A-Z Ingredient Guide: Cluster Fig — The Wild Ingredient That’s Probably Growing Near You

I grew up seeing cluster figs in Delhi without ever knowing their name. They looked quite ordinary, clinging in knobbly bunches to tall trees, like lichens. And then, one day, I discovered they were Cluster Figs, or Ficus racemosa, a fruit that has quietly thrived in forests, folklore, and food traditions across the subcontinent. What looks modest at first glance reveals an entire world once you look closer, which is why cluster figs are the newest addition to our A-Z Ingredient Guide.

Wild At Heart

Forget the sweet, luscious anjeer you find dried in gourmet hampers. Cluster figs are wilder. They are meatier, mildly sweet, and less commercialised. Their roots run deep, both literally and culturally. Depending on where you are, you may hear them being referred to as goolar (Hindi), udumbara (Sanskrit), dimbiri (Odia), dumur phol (Bengali), umbar (Marathi), or aththikai (Tamil). The tree itself flourishes in forests across the deciduous ecological systems of India and beyond, stretching as far as Thailand, Indonesia, Africa, and Australia. 

The tree bears fruit from April to July and is green with leaves throughout the year. The cluster fig is green when unripe, and turns red/orange once it ripens. Contrary to popular belief, it is not a flower. It is a syconus fruit, or syconium, which is formed from a hollow, fleshy receptacle that encloses numerous tiny flowers, with the entire structure becoming a fruit.  

On The Plate

Cluster figs are one of those rare fruits that can be eaten both ripe and unripe, each offering a different culinary character. When unripe, they are firm and slightly astringent, lending themselves well to stir-fries and curries where spices do the heavy lifting. Once ripened, the figs turn red-orange, softer, and mildly sweet, making them suitable for chutneys, relishes, and even experimental desserts.

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Another way goolars make their way to the table is through pickling. When harvested unripe, the fruits are firm enough to hold their shape and soak up flavours beautifully. They are usually blanched first to soften the skins and remove bitterness, then simmered with mustard oil, spices, and finished with a splash of vinegar or lemon juice. The result is a sharp, tangy pickle with just enough bite.

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Chef Thomas Zachariah took an interesting turn with his recipe of a goolar papdi chaat for his wild food menu at The Bombay Canteen. It was a combination of a wild fig kachumbar, tomato skin papdi, and frozen yoghurt. And while this preparation may have you believing that the fruit has an air of luxury, it is far from the truth. 

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Our humble goolar finds itself in delicious preparations such as Dimbiri Bhaja, which is an Odia dish. The figs are stir-fried in a mix of spices. Whereas, in Bengali cuisine, the fruit is used in Dumur Jhal, made with spices and fresh coconut, which is a thick gravy that can be eaten with rice. It is also eaten as a chokha in Bihar with rice and dal. The ways of eating are endless, as is with any ingredient in India. The flavour is subtle, almost neutral, which is perhaps why it slips so easily into diverse dishes, a culinary blank canvas for spice and imagination alike. 

Ancient Wisdom & Sacred Stories

Travellers once plucked them straight from the trunk for sustenance, high in fibre, rich in calcium, and generously available. A simple trick was to deseed and sun-dry them before eating, ensuring no remnants of the pollinating insects nestled inside. 

Traditional medicine, too, has long embraced the fruit. According to a study by B. Joseph and S.J. Raj, “The fruits are active against leprosy, menorrhagia, leucorrhoea, and blood disorders, burns, intestinal worms, dry cough, and urinary tract infections. Bronchitis, bowel syndrome, and piles are treated with its leaves, in the Unani System of Medicine.”

Like so many Indian ingredients, the goolar tree lives between kitchen and cosmos. In myths and rituals, it is revered as sacred; its leaves are often offered in havans. Folklore even considers its presence a sign of underground water, a reminder that the tree’s gifts extend well beyond the plate.

From bark to belief, medicine to meal, the cluster fig has been sustenance for travellers, a symbol in rituals, a quiet ingredient in kitchens, and now, a source of curiosity for chefs who look to the wild for inspiration. The goolar may not have the glamour of its cultivated cousin, but it carries with it something richer, a living link between forests, folklore, and food.

The A–Z Ingredient Guide is ELLE Gourmet India’s monthly series celebrating the rich tapestry of regional Indian ingredients and the many ways they’re cooked across homes and cultures. Each month, we explore a new ingredient. Stay tuned as we ‘D’isclose the next ingredient soon!