Kachnar Phool Curry- The Tribal Food Of Jharkhand

The cuisine of India is loaded with a variety of flavours. From simple idli to spicy biryani, there is something for everyone and when talking about regional cuisines, each of them have plethora of dishes that showcases the beauty of Indian cooking. Another amazing thing about Indian cuisine is the use of local ingredients. Be it herbs or local vegetables, Indian kitchen can transform everything into a delicious recipe and Jharkhandi cuisine is the best example of it.  

Bathua saag, sanai phool, pumpkin flowers, aroo kanda and what not, the tribal cuisine of Jharkhand has a recipe for all local vegetables. These dishes are simple to make but tastes very delicious and are super-nutritious. Another such vegetable is koinaar phool, also known as kachnar flower. It is mostly used in flavouring meat dishes and is cooked as a vegetable as well. The locals also prepare fritters and pickles with koinaar phool. The best thing about this flower is its nutrition profile. They are rich in protein, vitamins, calcium, iron, zinc, dietary fibres and lot more. According to Netmeds, they are anti-inflammatory as well. Koinaar is capable of rectifying thyroid problems, maintaining blood sugar and regulating menstrual cycle. 

My Tasty Curry/facebook

 

If you also want to include koinaar phool in your diet, here is the recipe of this Jharkhandi curry:  

Ingredients:  

  • 100 grams kachnar flower buds  
  • 3 tbsp yogurt  
  • 2 tbsp mustard oil  
  • 1 onion (chopped)  
  • 1 tomato (chopped)  
  • 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste  
  • 1 green chilli (chopped)  
  • A pinch of asafoetida  
  • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds  
  • 1/2 tsp salt  
  • 1/2 tsp red chilli powder  
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder  
  • 1/2 tsp garam masala  
  • 1/2 tsp coriander powder  
  • Cilantro for garnishing  

Method:  

  • Boil the flowers for 5-7 minutes in water with salt until they are a bit soft. Remove and strain out the water.  
  • Heat oil and splutter asafoetida and cumin seeds and stir a few times. Add onions and green chilli and stir for a minute.  
  • Then add ginger-garlic paste. Stir roast until it turns light brown. Add tomato and stir cook until they turn soft.  
  • Then mix turmeric powder, red chilli powder, garam masala, coriander powder and salt. Stir cook for 1/2 a minute.  
  • Transfer the boiled kachnar buds and mix well then cover with a lid and reduce heat to low.   
  • Cook for 2-3 minutes and keep checking a couple of times in between. Now add whisked yogurt and some cilantro and mix well.    
  • Raise heat to medium and cook for about a minute or two until the water in the yogurt dries up. Switch off the heat, garnish with cilantro and serve.  

Make this recipe and enjoy.