Selni

Selni

Think of a farmer hoeing or weeding in the sun for hours. He is hungry and thirsty but does not want to stop for refreshment.

He reaches for the small, pale peach-coloured cucumber-like fruits, growing wild on the farm boundary. The flesh is bland with a hint of sweetness, but its intense aroma, resembling that of ripe muskmelon, soothes him. The fruit is what one needs to satisfy the cravings.

Till about 20 years ago, the wild fruit (Cucumis callosus), known as selni in Maharashtra, kachra in the tribal areas of Madhya Pradesh and demu or pehta in Chhattisgarh, was a regular feature of farm life in central India. The thin, trailing vines, resembling that of bitter gourd, were found virtually everywhere in farms, yards and on household fences...

When raw, the fruits are used for making chutney. The half-ripe fruit is cut, sundried and stored in a dried form, called selni khula. In the summer, when vegetables are rare, slices of crispy, fried selni make a delicious addition to monotonous meals. However, the fruit is disappearing from farms, thanks to the chemical overload and manicure-perfect weeding necessitated by commercial crops.

Selni Khula
Ingredients
>> 1 kg half-ripe selni
>> 250 ml sour curd
>> Salt to taste
>> Oil for frying

Method
>> Wash the fruit and wipe it dry. Slice each into four vertical sections, and sun dry for four to five hours. 
>> Beat curd and salt in a large utensil, add the slices and mix. Leave overnight.
>> Next morning, take the pieces out of the curd and spread out on a plate under the sun. Reserve the leftover curd. Put the slices back into it in the evening.
>> Repeat the process for three days, by when the slices would absorb the entire curd. Sun dry them for a few more days. Store in a jar. 
>> For serving, heat oil in a pan, add a handful of selni khula and stir fry till crisp. The pieces will swell and change shape. Keep stirring to avoid burning. It takes a minute to be done. Serve to enliven simple meals.

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