Bodo herbs and cuisines

  Dingkheeya (Fiddlehead fern) Commonly known as Fiddlehead fern in English, this fern is pretty widespread in the humid and moist environment of Bodoland and other parts of Assam. They typically grow in moist soil by road sides or near water bodies or meadows or anywhere that people do not care to clear them off. Bodos call it Dingkheeya and Assamese call it Dhekiya saag.  There is another fern species known as Bracken that is widely consumed in Southeast Asia, especially in Japan and South Korea. Apparently, bracken contains a carcinogen called ptalquiloside, although research is not conclusive. I’m pretty sure that Dingkheeya is just one sub-species of Fiddlehead fern. Maybe Dingkheeya too contains some carcinogen. But do not be alarmed. As long as the ferns are cooked thoroughly, they should be fine to eat. In fact, many widely consumed plants contain natural toxins as forms of defence mechanisms to protect themselves from being eaten by other organisms. For instance, ba...

 Kheradaphini/Maati Gaaldaab The availability of this plant is quiet rare, yet its leaves are commonly commonly used by the Bodos to season their meat or fish dishes. After digging around online for some information on this plant, I've learned that its scientific name is Premna herbacea Roxb. I haven't actually bothered to go and see a live plant on the ground. However, I have heard people say that it only grows in the wild, on forest floors. It's a short plant, almost like an undershrub with 4-5 leaves on each plant. I do wonder why it is called Kheradaphini or Maati Gaaldaab. Perhaps, the leaves resemble some kind of dangling earring because 'Khera' means earring in the Bodo language and 'daphini' might mean something chunky or clunky thing. Its alternative name, 'Maati Gaaldaab' might be a mish-mash between 'Maati', meaning land in the Assamese language, and 'Gaaldaab' which might mean 'to walk heavily in a lumbered way'. ...

Lai with Pork Bodos call it Lai mwigong. It is one of the sub-species of Brassica Juncea plants that are often collectively categorized as mustard leaves. Wikipedia tells me that it is known by names such as leaf mustard, Indian mustard and vegetable mustard. From what I can gather, this particular variety of mustard is the one that Bodos traditionally grew. Although there are other types of vegetable mustard in the market today, I personally prefer this variety. Compared to other varieties, this one has smaller leaves with a much stronger flavour (other varieties with bigger leaves tend to be bland). It has a sharp peppery taste and an aroma that is similar to that of mustard oil. One important thing- the leaves should be eaten before the plants start to flower. Once the flowering starts, the leaves become very bitter and loses aroma. On the other hand, the bright yellow flowers are edible too as a stir fry. Easily grown from tiny round seeds (germinates in 3-4 days), Lai is usually a...

  Khuduna mwigong Khuduna (apologies for not posting an image of a live plant). Known in Assamese as Khutura Xaak and commonly as Green Amaranth in English. It is an annual wild herb that grows in the autumn and winter months in Bodoland, among other places around the world. Bodos. Its tender leaves and young shoots are cooked, but once the plant starts to mature, it grows small, spiky thorns that makes it difficult to pluck the leaves. In this post, I have boiled some broiler chicken with some Khuduna leaves (pictured above). Ingredients: Broiler chicken (500 gm), preferably thigh and leg pieces A couple bunches of Khuduna (about 300 gm) Ginger (one thumb) Garlic (one head) Green chillies (depending on how hot you want) Cumin powder (one teaspoon) Salt (one tablespoon or to taste Method: Grind the ginger, garlic and green chillies. Keep the paste aside. Heat a kadai on high heat, add some oil if you want and put the chicken once the oil starts to smoke. Now add the chicken, salt, ...

 Lafa mwigong Another iconic herb/leafy vegetable consumed by the Bodos is the Lafa. According to Wikipedia, it belongs to the genus of Malva, known commonly as Mallow in English. I haven't been able to correctly identify the scientific name of Lafa, although plants resembling Lafa have been identified by names such as Chinese mallow and Cheeseweed. Grown from seed in autumn (sometime in October in India), the plant starts to bear flowers and fruits pretty quickly after the appearance of a few sets of leaves (a process known as bolting). Knowledgeable people recommend nipping off the younger and upper set of leaves while harvesting to delay the process of bolting. Another method perhaps, could be planting the seeds in a staggered manner on multiple plots so that you can have them at different stages of growth. As with Mwitha (Roselle), I have been eating this plant since I was a child. Although I have seen lafa being used in the cuisines of various communities from Nepal to Assam, ...

  Roselle ( Hibiscus sabdariffa ) Probably the most iconic plant among the Bodos, Roselle is called Mwithaa (pronounced something like m ɯ th ä  with a long a sound) in the Bodo language. After a little research online, I discovered that the plant is probably native to west Africa. At some point in the 16th or the 17th century, it spread to the West Indies and Asia. Today, it is used in the cuisines of various communities throughout the world, especially in south-east Asia, northeast India and south India (it is called Gongura in Telugu). I have eaten this plant for as long as I can remember, ever since I was a child. Sown from seeds during the monsoons, the plant starts to bear flowers and fruit through autumn and winter (October to December). Both the leaves and the calyses (the bright red petals covering the fruit) are edible. When the plants are young, the tender leaves are usually cooked with fish, shrimps, naaphaam (fermented fish) or meat. It has a sharp, tangy and sour...