Plant Name: Carissa carandas
Common name: Karanda
Marathi: Karvand
Hindi: Karonda
English: Christ Thorn, Karanda
Identification guide
Sap
White milky sap is observed with a slight twist or twining of the stem and leaves
Stems
Bark is yellowish- brown in colour. Its branches spread forming dense masses with thorns.
Leaves
Dark green, leathery, shiny and opposite. Leaf type is simple, oblong in shape, obtuse apex and acute to cuneate base with an entire margin.
Flowers
White flowers with red rose stalk
Fruits
They form a cluster of ellipsoid berries; young fruits are green coloured with red ting and turn purplish to black when matured.
Habit / Habitat
It is a hardy evergreen spiny shrub
The plant is grown wild and thrives on the poorest and rockiest soil in India. It requires moist, fertile, and well-drained soil for higher fruit production2.
Occurrence
1) Karanda is native and commonly found in India, Myanmar, Srilanka, Burma, Malacca and arid regions of Ceylon. It has been introduced in as a hedge and for its fruits in many countries like Java and often grown in Thailand, South Vietnam, and East Africa.
Edible parts
World wide use
Fruits
Used by tribal community in Jawhar
Fruits
Method of consumption
Jawhar tribal
Ripen fruits are directly consumed.
Young fruits are pickled
Other Recipe
Karonda (Natal Plum or Corinda) Pickle - Karonda Aachar
Ingredients
- 250 gm. karonda fruits
- 1 tsp. chilli powder
- 1 tsp. turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp. kalonji, Kalaunji or nigella seeds (Nigella sativa)
- 60 gm. Salt
- 50 gm. green chillies
- 1 tbsp. large Saunf or fennel seeds, ground
- 25 gm crushed rai or mustard seeds (smaller variety is used in pickles)
- 1/2 cup mustard oil, heated until smoking and then cooled
- 1/2 tsp. garam masala (optional as it will darken the colour of pickle)
Instructions
- Wash fruits and dry completely.
- Slit into half, lengthways to remove seeds.
- Slice the green chillies in pieces.
- Place halved karondas and green chillies in a bowl and add everything else to them. Mix well and fill the jars.
- Allow to stand on a sunny window sill for a week.
- Adjust seasoning (salt/chillies) and eat with Plain Paratha
Nutritional and medicinal information
Nutritive Significance
Nutrition Facts of Karonda fruits
Sr. No. Parameters Value*
1 Energry(Ecals) 42
2 Moisture(gm) 91
3 Protein(gm) 1
4 Fat(gm) 3
5 Mineral(gm) 1
6 Fibre(gm) 1
7 Carbohydrates(gm) 3
8 Phosphorous(mg) 28
9 Iron(mg
10 Calcium(mg) 21
11 Vitamin A 1619IU
12 Ascorbic Acid 9-11mg
Pharmaceutical significance
Literature review
Methanolic extract of the bark of the karonda was evaluated for its anti-pyretic activity, acute toxicity, Gastrointestinal mortality, neuro-pharmacological and anti- nociceptive (a sensory neuron that initiates pain) activities. The extract showed significant effects on most of the activities expect acute toxicity, hence claims to justify its use in folkloric remedies in Bangladesh .
The unripe fruit of karonda was studied for its anti-diabetic
Harvesting and preserving
Plants take about 3 years to come into bearing from seed, 1 - 3 years from cuttings
Propagation and Storage
Season of collection
Flower
during March
Fruits
mid-May to mid-July
How to grow it?
Propagation is through seeds. In wild, birds are the major source of dispersion of seeds.
Method of storage
Propagule
Seeds are stored in cool temperature.
Edible parts
Mature raw fruits could be store for over two weeks, whereas, freshly picked ripe fruits cannot be stored more than 3-4 days2.
Other uses
Matured fruits are harvested for use in tarts, pudding, and jellies
Leaves are fodder for tussar silk worm and stems and wood is used as hedge and for fuel
Classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Spermatophyta
Sub-division: Angiospermae
Class: Dicotyledonae
Sub-class: Gamopetalae
Series: Bicarpellatae
Order: Gentianales
Family: Apocynaceae
Genus: Carissa
Species: carandas
References
- http://indiabiodiversity.org/species/show/32472/?max=8&offset=0&classification=265799&taxon=30404&view=grid
- https://hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/karanda.html#Description
- http://www.mamtaskitchen.com/recipe_display.php?id=10602
- http://www.fruitsinfo.com/karonda-fruit.php
- http://www.ijppsjournal.com/Vol6Issue6/9417.pdf