So when I was strolling down the aisles in India Bazaar about a month ago, I saw something new and strange in the produce section. It was a yellow, round fruit or vegetable, about the size of a softball, roughly 12 cm. (about 5 inches) in diameter. It was called dosakai, although I've also seen this spelled slightly differently in other sources. Since I'd never even heard of such a food, much less had any, I of course bought it up ASAP.
It turns out that a dosakai is just another subtype of cucumber. And cucumbers, as I learned, actually originated in India as a whole. They've been cultivated for at least 3000 years. Most of Europe and North and South America didn't get them until much later--France in the 9th century, England in the 14th, and North America in the 16th century. Also, despite being regarded as vegetables, botanically the cucumber is a fruit, a berry specifically. They're fortified with potassium, magnesium, and Vitamins C, E, and K. The dosakai is also from India, and is most utilized in their cuisine. They're eaten in various ways--often in soups, or chutneys, or stir fried, or sauteed, or simply raw, in salads.
I checked out several online recipes for dosakai preparations, but none of them were very feasible for me. Most of them were traditional Indian dishes, and I didn't have the accompanying spices, or cooking equipment, or overall culinary talent, to even attempt them. However, I did so something innovative, by my standards: pickling. At least a quick and dirty form of it. First I poured a cup of water into a jar, and then a third of a cup of apple cider (aka white) vinegar. To this I then added two tablespoons of sugar, and then 2 teaspoons of salt. This was all stirred up. Once this was done, I put in the pieces of dosakai, which I had earlier cut up into thin slices. Finally, I capped the jar, and put it in the refrigerator for 6 days.
The resulting dosakai pickles were pretty decent. They looked pretty much the same as before, being whitish flesh with the yellowish rind still attached. There was an accompanying vinegary odor, too. The taste was basically like a regular pickled cucumber, like the kinds I've had thousands of times before. Tangy, and solid. The rind gave the pieces a nice crunch. Therefore, I certainly recommend pickled dosakai for those that enjoy "regular" pickled cucumbers. I also tried some dosakai raw, and unpickled, and that wasn't as good--more blandish, and almost melon-y. And I'd certainly be willing to try some dosakai that's been prepared in other ways, and by professional (or at least more competent) chefs. But, I have to admit that part of me was slightly disappointed about how familiar the flavor of dosakai pickles was. I was somehow hoping for something more different and distinct. Also, for another pickle-related article, see my post on February 17, 2016, about cornichons.
This experience was productive in another way, too. Maybe I'll start pickling other fruits and vegetables, just to see what happens. I did particularly enjoy those pickled watermelons (see May 12, 2013 post).
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