Persimmon Pomegranate Feta Salad with Chili Lime Dressing

Why don't we buy persimmon often? M asked while we were walking through the fruit aisle of our supermarket. Always armed with an answer to M's food related queries, or so I pride, I couldn't answer that for once. What I didn't want to admit was I didn't have enough ideas of what to do with it.

I'm one of those people who think eating fruits in their raw form is the best way to enjoy nature's treat. But each experience with Fuyu persimmon left me, often wondering in vain, how the fruit needed a little support, a little boost from something. This time around, I picked up some Hachiya to try.

Persimmons are generally of two types, Fuyu and Hichaya. Hichaya, the one you see above are acorn shaped and can be astringent if eaten when unripe. Wait till the skin goes deep orange and soft to enjoy the sweet, juicy and delicate flavor of this fruit. Fuyu on the other hand is more forgiving as it's a non-astringent variety, milder in flavor and doesn't have to be very soft to be sweet. 

Though I ended up using Hichaya and barely managed to slice it since it was soft and had to keep the skin on for slicing but Fuyu would be actually perfect. So I recommend using Fuyu but pulpy Hichaya would work perfectly well too, just probably not sliced. If you bring home Hichaya, which are not ripe, let them sit in the fridge for couple of days and it turns into this jelly like sweet heaven, which you can just scoop up with a spoon. Here, persimmon which often comes from Lebanon is called 'Kaka fruit'. I was so tempted to call this Kaka salad!

Feta cheese with persimmon was just the combination I was looking for. The sweetness of persimmon plays well with the tangy and salty feta. The pomegranate seeds add rich ruby color and crunch. They make the salad a treat for the eyes as much as for the taste buds. The chili  lime dressing adds zest, freshness and brightens up every other flavor.

What do you do with persimmon? Share your ideas and links in comments below.

Persimmon Pomegranate Feta Salad with Chili Lime Dressing

Serves 3

Ingredients 

3 Fuyu persimmon, peeled, sliced 

1 pomegranate, deseeded

1/4 cup feta, cubed

2 tbsp coriander leaves, finely chopped

Dressing

1 tbsp lime juice

1 serrano chili, finely chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

Method

Combine lime juice, serrano chili and slowly whisk in the oil. Keep aside. 

Place all the ingredients with in a large bowl and lightly toss in the dressing. Season with salt and pepper if required.