The Ministry of Education's announcement to include more local content in the School Nutrition/Feeding Programme is a welcome initiative that will only auger well for the nation's health and agriculture sectors.
Food for Thought/Grow and Eat Local seeks to inform about the 149 crops that are grown in T&T (not counting the varieties within many of them).
In this the 27th instalment of the continuing series, we feature caraili/caraaili/carailli, a popular vegetable in the diets of peoples throughout the tropical world. Ironically, its popularity is largely based not on its taste which is markedly bitter but on its invaluable medicinal properties. It is a tropical plant that is widely cultivated in Asia, India, East Africa, South America and the Caribbean commonly used in cooking and as a natural remedy for treating diabetes.
Also known as bitter melon, bitter squash, or balsam-pear, Momordica charantia, has names adapted from other languages such as karela from Sanskrit. Here in T&T, we call it caraili (pronounced 'car-eye-lee'), again a likely variation from the Sanskrit language.
Caraili originated in India and was introduced into China in the 14th century. It is a tropical and subtropical vine of the family Cucurbitaceae. Its many varieties differ substantially in shape and bitterness. Unlike its cousins, the pumpkin and watermelon, Caraili is cultivated on upright trellises so that it hangs down and does not lie on the ground.
The vine grows up to five metres in length as a climbing perennial that bears elongated produce with a knobby, warty surface. It is a useful medicinal and vegetable plant for human health and one of the most promising plants for diabetes...bitter but good, as it is often labelled. Some bear miniature caraile of only six to ten cm in length, which may be served individually as stuffed vegetables.
These miniature delicacies, properly prepared, is popular in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Nepal, and other countries in South Asia. Here in the Caribbean, a wild form exists with very small fruit that are a favourite of the birds which spread the seeds. When ripe the seeds are a delicacy when eaten straight from the pod. This wild form can be a nuisance though since it is aggressive, grows quickly and can cover and smother existing trees. In village life, vines were pulled to make a bedding for chickens to set and said to keep away fowl lice.
Caraili is hollow in cross-section, with a relatively thin layer of flesh surrounding a central seed cavity filled with large, flat seeds and pith. It is mostly eaten green, or as it is beginning to turn yellow. At this stage, the flesh is crunchy and watery in texture, similar to cucumber, christophene or green bell pepper, but bitter. The skin is tender and edible. Seeds and pith appear white when unripe and are usually removed before cooking.
As it ripens, the flesh (rind) becomes somewhat tougher and more bitter, and many consider it too distasteful to eat. On the other hand, the pith becomes sweet and intensely red; it can be eaten uncooked in this state, and is a popular ingredient in some Southeast Asian salads.
When fully ripe, it turns orange and mushy, and splits into segments which curl back dramatically to expose seeds covered in bright red pulp. The pulp and arils are high in carotenoids, iron, phosphorous and ascorbic acid. The pulp has soluble pectin but no free pectic acid. Research has found that the leaves are nutritious sources of calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus and iron; both the edible parts and the leaves are great sources of the B vitamins.
Caraili is generally consumed cooked in the green or early yellowing stage. The young shoots and leaves of the bitter melon may also be eaten as greens. In Chinese cuisine, caraili is valued for its bitter flavour, typically in stir-fries, soups, dim sum, and herbal teas. In North Indian cuisine, it is often served with yogurt on the side to offset the bitterness, used in curries or stuffed with spices and then cooked in oil. Here in the Caribbean, caraili can be cut into slices and fried, or stuffed with fillings made with meat, fish or vegetables, a delicacy called "kaloungi".
Caraili is a powerful nutrient-dense plant composed of a complex array of beneficial compounds. These include bioactive chemicals, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants which all contribute to its remarkable versatility in treating a wide range of illnesses. They contain high amounts of vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamins B1, B2 and B3, as well as vitamin B9 (folate). The caloric values for leaf, fruit and seed were 213.26, 241.66 and 176.61 Kcal/100 g respectively.
It is also rich in minerals including potassium, calcium, zinc, magnesium, phosphorus and iron, and is a good source of dietary fibre. Medicinal value of Caraili has been attributed to its high antioxidant properties due in part to phenols, flavonoids, iso flavones, terpenes, anthroquinones, and glucosinolates, all of which confer a bitter taste.
Based on the multitude of medical conditions that Caraili can treat, scientists are more and more interested in studying its bioactive compounds and their actions on the body. However, as many studies report, there has been substantial emphasis on the anti-diabetic compounds and their hypoglycemic properties. A number of reported clinical studies have shown that extracts from theCaraili (skin, pulp, seeds, leaves) contain several bioactive compounds that have hypoglycemic activity in both diabetic animals and humans.
Caraili has been in use for a very long time in Hindu medicine or Ayurveda and also used in various Asian and African herbal medicine systems. In Turkey, it has been used as a folk remedy for a variety of ailments, particularly stomach complaints. In traditional medicine of India different parts of the plant are used to relieve diabetes, as a stomachic, laxative, antibilious, emetic, anthelmintic agent, for the treatment of cough, respiratory diseases, skin diseases, wounds, ulcer, gout, and rheumatism. It has a number of purported uses including cancer prevention, treatment of diabetes, fever, HIV and Aids, and infections. While it has shown some potential clinical activity in laboratory experiments, further studies are required to recommend its use.
Visit the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries' website at http://www.agriculture.gov.tt/
This series is written in collaboration with Cynthra Persad, retired director of Research, Ministry of Agriculture. For information on acquiring copies of the two Crops of T&T charts, email fruitstt@live.com
Fried caraili
INGREDIENTS
1 large Caraili
2 pimento peppers
2 cloves garlic
1 small onion
salt and pepper to taste
METHOD
�2 Chop caraili into rings
�2 Cut up pimento peppers, onion and garlic and set aside
�2 In a frying pan, medium flame, heat oil
�2 Add chopped onions etc, and saut� until golden brown; add chopped caraili rings and mix in with the seasoning; continue frying, turning caraili until slightly brown
�2 Add salt and pepper to taste