Grapefruit With Honey.
From later winter to early spring, grapefruits are in season. Grapefruit is an excellent source of vitamin C,vitamin A, folate, potassium and fiber. The rich pink and red colors of grapefruit are due to lycopene, a tumor fighting chemical. It is also helpful in lowering cholesterol and clearing the liver and has endless other benefits.
Till recently I wasn't a great fan of grapefruit, associating it with a lingering bitterness. But a friend suggested honey with it and it worked. A drizzle of honey takes away the bitterness while adding a pleasing sweetness. I got hooked on its extreme juiceiness and now my better half got me a huge(!!) bag of grapefruits from our friendly neighbourhood retailer!
Cut the grapefruit into halves vertically. With a very sharp knife and concentration, carefully cut each half into 3-4 slices and cut away the skin. Cut further into pieces. When they are all ready, drizzle honey and let it rest for 10 minutes or so. Enjoy!
Fruit Salad/ Fruit Chaat
A whole bunch of fruit cut up into equal sized dices. The combination can vary as per the mood. I used 2 bananas, 1 grapefruit, 1 apple, some mango cubes and plums. You could use kiwis, strawberries, guava etc too.
The whole flavor is brought together by chaat masala, a pungent blend of spices such as dried mango powder, black salt, cumin, ginger etc. Since my better half is averse to dried mango powder( he can sense it a mile away and scrunches up his face), I just add my spices.
The juices from the grapefruit is sour enough to replace lemon juice. So sprinkle some red chili powder, cumin powder(roasted), sea salt, ginger powder(very little) and drizzle some honey. Adjust the spices as per your taste..more sour, more spicy.. Alternately you could use any store bought chaat masala or make one of your own and keep as per this recipe.
Just salt, sugar and red chili powder also tastes good. I used to mix semi ripe papaya (or mangoes) with tamarind extract, chili powder, sugar and salt and eat till my stomach gave in.:) Now I limit myself to this light dressing. The fruit chaat tastes best after it is just dressed with the spices so don't let it sit. Add the spices just before serving.
Shaheen, grapefruit with honey is a cool idea..I too find it difficult to eat grapefruit as is..and it has amazing benefits...It can reduce cholesterol and control diabetes!
ReplyDeletenice. i read somewhere that grapefruit is a great liver cleanser. couple of days ago i put grapefruit and ginger together and it turned out nice too. thanks for this post.
ReplyDeleteHi Mallugirl, this is my first time commenting. I know this doesn't sound particularly healthy, but I used to drench my grapefruit pieces in Sprite (or 7-UP or tonic) to get rid of the bitterness, and found it really refreshing! I'd drink the Sprite after I was done with the grapefruit, too. :) Now I simply squeeze the juice and mix it with whatever soda I have. Weird combination, I know!
ReplyDeleteGrapefruit and Honey....now that's something that just might chage my mind about this fruit!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the ideas...
-trupti
Shaheen, thanks for the info on Unnakkayi, I was so dumb to think that its some non veg dish:P I am waiting for ur post to see how it looks like. Grapefruit pics bring hopes of those beautiful bright spring days ahead.
ReplyDeleteHave a lovely weekend!
Shn
I never liked grapefruit. It has a weird butter taste. But drizzling with honey...good idea..Now that u say it is soo good for health..I better try it.
ReplyDeleteYou recommend grapefruit huh?! Despite how healthy it is, its hard to believe the bitterness will disappear on adding honey. But on second thoughts, I'll try it....
ReplyDeletebeautiful. i love grapefruit, and your pictures makes me crave some.
ReplyDeletein the nick of the time.
ReplyDeletewe get a range of exotic fruits here(with exotic names like rambutan, dukku,dragon fruit ,mangostein(my fav.)etc etc...),some which i have never heard
before. so i try different fruit every week. sadly whether good or bad, my family mostly don't join into these fruit adventures.............so i hav to finish what i buy.
and this week, i brought grapefruit....as i hav heard of its benefits. so thanx
ki
lov
I never liked grapefruit because of its bitterness. Will try your tip with honey and chaat masala. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteDelicious, and the photo looks so great. Viji
ReplyDeletechandrika, i started on the grapefruit craze to iniate my hub but ended up getting hooked instead.
ReplyDeleteJacob, u are right. did u add grated ginger or juice.. would love to hear how u made it.:)
Shilpa, welcome to the blogging world.grapefruit with sprite sounds weird but then i always add lime to my srite so i am sure its tastes good.
Trupti, Do try. Maybe something in the honey softens the fruit.
Mishmash, ah..spring..just waiting for that.where are u located?
MAnjula, buttery taste?Thats new.
Jyostna,its so good for u, u have to try it and then say no.:)
Bee, thanks, do add ur recipe with grapefruit here.
Ki, Never had any of ur exotic fruits. heard of dukku..is it like chakka?and mangostein, but not available here. make fruit salad with icecream for the picky ones.:)
I do have fruits that only i end up eating..cantaloupe,melons,persimonn..f still is a fan of mango and pears!
Pavani, do try and let me know.
Vcuisine, thanks!
i simply minced the ginger and put it torgether with grapefruit into the blender. but i guess juice is a better idea. also, i added some sugar to take the bitterness away.
ReplyDeletethe one that looks like chakka is 'durian'. but nothing is going to make me eat it(sorry, to all malaysians...)it has a very pungent smell, which can be smelled miles away and i hav seen boards in many places 'durains not allowed'.just to give u an idea.....
ReplyDeleteand i hav 2 avacados sittin in the fridge, tell me what to do withthem(one is green skinned and another blackish brown).
lov
ki
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteExcellent new template, the white is a good BG for your lovely pics!
ReplyDeleteGrape fruit with honey..Good idea.I heard that it will help to reduce weight,Is that true?Pictures are great.
ReplyDeletehey i liked ur previous temple it was eye catching.............plzzzzzzzzzz change back to the old template
ReplyDeletesuja
Very refreshing. New design looks cool
ReplyDeleteHi Shaheen, your grapefruit dishes look beautiful! Nice new template too :)
ReplyDeleteShaheen, I loved your old template. It was so unique and so full of life. Plsssss revert back to your old template...
ReplyDeleteGrapefruit and honey is an amazing combination and to think that you have added spices like red chilli powder, cumin, sea salt and ginger is awesome. The picture is taken so well and the dish looks very appetizing. Thank you for this great recipe!
ReplyDeletecan some on e give me the malayalam translation for grape fruit... how is it commonly known in kerala??
ReplyDeleteis it available in trivandrum.
ReplyDelete