Himachal’s Winter Dose of Vitamin C – Citron (Galgal or Dudunj ka Khatta)

Himachal’s Winter Dose of Vitamin C – Citron (Galgal or Dudunj ka Khatta)

Being brought up in Himachal, this citrus dose of galgal holds a very beautiful memory of my childhood. We as kids use to skip our nap time and go to neighborhood to pluck these beautiful galgals.

We are so obsessed with this food and always look forward to winter. Because this is the only time when we can sit under the sun and enjoy this Pahadi snack. The citron (Citrus medica) is a large fragrant citrus fruit with a thick rind. It is one of the original citrus fruits from which all other citrus types developed through natural hybrid specialization or artificial hybridization. It a fruit from the family of lemons and oranges and is filled with a great amount of vitamin C. Citrus fruits are a precious resource of phytochemicals which are beneficial for the human body, like vitamin C, Vitamins B, potassium, phosphorous, and other elements, also, there are various active compounds extracted from citrus fruits used against heart diseases, and in treatments of hypertension, also, it is used as anticancer, inflammation, antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal activity.

Benefits of Citrus fruits:

https://biomedgrid.com/fulltext/volume3/nutritional-benefits-of-citrus-fruits.000681.php

Here is the recipe

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

1. 1 galgal cut into Small pieces
2. Coriander and  mint Chutney
3. Spinach optional
4. Green chilies as per taste
5. Salt
6. 3 tsp jaggery powder or monk fruit sugar
7. Charcoal and mustard oil (optional)

Method

1. Take a large bunch or approximately 100 grams of fresh coriander/cilantro and mint leaves. To add a little bit of more fiber add handful of spinach leaves.

2. Take a mortar and pestle (sil batta in local language). Add in green chilies, spinach, salt, sweetner (jaggery) or xylitol/Stevia/Monk fruits sugar.

3. Grind the coriander leaves, mint, spinach, green chilies, salt altogether (alternatively, you can do this using a electric mixer grinder )

4. Cut the fruits into small bite size pieces and pour in this green paste and mix with your hands thoroughly.You can eat it like this or enhance the flavor with a tint of smoke.

Adding smoky flavor

Take a burning piece of charcoal into a small bowl and spill a few drops of mustard oil over it. Place the fuming charcoal inside this mixture of Galgal and cover tightly with a plate. After two-three minutes, remove the cover. Enjoy the wonderful dose of Vitamin C with a tinge of smoke.