Mei-Ramew recipe: Local and flavourful Roselle ice cream by Kong Plantina

Roselle Ice Cream

Roselle is mainly used for cooking, especially for making curry. However, presently, the communities have found a few ways to innovate with this food plant. They have come up with interesting recipes to promote this nutritious and local food plant that is cultivated in and around the Ri-Bhoi region of Meghalaya.

Roselle plant

Roselle is a herb (or subshrub), rich in iron, vitamin C, calcium, and a good source of protein, fat and total sugars.

Nutritional Contents:

Protein- 3.5g/100g

Carbohydrate- 8.7g/100g

Vitamin C- 2.3 mg/100g

Calcium- 240 mg/100g

Iron- 5 mg/100g

It is used in many folk medicines for its ability to increase urination, relief during hot weather, and treatment of cracks in the feet, bilious, sores, and wounds. They are also known to have antimicrobial, antipyretic and sedative properties and also works in soothing cough remedy

 Source: Singh P, Khan M, Hailemariam H (2017) Nutritional and Health Importance of Hibiscus Sabdariffa: A review and Indication for Research Needs. Journal of Nutritional Health and  Food Engineering, 6(5)

To promote and enhance the local food system, NESFAS have organized numerous training on Food Processing and Value Addition in 2019 with the Self Help Groups (SHGs) in the communities. Since then, SHGs have built on their existing food processing skills and scaled up the preparation of jams, pickles, and juice out of roselle.

Kong Plantina Mujai is well known for the best Khasi-Bhoi dishes that she serves in her Mei-Ramew cafe – an indigenous cafe that serves indigenous food. She was the first to come up with the innovation of making roselle ice cream. Before that, roselle was also served as a vegetarian or non-vegetarian curry, tea and juice.

Kong Plantina, a food enthusiast, would always love to visit the SHG when they are making their products. In early March 2022, Kong Plantina thought of a new food item to serve in her cafe. Taking inspiration from the myriads of food recipes out of roselle, she prepared roselle ice cream which sold like hotcakes on the first day itself. They were popular, especially among young children in the community and were always sold out at the end of the day because of the hot climate in the village.

Kong Plantina Mujai owner fo Mei-Ramew Cafe and recipe innovator

Local children relishing the roselle ice cream

Recipe for Roselle ice-cream

Roselle Ice Cream with raw ingredients

5 essential ingredients:

1. 6 litres of water
2. Dried Roselle 200gms
3. Salt ½  teaspoon
4. Sugar ½ kg
5. Jaggery 50gms

Roselle Ice Cream

Method:

1. Boil 200 gms of Jajew in water.
2. Boil until it becomes soft.
3. Strain the Roselle  and keep aside the water
4. Add ½ teaspoon of salt and ½ kg of sugar into the water and stir it.
5. Allow to cool at room temperature.
6. Pour it in a glass or container.
7. Allow to freeze and serve when frozen.

Children savouring the roselle ice cream