I’ve lived in India most of my life and I still cannot believe that I haven’t tried half of the leafy vegetables here, even though there are so many options. But as the names of these leaves sound so unconventional, I tend to look beyond them. But for the sake of experimentation, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to try them all. Besides most of these leaves are used in cooking in various regions of India. I’ve been so focused on greens such as kale, arugula and chard that are popular in the west. But I haven’t looked at all the kinds of greens that are grown seasonally across India. Perhaps slowly but surely, I’ll be able to include these greens in my diet. Let’s find out more about them.
1. Haldi Patta
In India, haldi or turmeric is used extensively in Indian cooking. But it turns out that turmeric leaves are quite a wonderful addition to curries and vegetables too. It is also used to steam dumplings. This diffuses the aroma and flavour of turmeric leaves into the dumplings.
2. Arbi Patta
These leaves are also known as colocasia leaves. While we may have heard of taro root many a times, very little has been spoken about arbi leaves, which are green coloured heart-shaped leaves.
3. Imli Patta
Here is another type of leaf that is often used in soups. It is also used for flavouring curries and chutneys. As the leaves are sour in flavour, they are used in dishes such as dals to add a delicate tartness without altering the dal altogether.
4. Gotu KolaPhoto: Annie Rose Javinal Umbac
Gotu kola can be used in tea. It is a staple in Chinese medicine. But it can also be used in soups and rice dishes. Have you tried gotu kola?
5. Khatta Palak
Photo: Shilpa Sankaranarayan Iyer
Khatta palak is a variety of spinach that is sour in taste. It turns out that khatta palak tastes so good that one could even eat it without the seasoning.
Do you know of other varieties of greens?