Dingkhia/ Fiddlehead fern

 

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, bamboo shoots (which I love) contains natural toxin when raw. But boiling or fermenting them will destroy those toxic compounds and make them safely edible. But I also think, it's the dose that makes the poison. As long as you consume something in limited amount and not too frequently, you should be safe. We know that even things like caffeine, sugar and alcohol are bad for us if consumed in excess.

Anyways, Bodos have consumed fern for as long as I remember. As a kid (between 5 and 10 years old), I used to play house (known in Bodo as Wngkham Wngkhri gelenai) with a few of my girl friends.  Since the young shoots of this plant are coiled up into a shape that vaguely resembled the head of a rooster, we used them as roosters in our pretend play. These days, whenever I’m home in my village, I collect them to cook as a side dish.

When it comes to preparing them, what you need first of all is to pluck the delicate young shoots (about 10-12 cms of the plant that are soft to the touch).

After I pluck, what I usually do is gently slide the young coiled up stems between my fingers to get rid of dead plant matter (yellowing or browny parts) or tiny insects that might be nestling in between the fronds. After that, I break them up into small pieces like the ones shown below. Soak them in water for a few minutes or wash thoroughly and you're ready to cook.

Below, I cooked a bunch. Just sprinkle a spoonful of oil, add salt and some dried red chillies, toss in the fern and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring in between and you're done

You can add scrambled eggs to the fern to finish off the dish, if you want.