Exotic Fruit Salad
EVENT: FOODIEMONDAY/BLOGHOP
THEME: #73 NEW YEAR
RECIPE: EXOTIC FRUIT SALAD
Exotic Fruit Salad is a delicious, healthy and satisfying naturally sweet treat to enjoy for breakfast or as dessert. Why exotic? Because I rarely find dragon fruit and I love it so much.
FoodieMonday/ Bloghop Group
To kick off 2017 on a happy note,FoodieMonday/Bloghop group decided on the theme New Year. For this theme which coincidentally falls on a Monday, we had to prepare any dish that we see fit to celebrate New Year. New beginnings mean celebrating with something sweet. However, after the wedding, Christmas, hubby’s birthday celebrations I really didn’t want to add more sugar into our bodies.
Since I got really sweet strawberries, succulent pomegranate and dragon fruit, I decided to make something that is naturally sweet and healthy – a fruit salad. You may question what is so unique about a fruit salad, but for me it is. I don’t get dragon fruit in Mombasa so that is exotic enough!
HAPPY NEW YEAR
Write it in your heart that every day of this new year is the best day.
A new year has begun, time to reflect on what we achieved last year, what we didn’t and what we would like to achieve. Like every year I continuously make a resolution to lose weight, which so far I haven’t. Also not get so emotional if my kids don’t call regularly, which is pretty difficult to stick by. And to have more patience with my hubby’s weird, out of this world ideas. Often enough, his ideas get me so angry and I try to retaliate them with all my energy 🙂
It is also important to thank our past years and what we have learned from it. Actually, the past is what allows us to move to the new year. Also a time to thank God for all that we have, good health, home, family and friends.
So here’s wishing you all a year which will bring you good health, peace, happiness, more family time, prosperity, success in all you want to achieve, new friends and continued friendship.
My New Year Resolution
Nothing about dieting or weight loss as I can never stick to it. However, I want to go into 2017 loving myself more. Seriously, I want to stop pleasing others. Furthermore, I want to do what I feel I should. I don’t want others telling me what I should be doing. Not to mention, I am old enough to know what is right and what is wrong. For me that’s going to be like a major makeover. No seriously, after certain events that took place last year, I want to break the shackles of pleasing everyone. As hubby dear often reminds me that I should follow my heart.
More Fruity Recipes
- Cute sweet little Fruit Tartlets topped with assorted fruits make delightful dessert option.
- Homemade Fruit Jelly makes a delicious Summer Time dessert. Ideal for garden parties, kids parties or just to have a cool healthy treat. I use agar agar making them totally vegetarian, gluten free and vegan.
- How about some delish fruity puddings to enjoy for breakfast or as dessert? I love Amaranth Fruity Pudding and Saffron Tapioca Pudding.
- For dinner parties I love to serve Fruit & Nut Rice Kheer or Pudding.
- Start your day with a protein rich Fruit And Nut Yogurt Parfait.
- How about some chilled fresh fruit filled Lemongrass Fruity Tea? A satisfying and filling summer treat. I love to have it on Fasting Days.
Ingredients Required For Exotic Fruit Salad
- Fresh Fruits – any of your choice. Try and include some berries or grapes, tropical fruit. Choose any seasonal fruit. I have used dragon fruit, pomegranate, strawberries and grapes.
- Fresh Herbs – herbs like mint or basil go very well with fruit salads. I have used fresh mint.
- Fresh Orange Juice – to add some zing to any fruit salad, I like to use fresh orange juice reduction. Make sure the juice is naturally sweet and not bitter or sour. To prepare the reduction mix the juice with little cornflour. Heat the mixture gently in a pan till it becomes hot and slightly thick. If you want to prepare this fruit salad for fasting days then replace cornflour with arrow root or tapioca flour.
- Cornflour – to prepare the reduction. For fasting days replace cornflour with arrow root or tapioca flour.
EXOTIC FRUIT SALAD
Ingredients
- 1 dragon fruit
- 12 strawberries or 1 punnet
- 1 cup grapes
- 8 fresh mint leaves
- 1 cup of pomegranate seeds/arils
FOR THE ORANGE REDUCTION:
- 1½ cups orange juice fresh
- 1 tsp cornflour
Instructions
PREPARATION OF ORANGE REDUCTION
- To prepare the orange reduction, mix orange juice and cornflour in a thick bottomed pan.
- Put the pan over medium heat and let the juice become hot.
- When it begins to simmer, reduce the heat. Let it simmer for 7-10minutes till it becomes a little thick.
- Let it cool down completely.
PREPARATION OF FRUIT SALAD
- Scoop out the flesh from the dragon fruit.
- Cut the grapes into half.
- Tear the mint leaves.
- Hull the strawberries and cut into half or thick slices.
- Mix the fruits and mint leaves together in a serving bowl.
- Pour the orange reduction over the fruit salad and serve.
Notes
- Use any fresh fruit of your choice.
- Make it colourful so that it is appealing and kids will want to reach out for it.
- Can serve the fruit salad with some ice cream or drizzle fresh cream over it.
- Use basil leaves instead of mint.
Pin For Later:
A little request:
If you do try this recipe then please either
- add a comment below,
- send a picture to my email mayuri.ajay.patel62@gmail.com
- tag me as #mayuri_jikoni on Instagram
- or tag me on Twitter as #Mayuri1962
26 Comments
Pushpita Singh
January 3, 2017 at 8:20 am
Indeed an exotic healthy salad recipe share Mayuridi!����
alkajena
January 3, 2017 at 12:59 pm
You are right Mayuri, after so many celebrations, this one is the best start to your new year.
Kriti Singhal
January 9, 2017 at 12:34 pm
One of the most beautiful and refreshing post… loved the salad… 🙂
Preethi Prasad
January 21, 2017 at 12:05 pm
Ideal way to start the new year. Love the riot of colours.Nice presentation .
Tea Solves Everything
April 19, 2017 at 5:32 pm
Very refreshing! Looks delicious!
Nayna Kanabar
April 19, 2017 at 7:02 pm
What a beautiful fruit salad, I have yet to try dragon fruit. It looks so pretty.
Shobha
April 19, 2017 at 9:13 pm
Orange reduction is something new for me .. never tried it. I will definitely make this fruit salad. Now is the right time to enjoy the various salads..
Mayuri Patel
April 21, 2017 at 6:39 pm
Nayna, basically it doesn't have much taste on its own. I tried it first time at Marriot Juhu. Now its available in most big cities in India so when I found some in Bangalore, had to make the healthy salad.
Priya Vj
February 15, 2022 at 8:31 am
Refreshing and juicy fruit salad . I would love to have this almost everyday during summer . All these exotic fruits with a dressing of orange reduction is hard to resist.
mayurisjikoni
February 15, 2022 at 2:06 pm
Thank you so much Priya, and you are right juicy fruit salad is hard to resist.
Mayuri Patel
April 21, 2017 at 6:39 pm
Thank you
Mayuri Patel
April 21, 2017 at 6:40 pm
Shobha, try the reduction… its goes well with fruit salads, to pour over plain cakes, to pour over vanilla ice cream or waffles, pancakes. You can make it with any fresh fruit juice.
poonampagar
June 9, 2018 at 5:05 am
The salad looks so refreshing and inviting di ! Dragon fruit was the most loved fruit during our stay in Malaysia ..such a perfect way to begin the new year !
mayurisjikoni
June 9, 2018 at 6:01 pm
Thank you Poonam, I too loved that fruit and ate it everyday during our stay in Bali.
Shobha Keshwani
February 11, 2022 at 9:10 pm
Who can ever such an exotic fruit salad. Looks so colourful and pretty served in a dragon fruit bowl. I like the idea of reducing the juice with corn flour. Never tried doing that.
mayurisjikoni
February 12, 2022 at 1:48 pm
Thank you so much Shobha. Before I use to add the juice on its own but that would remain at the bottom of the bowl. When reduced it actually sticks to the fruit without appearing like a thick sauce.
Neha
February 13, 2022 at 4:14 pm
Lovely dainty fruit basket!!. The orange reduction has done the trick and is a great tip. I would anytime prefer to have this exotic fruit salad just as shown in the image – sans ice cream or fresh cream. Just dig and enjoy the medley of fruits in the basket. I loved reading your new year resolution – so honest and humble. Enjoyed the recipe and content on this page.
mayurisjikoni
February 13, 2022 at 9:06 pm
Thank you so much Neha. I love a good fruit salad anytime any day.
Seema Sriram
February 14, 2022 at 10:00 pm
It is a dainty looking salad with a cute basket made with the dragon fruit itself, love the idea. I like how colourful the salad looks.
mayurisjikoni
February 17, 2022 at 2:50 pm
Thank you so much Seema.
Rinku
February 14, 2022 at 10:25 pm
I absolutely love everything about this recipe, the simplicity, the presentation and the combination of fruit. I need to get some dragonfruit to try this.
mayurisjikoni
February 17, 2022 at 2:49 pm
Thank you so much Rinku, dragon fruit does taste good with the salad but if you don’t get it, go ahead and try out fruits that are available.
Archana
February 15, 2022 at 12:08 am
So sweet I loved your hubby’s support! Definitely, the time to follow your heart! The exotic fruit salad looks so delicious and tempting. I am tempted to rush to the market and get the fruits right now. I have to try your orange reduction too. Sounds yum.
mayurisjikoni
February 15, 2022 at 2:11 pm
Thank you Archana. Enjoy the fruit salad with the orange reduction.
Mina Joshi
February 15, 2022 at 3:14 am
This fruit salad looks colourful and delicious. Your orange reduction must be very similar to a fruit compote but without the sugar. Now that’s a very healthy dressing for the fruit salad. Serving this with ice-cream sounds like the ultimate treat for me.
mayurisjikoni
February 15, 2022 at 2:10 pm
Thank you Mina. With other fruits that give a thick puree, orange doesn’t. It doesn’t become too thick, but just enough to coat the fruits like a thin glace. If you add too much of the cornflour than it will taste like custard.