Imagine a plant that grows wild, requires no care whatsoever, and yet yields abundant fruit, packed with nutrients and flavor!! Sundakkai (Solanum torvum), also known as Turkey Berry – is one of the historical pillars of Tamil cuisine and heritage! Turkey Berry is a wild Eggplant, known in Hindi as Junglee Baingan. It grows as a wayside weed in disturbed soil or in open sunny fields throughout the tropical and subtropical belts. While it can be cultivated from seed, it is usually dispersed by birds and is easily available.
Sundakkai is a fast-growing shrub that can stand up to 10 feet high. It is a short-lived perennial with tiny spines on its branches and the most beautiful white star-like flowers with yellow centers. It flowers throughout the year, but most profusely during spring and summer, yielding small round berries that grow in clusters. The berries are green when young, and mature into yellow or brown berries. They contain numerous brown disc-shaped seeds.

The mature, yet unripe green pea-sized berries are the star of the show! abundance, nutrition, medicine, and tasty food! It grows itself all you need to do is harvest it and eat it!

Sundakkai used to be eaten all across Tamil Nadu. But like many traditional foods, it has been eclipsed by the industrialization of agriculture. This is why it is imperative that you and I consume Sundakkai and reconnect to our local heritage. A great step on your road back to nature is familiarity. Learn to identify this plant. Learn the name in Tamil and ask locals to show you how to use them. We can not separate an ecological renaissance from local culture and language. Who else is going to show you how to use this amazing vegetable if not a local Tamilian!