Let me confess I did not know what this was until I saw this picture. Do you know what it is? What is it used for? Where it comes from? Do tell us more about this is you do know? Or, make a guess?
Answer on next page below
Most of our readers had guessed the answer right. Infact I got to learn much more about this fruit from the comments than my own source of information. Here is the answer that I researched. This fruit is called ‘Dodi’ in Sindhi. It is a seasonal fruit grown in shallow waters. I don’t know the Urdu name. But through your informative comments we all did get to learn many other names of this fruit.
The photo above shows a person selling ‘Dodi’ in Larkana on June 20, 2009.
Lotus bulbs as correctly mentioned. Called ‘Dodi’ in parts of Sindh. Creamish colored seeds are hidden inside the green flower. The seeds are the edible portion – these are usually taken out and eaten with lemon and masala. Its pretty much tasteless except for a small green portion inside the seed which is bitter.
Wonderful. Did not know at all what this was. But I do now. Thank you.
Don’t know how it tastes. But it looks terrific.
This is definitely lotus fruit which develops as the Lotus flower wilts. The seeds studded in this peculiar bulb have to be peeled individually before they are eaten. It was sold in the older parts of Karachi in the fifties and sixties. It has a mildly nutty taste.
I’m pretty sure Siddarth is right. My dad tried to get me to eat it ~5 years ago while we were travelling a little north of Hyderabad; I never tried it. :-).
This would be a very rude bouqet.
A bunch of shower head looking bulbs. A message to clean up. I wonder who would I send it to, politically speaking hmmmm..