Indian Seasonal Produce- May

 

‘MAY’ our food choices be responsible towards the earth 😊

Summer heat is excruciating, and we are all living it now. As Indian summer continues to blaze, air-conditioned rooms and cold drinks, ice apple/ nungu/ tad gola, gulkand, jowar, ragi, barley, kokum, water apple, sabja seeds, parwal, tinda like gourd varieties are actually our saviours. The heat in Indian summer usually extends till mid-July for some region. So, you really need to prep yourself to avoid the heat rashes, heatstroke, heat cramps, dehydration, and so many more minor health issues, as well as the irritability that comes with the excess heat by,

1.     👉 Indulging in seasonal foods like water rich fruits and vegetables

2.     👉Wearing breathable light cotton fabric (get your sun vitamin as well)

3.    👉  Include fermented grain-based porridges aka pazhayadhu

4.   👉Consuming water from earthenware, include natural drinks like kokum sherbet, nimbu pani/ lemon juice, coconut water, coconut milk, neera, gulkand, sattu, ambil, neera, buttermilk, jaggery for hydration and reconstituting the microminerals lost via sweat.

Here is the list of Fruits, Veggies, Grains and Sea foods in season this May that give us the maximum health benefits needed to help us tackle all of them if cooked in a correct way. (Note: Read the list and know your local produces and consume them)

Here’s the list to buy and eat sustainably this month.

Fruits:
Devgad alphonso mango, Kesar mango, Dasheri mango, Himsagar mango, Badami mango, Safeda mango, Bombay green mango, Totapuri mango, Raspuri mango, Neelam mango, Amprali mango, Imam pasand mango, Fazli mango, Gulab khaas mango, Alampur Baneshan mango, Mankurad mango, Paheri mango, Vanraj mango, Baby mango (vadu maanga), Jackfruit, Cashew apple, Rose apple/ Paneer naval/ Safed Jamb (White Jamun), Gunda/ Lasoda/ Lesua, Nimboli (Neem fruit), Jungle jalebi/ Koduka puli/ Kikar, Cannonball fruit, Cape gooseberry, Anjili chakka/ Ayini pazham, Tender coconut, Dates fruit, Date plums, Karwand (Indian blueberry), Almond, Kokum, Loquat, Mangosteen, Muskmelon, Nungu/ Tadgola (Ice apple/ Palm fruit), Star gooseberry, Tamarind, Watermelon, Hisalu, Ber (Indian Jujube/ Plum), Sugarcane, Shahtoot (Mulberries), Elephant apple/ Chalta, Langsah/Lotka (Langsat), Phalsa (Indian Sherbet Berries), Aloo Bukhara (Indian plum), Kafal (Bayberry), Dadim, Kilmode, Ghingarum, Apricot, Bael/ Wood apple, Bilimbi, Burmese grapes, Figs, Anab e shahi grapes, Lychee, Mysore raspberry, Rambutan, Sapota/ Chickoo, Tree tomato

Other common Fruits- Pomegranate, Papaya, Banana varieties, Guava, Apple, Pineapple, Mosambi (Sweetlime), Amla

 

Vegetables:
Parwal, Cucumber, Malabar/ Madras cucumber, Cow peas, Bohar, Lady’s finger, Brinjal, Capsicum, Potato, Bottle gourd, Ridge gourd, Ivy gourd (Tindora/ Kovakkaai), Cluster beans, Drumstick, Poona kheera, Hmong cucumber/ khaakri, Palmyra sprout (Panang kil(zh)angu), Cow peas/ long beans, Turkey berry, Tinda (pinju poosani), Raw banana, Banana stem/ Plaintain pith, Chayote/ Chow chow, Snake gourd, Katahal (Raw/ Baby jackfruit)

Other common Vegetables- Ash gourd, Carrot, Colocasia/ Taro, Sweet potato, Cabbage, Beetroot, Tapioca/ Cassava, Broad beans, Flat beans, Normal Beans, Cauliflower, Raddish, Naval kol (nool khol/ turnip), Beetroot, Bitter gourd, French beans/ gawar, Yam

 
Food grains: Jowar, Barley (Jau), Moong dal, Masoor (Red lentil), Matki (Moth beans), Tuvar (Pigeon Peas), Wheat (includes sharbati, lokhwan, bansi, samba/ khapli), Maize, Ragi, Little millet, Barnyard millet, Brown top, Proso millet, Kaaramani/ Lobia (Black eyed beans), Urad dal

Pulses, Legumes, Seeds- Rice bean, Bhatma (soya bean), Chole (kabuli channa), Chow dhari (Goa bean) Vaal (Fava beans), Adzuki beans (Chori), dried White and Green peas, Moth beans, Rajma, Kala vatana (black peas), Groundnut

 
Green leafy vegetables: Malabar Spinach, Rhubarb, Sorrels, Ponangani keerai/ Ponnaganti aaku/ Honnagone/ Matikaduri, Amaranthus varieties, Agathi leaves, Moringa leaves, Purslane (kulfa/ ghol/ luni saag), Methi, Spring onions, Bathuwa (Chakwat/ Parupu keerai), Bichu buti, Bhringraj (karisalankanni), Chakramarda/ Chakunda/ Ponnaveeran, Chekkur manis/ Thavasi keerai, Keezhanelli/ Nella Usiri/ Nela nelli/ Bhoi amla, Thuthuvalai, Manathakkali/ Sukkuti keerai/ Kaage soppu,

Common greens: Spinach varieties, Amaranthus varities (Siru keerai/ Pannai keerai, Mulai keerai, Arai keerai, Thandu keerai/ Chauli saag/ Thotakkora), Haak, Anne soppu, Gongura

Herbs and spices: Kokum, Mace, Nutmeg, Black pepper, Tamarind, Celery seed, Malabar tamarind, Dill seeds, Mustard seeds, Cumin seeds, Fennel seeds, Green chilli

Sea food and Fresh water fishes:

Indian oil sardine/ Tharli/ Mathi, Bombay duck/ Bombil, Tiger prawn/ Kolambi, Sole fish/ Lep, Ladyfish/ Sule, Lobster, Small prawns, Crab, Barramundi/ Jithada, Barracuda/ Bedaav/ Sheela, Coastal shark, Catfish/ Shingada/ Keluthi, Cobia, Tuna, Hilsa, Catla, Tilapia/ Neyyi, Tengra, Magur, Kajuli, Pink fish/ Sankara, Kalava/ Grouper fish, Murrel fish / Viraal fish

 

"Nourish your body as Nature intended- Eat seasonally" - MJ 

 

Note: I have studied the Indian seasonal produces with the help of farmers network and various research articles following the guidelines of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) based on the cropping seasons – Kharif, Zaid and Rabi. Thereby, I’ve listed the fruits & vegetables, food grains and rest mentioned that would be available to us based on the sowing- growing and harvesting time period calculated for each month covering every Indian region to the maximum.

Kinds of sea and fresh water fishes are studied based on its availability along the West Coast and East coast from CIBA (Central Institute of Brackish Aquaculture).

I hope this information is helpful to consume local and seasonal produces thereby keeping a check on health too.

Kindly let me know your thoughts if this benefits you all through comments below.

 

 

Thank You!

Maria Jenita, PhD