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Ice Apple Salad

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Recipe: Ice Apple Salad

Ice Apple Salad with coconut milk, mint, cucumber and a few spices is a refreshing, cooling and unique summer salad. This salad is full of nutrients and an excellent way to enjoy the superfood – ice apples or tadgola.  Serve it as a starter or enjoy it as a light meal. Make sure it is served chilled.

What Is Ice Apple?

Ice Apple is a translucent jelly like fruit that grows on a Palmyra palm tree. It grows along the coast of India especially in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Karnataka. This fleshy fruit is delicious, sweetish and cooling. Almost tastes like tender coconut. It is encased in a coconut like fruit.  Each coconut contains about 3 squarish seeds. Known as tadgola, nungu or tadpadi,sugar palm, toddy palm in India, this superfood is high in fiber, protein, vitamins A, C, E, and K, iron, zinc, phosphorus, and potassium. Boosts immunity, regulates body temperature during the summer, prevents dehydration and boosts metabolism.

Memories

When I was in Kenya, I had come across  recipes by many Indian bloggers using ice apple. Always wondered what it actually tasted like. During one visit around summer time, I got to taste it at a vegetable and fruit market. A vendor was deftly removing the fruit from the coconut and serving in a paper cup. Then in 2023, at the famous Now Natural Ice Cream Parlour in Juhu, I ordered tadgola with vanilla ice cream. The rest of the group were initially a bit vary to try out this lesser known fruit. Convinced them to try a spoonful and they were hooked!

2025, while ordering my grocery on the app Zepto, came across tadgola. Ordered some and was so happy to get it all ready removed from the large fruit. I just had to remove the thin woody covering. Every day enjoyed the fruit either chopped or pureed in lemonade, coconut water, as a milkshake or with ice cream.

While browsing on Instagram I came across a post by Chef Gaurav Pawar whereby he used tadgola to create a beautiful salad. Taking inspiration from his post I made Ice Apple Salad which even hubby enjoyed so much.

Sharing Ice Apple Salad Recipe With 2025 Alphabet Challenge Group

Initially for letter I the salads planned were Italian Insalata or Indonesian Gado Gado. I have the photos ready for Italian Insalata which now will be posted sometime in the future. When I reached Bangalore and saw that Ice Apples or tadgola were being sold in the market and the streets, I wanted to use it for my salad. Ice Apple And Mango would have been an excellent combination but unfortunately at that time mangoes were not in season. I came across an Ice Apple Salad on instagram and used that as my inspiration for my version of Ice Apple Salad.

As some of you may know, I am participating in the Alphabetical Challenge initiated by Wendy. I am hoping to share salad recipes A-Z. So far has been good. I is for iceberg lettuce, ice cream, iced, Iranian, Indonesian, Italian cuisines, ivy gourd, Inca berries, instant recipes, idli, etc.

For me, I is for Ice Apple.

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Ingredients Required For Ice Apple Salad

Ice Apple

Also known as tadgola, nungu. tadpadi, sugar palm or toddy palm fruit, palmyra fruit.

Cucumber

I prefer to use English or Persian Cucumber as the seeds if any are soft and the peel is thin.

Coconut Milk

I have used ready made coconut milk which comes in a can or carton.

Spring Onion

Need a sprig of spring onion for flavour.

Ginger

Peeled and grated fresh ginger. Need a little to add some flavour.

Green Chilli

Add according to your taste. Slice or chop it finely.

Jaggery

About a teaspoon of jaggery powder to balance the flavours. Jaggery adds an earthy flavour. If you don’t have jaggery then use brown sugar, honey or maple syrup.

Salt

Add according to your taste. Remember, coconut milk does not require too much salt.

Chaat Masala

I used ready made chaat masala. Can use homemade one. Add a little to balance the flavours.

Lemon Juice

Fresh lemon or lime juice adds a tangy flavour.

Pomegranate Arils

Added some to make the salad colourful. Added a lovely sweetish sour taste to the salad.

Fresh Mint

A few fresh mint leaves add a refreshing flavour.

Red Chilli Powder

Optional. I used a little as garnish. I didn’t use hot chilli powder as the spiciness from the green chilli was enough for us.

 

 

Watch How To Make Ice Apple Salad | Tadgola Salad

 

 

 

Print

ICE APPLE SALAD | TADGOLA SALAD

Ice Apple Salad with coconut milk, mint, cucumber and a few spices is a refreshing, cooling and unique summer salad. This salad is full of nutrients and an excellent way to enjoy the superfood - ice apples or tadgola.  Serve it as a starter or enjoy it as a light meal. Make sure it is served chilled.
Course Light Meal, Salad, Side Dish, Starter
Cuisine Indian
Keyword ice apple salad, nungu salad, tadgola salad recipe, tadpadi salad
Prep Time 10 minutes
CHILLING TIME 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 2
Author mayurisjikoni

Ingredients

  • 3 ice apples
  • 1 stalk spring onion
  • 1 medium cucumber
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • 1 tsp jaggery powder
  • 1 green chilli finely sliced or chopped
  • ¼ tsp ginger grated
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • ½ tsp chaat masala
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp pomegranate arils
  • 8-10 mint leaves fresh

Instructions

  • Remove the thin woody skin from the ice apple or tadgola. Sometimes it comes off easily when you peel it with your fingers. Or you may need to use a knife.
  • Chop the ice apples into small cubes. Transfer them to a mixing bowl.
  • Slice the cucumber and add to the ice apple.
  • Finely chop the spring onion and green chilli. Add to the salad.
  • Grate some ginger and add. We need about ¼ -½ tsp.
  • Tear the mint leaves if they are large and add.
  • Add the pomegranate arils, lemon juice and coconut milk.
  • Add salt, jaggery and chaat masala according to your taste.
  • Mix the salad well.
  • Allow it to chill in the fridge for at least one hour before serving it.
  • Sprinkle some red chilli powder on top before serving. This is totally optional.

Notes

  • Use English or Persian Cucumber as you don't need to peel them.
  • Add green chilli according to your taste.
  • I prefer to use canned coconut milk or from a carton as it tends to be thick.
  • This salad will be a bit liquidy.
  • Best served chilled.
  • Don't add too much chaat masala. You want a balance of flavours.

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