In Indonesia, the passion fruit is known as markisa . There are two types of passion fruit available, golden and purple.

The bright yellowish-orange variety, which is grown locally, is also known as the golden passion fruit. It has a smooth glossy yellow skin with a sour, slightly sweet taste and a light fragrance. The purple variety is smaller, with a sweeter taste and superior fragrance. The purple passion fruit is grown in Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii and South America.

Passion fruit has a soft, juicy interior in which the pulp is mixed with hundreds of seeds. The fruit can be eaten raw or, for culinary use, made into juice, ice cream or granita. It can also be made into an assortment of desserts, from refreshing passion fruit mousse to rich and creamy pavlova.

Fresh local passion fruits, which come from North Sumatra, can be bought easily in supermarkets or from street vendors throughout the city. Most Indonesians are quite familiar with passion fruit syrup, which is normally diluted with water and used to make fruit drinks. The syrup is pleasantly sweet and has the refreshing taste of pure passion fruit juice.

It is actually very easy to make pure passion fruit juice from scratch. Simply wash all the fruits, slice them into halves and scoop out the seeds. Put all the seeds and pulp into a food processor and blend for two seconds to loosen the seeds. Repeat three times. Strain into a jug or bowl.

Rich in vitamin C, beta carotene and potassium, this juice is full of goodness. If you like the crunchy seeds, don’t strain. They are high in dietary fiber. There are an endless variety of dishes that can be created using passion fruit juice.

Griddle Fried Chicken Breast With Spicy Passion Fruit Sauce

For this week’s recipe, I use passion fruit juice to make something savory by combining it with spices as a sauce for chicken. It sounds a little strange, but it is actually a great combination. You can replace the chicken breast with any white fish fillet or tofu. Serve with steamed rice and sauteed vegetables. If you don’t have a griddle, simply use a frying pan to brown the chicken. Serves 4.

Ingredients:

Four boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips (3-4 pieces for each breast); juice of 2 limes; 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil; salt and black pepper.

For the sauce: 300 milliliters fresh passion fruit juice (made from 1 kilogram of passion fruit, using the method described earlier); 2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil; 2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped finely; 15 shallots, about 100 grams, peeled and finely sliced; 5 red bird-eye chilies, thinly sliced; salt to taste.

Directions:

1.Season the chicken with salt, black pepper and lime. Apply your oil to the chicken just before cooking. If you’re using an ordinary frying pan, add the oil into the pan and pre-heat.

2.Heat a griddle pan. Make sure it is very hot before you put in the chicken strips. Cook the chicken for 2-3 minutes on each side or until you have nice griddle char marks. At this stage, the chicken is not 100 percent cooked. Place the chicken on a plate.

3.Heat a frying pan. Add the vegetable oil and add shallots. Saute for 2-3 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic and saute for another 2 minutes. Add the chilies, chicken and passion fruit juice.

4.Bring sauce to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. It will turn to a nice creamy consistency. Season with salt. Serve immediately.