a special pit meant to husk paddy)
or in a corner of the kitchen and make use of them at the beginning of
the monsoon season. Whenever it rained heavily, we would boil ponnsachim
bingttam and enjoy eating them with a cup of hot tea.
Peeling seeds can be a tedious job, especially if they are not
well-cooked i.e., if the skin is not cracked and has not come off the
seed, it makes it difficult for the thumb nail to dig into the skin.
Usually, by the time one is through peeling the seeds, the skin under
the thumb tends to crack due to constant use and pressure and it takes
around 2-3 days for it to heal.
Jackfruit seeds are often included in curried dishes and added to meat
instead of potatoes. My "gharamaim" (paternal grandmother) used them
with "sukem, dukrachem kharem mas" (dried, salted pork meat.)
As a child, I would accompany my gharamaim to Vagator beach during her
yearly ritual sea bath. The norm was to have three baths a day -
morning, afternoon and evening - for 3 or 4 days. Every day, she would
prepare "bhuti" (lunch pack) and wrap it in a cloth, which we carried
with us.
The lunch mainly consisted of a dish of sukem, dukrachem kharem mas,
which was prepared with onions, green chilies, tomatoes, cumin, cloves,
cinnamon, binddichim solam, fresh coriander and ponnsachim bingttam.
We carried the dish in a "kullnnem" (a medium earthen utensil mostly
used for preparing curries & meat.) Wheat chapatis were wrapped in a
plantain leaf as were plain rice with green chutney and a "solavo"
(dried fish strip) of either kite or shark fish, which was fried in
"murmuro" (dying fire) and treated with "khobreachea telacho" (tinge of
coconut oil.)
We would also carry bananas or mangoes for dessert. We would eat kharem
mas dish at around 12 noon and rice at around 2:00 pm. For me, it was
like a yearly 3-4 day picnic. I liked the food so much, especially
kharem mas ani ponnsachim bingttam soaked in gravy that I would eagerly
wait for another year to come to enjoy that food!
Nowadays, hardly anyone prepares dried, salted pork and people hardly
make use of ponnsachim bingttam - everyone is concerned about
cholesterol! I miss my gharamaim very much and my favorite dish!
In some places, jackfruit is fed to the cattle. The trees are even
planted in pastures so that the animals can avail themselves of the
fallen fruits. Surplus jackfruit rind is considered a good livestock
food. We normally gave the rind to our "zotkar" (the person who ploughed
our field) and his wife always brought us freshly prepared, tasty
ponnsachi bhaji!
JACKFRUIT TREE LEAVES
Young jackfruit tree leaves are readily eaten by cattle and other
livestock and are said to be fattening. Once in a while, we would remove
leaves from our trees with a "bendurlem" (pruning hook) and feed our
goats, especially after they delivered young ones.
In Goa, homemade "Pudde” is a must at a Goan Roce function. Usually,
relatives and neighbors assemble at the bride's/groom's house in order
to prepare this sweet.
It is a simple sweet made out of "patoll tandullanchem pit" (thinly
ground rice), coconut and jaggery. A thick layer of tandullanchem pit is
applied to fresh jackfruit tree leaves and the filling (grated coconut
mixed with jaggery) is placed in the middle of the leaf, which is then
folded into a cone and sewn together with pieces of "ir" (stock of palm
leaf) resulting into a "puddo" (mallet.)
Pudde are placed inside of a “konfro” (a large copper utensil with a
lid) on a round plate with holes, which rests above boiling water; the
lid is then closed. The steam inside the konfro cooks pudde.
As a prank, folks prepare at least a couple of pudde with salt instead
of jaggery. Whoever gets them becomes the laughing stock at a Roce function!
In the olden days, the elderly men and women used fallen jackfruit tree
leaves to prepare a "viddi vo pamparo" (a thick, cone-shaped cigar made
of "panancho" [tobacco leaves.]) It was fascinating to watch them pull a
stick from the fireplace and light the viddi/pamparo!
Jackfruit tree leaves are also used to make disposable “potralleo”
(plates), which are sewn together with an ir.
JACK WOOD
Jack wood is an important timber in Goa. It changes with age from orange
or yellow to brown or dark-red, is termite proof, fairly resistant to
fungal and bacterial decay, seasons without difficulty, resembles
mahogany and is superior to teak for furniture, construction, turnery,
masts, oars, implements, brush backs and musical instruments.
Its strength is 75 to 80% that of teak. Though sharp tools are needed to
achieve a smooth surface, it polishes beautifully. Roots of old trees
are greatly prized for carving and picture framing. Dried branches are
used to produce fire by friction in some religious ceremonies.
In Goa, most indoor doors are made from jack wood and so are window
frames, beds, cupboards, tables, chairs, stools, home altars, etc.
Some of the best carpenters in Goa come from Salcete, and they are the
ones who make various types of furniture in their home factories and
sell them at "Milagres Saibinnichea festachi feri" (Our Lady of
Miracles' feast fair) at Mapusa, or at "Tin Raianchea festachi feri"
(Three Kings' feast fair) across the Mandovi river at Panaji, or at
"Sant Khursachea festachi feri" (Holy Cross feast fair) at Calafura
(Santa Cruz,) or at "Spirit Santachea festachi feri" (Holy Spirit's
feast fair) at Margao.
It is from one of these fairs that one picks up standard home furniture,
including an “oratorio” or "olotor" (home altar) for his/her newly built
house. Almost every Christian home in Goa has an olotor bought from one
of the above fairs.
MEDICINAL PROPERTIES
The ash of jackfruit leaves, burned with corn and coconut shells, is
used alone or mixed with coconut oil to heal ulcers.
Mixed with vinegar, the latex promotes healing of abscesses, snakebites
and glandular swellings.
The root is a remedy for skin diseases and asthma. An extract of the
root is taken in cases of fever and diarrhea.
The bark is made into poultices.
Heated leaves are placed on wounds.
The wood has a sedative property; its pith is said to produce abortion!
That's all for now from Dom's antique shelf!
Moi-mogan,
Domnic Fernandes
Anjuna, Goa
Mob: 9420979201
