Karonda

What it is

Karonda is Carissa carandas. Its round or oval berries measure about 1.25–2.5 cm (½–1 in) long and grow in little clusters. A thin but tough skin surrounds juicy flesh and several small, flat brown seeds. The fruit holds a milky sap.

Variety matters, and so does ripeness. Pant Suvarna, Pant Sudarshan and Pant Manohar suit pickling. Konkan Bold is a sweeter choice for eating fresh. Unripe fruit is sour enough to pucker your mouth; some berries also have a bitter edge.

Where it comes from

Karonda is native to India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Peninsular Malaysia. In India, wild shrubs grow in the Konkan region of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Rajasthan and parts of central India. It is also widely grown in Thailand and East Africa. It serves as both a fruit crop and a living hedge.

How it's eaten where it grows

Across North India, karonde mirch ki sabzi is a monsoon side dish. Halved berries cook with green chillies in mustard oil, with cumin, fenugreek and fennel among the spices. It is more of a condiment than a main dish, served on the side with roti or paratha.

Sour karonda also becomes pickle, while sugar carries it into jam and jelly. Its juice can become a syrup for drinks. Sweet and savoury preparations start with the same small berry, but give its sharpness different company.

How it's grown

A karonda shrub can reach 3–5 m (10–16 ft), with spreading, thorny branches that make a dense hedge. Its leaves stay green through the year. Plants commonly start from seed, and established shrubs can grow on rainfall alone. They tolerate dry conditions, but waterlogged ground does not suit them.

When and where you'll find it

In southern Rajasthan, karonda usually flowers in June and ripens in August and September. In tribal areas, fresh berries go to nearby town markets and to roadside stalls, where sellers display them in bamboo baskets. Pickle, jam, jelly and syrup offer other ways to taste it beyond the fresh berry.