Rasbhari

Most of the plants that have grown or are growing in our home , have been the result of my curiosity to see what happens if I bury this in soil.
Let's sow this and see what happens is the one line that often crosses my mind whenever I see things like budding rhizomes or bulbs or discarded ripe seeds or fruits that are about to rot. Colocasia, turmeric, ginger, maize, ladyfinger, chillies, tomatoes, garlic, fenugreek, bitter gourd, potatoes are some of the plants that I have been able to grow because of my curiosity. Most of them have been fruitful ventures, however, a few did not even bear flowers. But there were two instances that left me completely surprised. First was when I grew maize and second was Cape gooseberry. Surprised because I did not know that they can grow in your home. I had seen maize only in huge fields spread over acres. And about Cape Gooseberry, I had no idea where it came from. But growing these plants and watching them grow and change everyday was a delight to the senses. Their flowering and fruiting has such unusual characteristics as if telling a story. They awaken in you that child who wants to know what will happen next. 


Cape gooseberry known as Rasbhari is among those fruits that come in the market for a short span of time. By mid February it is a common sight to see fruit sellers displaying bunches of these marble sized, orange, juicy fruit that look so exotic. But after a couple of weeks , they disappear just like they came ,all of a sudden. But their smell and sweet n sour taste lingers on your tongue for a long time.

Just like we've attempted to grow tomato plants  by throwing away rotting tomatoes in soil, similar was the way how I grew Rasbhari. After several of my recent attempts to have tomato laden plants in my home failed, there was some apprehension in my mind as to whether I would get any positive result with its family member or not ( both tomatoes and cape gooseberry belong to the same family Solanaceae, the potato family). At times it is not possible to grow fruit bearing plants from the  seeds of fruits that we buy from the market as there many varieties and hybrids of fruits and vegetables that have flooded the market these days. Luckily, my experiment with Rasbhari did not prove futile at all. I guess it does not have any hybrids.


Botanical name : Physalis peruviana
Common name : Hindi - Rasbhari ( रसभरी )
                             English - Cape gooseberry
Family : Solanaceae ( Potato family )


Distribution : originally from South America, a home to many members of Solanaceae. Cultivated in sub-tropical regions.

Morphology : a shrub with a height of 2- 4 ft. Stems and leaves are covered with fine hair. Leaves are simple, dark green, heart shaped, with entire margins and oppositely arranged. 

Inflorescence is solitary axillary. Flowers are simple and actinomorphic. Calyx is green,with five sepals, fused (gamosepalous) to form a cup shaped structure. Corolla consists of yellow coloured petals that are fused together (gamopetalous) and have purple markings towards the centre.

After the fruit sets in, the calyx inflates and continues to grow and form a protective covering around the developing fruit. As the fruit inside matures and changes its colour from green to yellow to orange, the green and hairy calyx too turns brown and papery. 

A stem bearing fruits

Fruit growing inside green calyx

Calyx turning brown and papery

Fruit is a berry with numerous light yellow seeds embedded inside the orange coloured fleshy part.

 

Curry leaf

I vividly remember how we got our first curry leaf plant. My grandmother, during her stay at one of her relative's house, got a sapling of this plant from them. It was an overnight train journey at the peak of summers. Next morning the moment my grandmother reached our house with all her luggage,  the first thing I did was to peep inside the poly - bag and welcome the new member of our patch of green. Since then, we have been relishing its flavour and cooking South Indian on holidays became a norm. 

Curry leaf or kadi patta ( कड़ी पत्ता ) is an essential component of South Indian cuisine and hence is grown in almost every South Indian home. But is not used much in North India. It can be seen growing in the wild here but it is rarely seen growing in homes. Many people aren't even aware of this plant. So we meet many curious passer-byes who wish to know (either from us or from our neighbours ) the name and use of this little tree whose branches have crossed all the boundaries and now fall on the street. Sometimes people from neighbourhood would pluck away a few leaves whenever they would cook 'kadhi' at home since the only use of this plant for them is to enhance the flavour of this dish. They take its name too literally...;p. But on a serious note, the addition of these leaves truly make any ordinary 'kadhi' stand out.

Distribution : sub tropical to tropical regions. In India commonly found growing in lower Himalayas and peninsular India.

Botanical name : Murraya koenigii

Common name : Hindi - Kadi patta, Meetha neem

                             Bengali - Barsunga  

                             Telugu - Karepaku

                             Tamil - Karivepillai

                             Malayalam - Kareapela

                             English - Curry Leaf

Family : Rutaceae ( Citrus Family ) 

Morphology : shrub to a small tree, grows upto 6 metres, brownish bark with longitudinal striations. 

Leaves are unipinnate with 11-25 leaflets in one leaf and swollen leaf base. Inflorescence is a cyme. Flowers are highly fragrant and are borne in clusters. Calyx is green, persistent and five lobed. Corolla is creamy white and polypetallous. Petals are lanceolate and five in number. Androecium is polyandrous,the number of stamens is ten, arranged in two circles of five each. Gynoecium is seated on a disc ( a characteristic feature of Rutaceae ). Stigma is sticky.

Fruit is a berry that turns shiny purplish- black on ripening. It encloses one green coloured seed.

Leaflets, petals and the skin of its fruit are dotted with oil glands and visible to the naked eye. Every part of the plant is aromatic.

Fowering season begins by late March. It is that time of the year when bees perpetually hover around it during day and standing under the tree fills your ears with their constant buzzing. 

Butterflies like Common Jay, Common Mormon and Lime butterfly too can be seen during this time.

Propagation : easily by seeds. The seeds however, should be fresh. Dried seeds do not germinate. During monsoons, a number of seedlings can be seen growing beneath the tree from the fruits that have fallen due to rains. It can be easily grown in a pot and maintained as a shrub.

Uses : aromatic leaves are used to flavour dishes particularly in South Indian cuisine. Leaves are usually used fresh though they can also be used in their dried state. Dried leaves are however less aromatic than fresh ones.

Apart from adding a distinct flavour to dishes, curry leaves possess many health benefits too.  Curry leaves are a storehouse of vitamin A,C and calcium.The leaves are a source of iron and folic acid that help in increasing haemoglobin level in our blood. They possess blood sugar lowering properties hence, they can be useful for people with diabetes. Curry leaves are used to cure dysentery, indigestion, nausea and vomiting. The leaves also possess the property to lower bad cholesterol level. They are a natural remedy for hair problems like hair-fall and greying of hair. 

The bark and roots are used to cure skin eruptions and bites of poisonous animals.