Summer means a lot of things to lot of us. From the crisp bright day to hot humid wind to vacations to holidays to summer delicacies – the list is endless. It is impossible to imagine summer without mangoes and ever since I started jotting down recipes on this blog, I have made it a point to try as many mango recipes as possible. But today, for a change I have decided to talk about another gorgeous summer delicacy – Ice Apple. It is also known as Nungu in Tamil, Munjalu in Telugu and Tadgola/Taal in Hindi. And I made Nungu Payasam 🙂

Ice Apple is quite amazing as it is. I mean, whats not to love about it? I love, love, absolutely love waiting for the palm fruit to be cut open in front of eyes, Nungu/Ice Apples extracted carefully! I look forward to gently peeling off the skin and take a quick taste at the sweet water inside Ice Apples 🙂 Growing up, the sister and I used to called these ‘Sabbu’ (means soap in Telugu) as these Ice Apples are so smooth. Aren’t these gorgeous?!

Apparently, the tender ones are really good for health and they have a good cooling effect on the body. But if the ice apples are too hard and are devoid of any water inside – better be careful as they can cause stomach pain.

Anyway, one fine day the husband decided to surprise me with a pack of Nungu/Ice Apples on his way home. I couldn’t control myself and immediately gulped down a few 😀 When I have had enough, the thought of making Nungu Payasam seemed like a good idea. This has to be one of the easiest and yet, delicious Kheer recipes of all times! Do make it while the ice apples last.

How to make Nungu Payasam | Ice Apple Kheer

📖 Recipe

Detailed step by step picture tutorial of making Nungu Payasam | Ice Apple Kheer

  1. Remove the skin of the nungu/ice apples.

  2. Chop them into small pieces of desired size. Set aside.

  3. In a blender jar, add blanched almonds along with cardamoms.

  4. Add little milk and grind into a smooth paste.

  5. Mix the ground almond paste with already boiled and cooled down milk and cook it on low flame until it begins to thicken.

  6. Add sugar and mix well. Keep boiling on low flame for another 3-4 mins. Remove from heat and let this cool down completely.

  7. Add the chopped nungu/ice apples and mix well. Set it in refrigerator until ready to serve.

  8. Serve chilled with saffron strands on top.

Recipe Notes

Instead of almonds, cashews can also be used. Adjust the quantity of sugar as per preference. It is recommended to use tender ice apples and to add them only after the milk mixture has cooled down completely.

I would be delighted to know if you have tried this recipe, don’t forget to share your feedback and comments below. If you have any questions, you can e-mail me! I am also available on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter 🙂