The woman stood still near the broken down gate. The sun was shining directly over head and everybody seemed to have vanished indoors to escape the yellow orb's fury.While she visited the compound everyday to draw fresh water from the well along with her friends, the desolate house scared her into inaction for a few moments. The ghost stories that floated around the neighborhood were of least concern to her. Her fear was real. God knows what kind of anti-social might have taken refuge in the rundown place.
She lingered on for a few more minutes looking out for any visible signs of recent occupation. And then pushed open the gate with a calculated force. The rusted hinges let out a loud creak. Walking determinedly up to the well, she put down the 'gara' or metal pot on the ground with a thud and then proceeded to lower the bucket into the well with another loud splash. It was a deliberate move to let everyone know that she meant business.
Once her pot was filled with the sweet tasting water, she stood straight and looked around once before getting down on her haunches. The small bushes of 'Madaranga sagaw' or Alternanthera sessilis that had sprung around the moist soil had been tempting her for many days. Maybe the previous owners of the house had planted a few stalks a long time back. Now it was all overgrown and quite a treat for the summer months given that the vegetable supplies has dried up. But picking those stalks in the morning hours would mean sharing it with the other women. While she had no qualms about doing so, it was a practical decision given that the number of mouths to be fed were more.
Gathering a modest sized bunch, she tied it up into a bundle using a piece of twine that was lying around. Her friends would surely notice the dwindled vegetation and start a discussion the next day. Maybe they might even overcome their superstitions and start plucking the nutritious greens on a regular basis. It might as well be the first and also the very last time she got some of it on her hands. Whatever maybe the case, she decided to keep it a secret and cook a delicious meal of 'Madaranga Sagaw Raee' with Pakhala for her family.
Read on for the recipe -
Preparation Time - 30 mins
Ingredients -
Preparation - Keeping aside a pinch of the mustard seeds, grind the rest along with the cumin seeds, 1 dry red chili and 3 garlic cloves into a smooth paste.
Pluck the leaves from the stems and wash them 2-3 times in sufficient water. Drain the excess water.
Finely chop into small bits.
The potato, tomato and onion also need to be chopped into small pieces.
Crush the remaining garlic cloves.
Cooking - Heat a wok and throw in the badis. Fry them without oil for a few minutes before drizzling with a few drops of the mustard oil. Fry for another minute or two. Remove and keep aside.
Add the remaining mustard oil to the same wok.
Add the broken red chili and a pinch mustard seeds .
Once it starts to splutter, add the 2 crushed garlic cloves. After a minute, toss in the chopped onions as well.
As the onions turn pink, add the chopped potato and tomato.
Cook till the tomato is mushy.
Add the chopped greens and cook for 4-5 mins on a medium flame.
Dilute the mustard paste and add to the wok. ( Straining this liquid before adding to the wok is a good idea as it removes the black residue which can lend a bitter note to the curry )
Add salt and cover with a lid till cooked.
Add the crushed badis just before removing the wok from the flame.
Serve with Pakhala or even hot rice !
Tip - To get the most out of your 'raee' dish, season with some raw mustard oil and crushed garlic just before taking it off the flame.
She lingered on for a few more minutes looking out for any visible signs of recent occupation. And then pushed open the gate with a calculated force. The rusted hinges let out a loud creak. Walking determinedly up to the well, she put down the 'gara' or metal pot on the ground with a thud and then proceeded to lower the bucket into the well with another loud splash. It was a deliberate move to let everyone know that she meant business.
Once her pot was filled with the sweet tasting water, she stood straight and looked around once before getting down on her haunches. The small bushes of 'Madaranga sagaw' or Alternanthera sessilis that had sprung around the moist soil had been tempting her for many days. Maybe the previous owners of the house had planted a few stalks a long time back. Now it was all overgrown and quite a treat for the summer months given that the vegetable supplies has dried up. But picking those stalks in the morning hours would mean sharing it with the other women. While she had no qualms about doing so, it was a practical decision given that the number of mouths to be fed were more.
Gathering a modest sized bunch, she tied it up into a bundle using a piece of twine that was lying around. Her friends would surely notice the dwindled vegetation and start a discussion the next day. Maybe they might even overcome their superstitions and start plucking the nutritious greens on a regular basis. It might as well be the first and also the very last time she got some of it on her hands. Whatever maybe the case, she decided to keep it a secret and cook a delicious meal of 'Madaranga Sagaw Raee' with Pakhala for her family.
Read on for the recipe -
Preparation Time - 30 mins
Ingredients -
- 200 gms of Madaranga Sagaw / Alternanthera sessilis
- 1 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 medium sized potato
- 1 medium sized tomato ( country ones preferred )
- 1 small onion
- 5 garlic cloves
- 2 dry red chilis
- 2 tsp mustard oil
- salt to taste
- a handful of badi / vadi
Preparation - Keeping aside a pinch of the mustard seeds, grind the rest along with the cumin seeds, 1 dry red chili and 3 garlic cloves into a smooth paste.
Pluck the leaves from the stems and wash them 2-3 times in sufficient water. Drain the excess water.
Finely chop into small bits.
The potato, tomato and onion also need to be chopped into small pieces.
Crush the remaining garlic cloves.
Cooking - Heat a wok and throw in the badis. Fry them without oil for a few minutes before drizzling with a few drops of the mustard oil. Fry for another minute or two. Remove and keep aside.
Add the remaining mustard oil to the same wok.
Add the broken red chili and a pinch mustard seeds .
Once it starts to splutter, add the 2 crushed garlic cloves. After a minute, toss in the chopped onions as well.
As the onions turn pink, add the chopped potato and tomato.
Cook till the tomato is mushy.
Add the chopped greens and cook for 4-5 mins on a medium flame.
Dilute the mustard paste and add to the wok. ( Straining this liquid before adding to the wok is a good idea as it removes the black residue which can lend a bitter note to the curry )
Add salt and cover with a lid till cooked.
Add the crushed badis just before removing the wok from the flame.
Serve with Pakhala or even hot rice !
Tip - To get the most out of your 'raee' dish, season with some raw mustard oil and crushed garlic just before taking it off the flame.