This monsoon, try recipes with indigenous agathi leaves
agathi soppu agathi leaves agast leaves bokphool Bengali cuisine Fig & Maple Delhi Indian ingredients in restaurants
Rashmi Gopal Rao
Agathi leaves are believed to aid digestion, and can be used to make adai, stir fries and dips
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There are countless food rituals in India, and one of them is tied to the lunar calendar of the Hindu community. Every month is divided into fortnights or paksha, and dwadashi is the twelfth day of each fortnight. Come dwadashi, and there is a spike in the demand for agathi leaves in the vegetable markets of South Bengaluru. In Karnataka, it’s customary to eat these greens on dwadashi mornings after fasting on the previous day of ekadashi. “We source the greens from specific farmers on the outskirts of Bengaluru for people who place the order in advance,” says vegetable vendor Latha who sells them in the N R colony vegetable market. “Early morning meals on dwadashi were incomplete without agasse soppu (Kannada for agathi leaves) when we were growing up, but sadly not many make it these days,” says septuagenarian Parimala Kalyani of Basavanagudi, Bengaluru. She believes it is probably because these leaves are not easily available today and take a longer time to cook compared to other greens. Its slightly bitter flavour is an acquired taste.

Goodness galore

Known to have a host of health benefits, agase soppu are the leaves of the hummingbird tree, also known as sesbania grandiflora. It is called avisi in Telugu, agasti in Hindi and buko in Bengali. These indigenous greens are known to aid digestion and ease acidity levels which make them a perfect ingredient to consume in a meal to break a fast. “Agathi, known as katuru murunga in Sri Lanka, is widely available and used in Sri Lankan cuisine. Many greens are eaten for their medicinal properties on the island that has an indigenous medicine system, much like Ayurveda, and katuru murunga is one of them. It is believed that this dark, slightly bitter green is cooling and soothing for the stomach. So, when anyone complained of stomach pain or ulcers it would be invariably made,” says Priya Bala, writer and chef running Yo Colombo, a sustainable Sri Lankan cloud kitchen in Bengaluru.

Agathi leaves are good for the soil too. “The plant fixes nitrogen in the soil with its excellent root nodulation thus improving soil fertility. The greens which are rich in Vitamin A and C are known to improve blood circulation to all parts of the body,” says Kumar Gowda T, Production and Operations Manager, Spudnik Farms Pvt Ltd, Bengaluru. Gowda adds that the greens are available through the year and the farm delivers to select locations in Bengaluru.

Diverse fare

Another significance of agathi leaves is the fact that every part of the tree has potential benefits. “The bark is commonly used to treat gastric problems, fever and diarrhoea. It is consumed as a decoction after boiling the pieces of the bark in water,” adds Gowda. The most popular way of eating the leaves in Karnataka is by making a simple palya (curry) which essentially involves cooking the leaves in a tempering of mustard seeds and red chillies with generous amounts of fresh coconut and jaggery. “Agathi keerai kootu is a great way to consume these antioxidant-rich greens. Cook them with boiled toor dal along with spices and coconut seasoning and it is a perfect accompaniment for rice and rotis,” says Varun M.B, Multi Property Chef at Marriott International, Hyderabad.

According to Executive chef Kumar Muthulingam of the hotel Sterling V Grand Madurai, agathi keerai paruppu adai is a special dish of the nomadic tribes from the Kongu region spread across western and north-western parts of Tamil Nadu. This dish is often part of the menus in their Tiruvannamalai and Madurai properties. “The dish is made by combining toor dal, green gram dal, rice, agathi leaves and flower, cumin seeds, pepper, ginger, curry leaves, red chilies and seasoning. The batter is spread on a hot pan like a dosa and cooked till crisp,” he says.

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Flower power

The flowers of the plant are edible too. “We make agathi poo poriyal which is a simple stir-fry made by sautéing lentils, onions, spices, and the flowers of the agathi plant. We also combine the flowers with lentils, shape them like patties and deep fry them as bondas. These dishes are commonly served in our restaurants,” adds Muthulingam. In Karnataka, the flowers are cooked in a gravy of coconut, lentils, green chillies and cumin seeds along with buttermilk for a dish called majjige huli. Agase hoovu thambuli is also a popular dish which involves adding the flowers to a curd-based gravy.

Called bok phool in Bengali, the flowers in Bengali cuisine are used to make fritters named bok phool bhaja. “Traditionally, we would eat bok phool about a month before Durga Pujo. Nowadays, you get bok phool during monsoons too. We wash the flower, remove the stem and the filament dip it in a batter of Bengal gram flour and fry it. I like use rice or all-purpose flour batter as it turns out crispier,” says Madhushree Basu Roy, founder of the Kolkata-based food consultancy company Pikturenama Studios.

Contemporary take

According to Radhika Khandelwal, chef-owner, Radish Hospitality Pvt Ltd, agase soppu and bok phool are a seasonal delicacy at her restaurant Fig & Maple. “The leaves can be traditionally used in shaag bhaja, a simple stir-fry with garlic, green chilies, and mustard oil. At Fig & Maple, we add a unique spin on bok phool by filling the flowers with blue cheese and timur (sichuan pepper from Uttarakhand) and then frying them into delicious fritters.We also make a vibrant green hummus using agathi leaves, blending them with chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, and spices to create a nutritious and flavourful dip to showcase the versatility of this indigenous green and highlight its potential beyond traditional recipes,” says Khandelwal. She sources them from Tijara in Rajasthan, and they are called agasti in Hindi. Offering a plethora of benefits, the versatile agathi leaves are yet another example of the richness, diversity and depth of our India’s regional ingredients.

Rashmi Gopal Rao is a lifestyle journalist based in Bengaluru.