Cape Gooseberry Crumble
(Gluten free – Paleo friendly, serves 2)
Cape Gooseberry, also known as rasbhari in India or Inca berry in the U.S.A., is one of my favorite fruits. While living in the U.S. I would regularly buy the dried version which is considered to be a “super food” because of its high levels of anti oxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. Imagine my delight when during my first winter back in New Delhi I saw these bright orange berries pop up at fruit stalls all around the city. I love eating them raw but here is a delicious way to cook them for dessert or even a treat, perhaps with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream. And if gooseberries are not your thing or not available, try this recipe with other seasonal fruits such as apple, mango or peaches.
Ingredients:
- 15 Cape Gooseberries (rasbhari)
- 1 tsp orange zest
- 1 tbsp orange juice
- 1/3 cup almond flour (also known as almond meal)
- 4 dried dates, pitted and roughly chopped
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp coconut oil, refrigerated for ½ hour and then cut into small pieces
- ¼ cup sliced almonds
Preparation:
- Preheat the oven to 175 degrees Celsius
- Cut each berry in quarters and mix with orange juice and orange zest
- Place almond flour, dates , cinnamon and salt in a food processor
- Pulse until combined
- Add the coconut oil and pulse again a few times until everything is well combined (be careful not to over-process because that will turn the mixture into almond butter)
- Place the berry mixture into individual ramekins or a small glass baking dish
- Top the berries with the almond flour mixture and sprinkle with sliced almonds
- Cover with aluminum foil, place on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes
- Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes or until the topping is golden brown
Here’s a link to a cool article on the Cape Gooseberry, history, health benefits and all.
