LINGDI KA SAAG
Lingdi 2 bunch
Peanut / soybean oil 20ml
Onions 75gms
Asafetida 1/8 tspn
Cumin 1tspn
Red chilli powder ½ tspn
Ginger 1inch
Garlic 2cloves
Coriander powder 1tspn
PREPARATION:
Wash the lingdi and roughly cut them (1/2 cm length). Peel onions, garlic and ginger. Chop them. Heat oil, sputter cumin seeds. Add asafetida dissolved in a tablespoon of water. Stir in onions, garlic and ginger. When onions become soft. Add in, lingdi, salt and stir for about 30seconds. Add the remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer for about 15minutes. Serve with rice or bread.
LINGDI IS A LOCAL STEM TENDRIL VEGETABLE WHICH EITHER ONE LOVES OR HATES!! IT HAS BEEN MY CHILDHOOD FAVOURITE.LINGDI IS AVAILABLE IN THE LOCAL MARKET FROM JUNE TO SEPTEMBER. ACCORDING TO VENDORS, THEY COLLECT IT FROMTHE BANKS OF SMALL RIVERS NEAR A PLACE CALLED ‘CHIDDERWALA’ NEAR HARIDWARA. THE VEGETABLE IS A RICH SOURCE OF IRON AND ROUGHAGE. IT HAS A TYPICAL FLAVOUR OF ITS OWNAND NOT MUCH SPICES ARE REQUIRED OR ELSE IT WILL SPOIL THE NATURAL FLAVOUR OF THE VEGETABLE. THANKFULLY IT HAS NOT REACHED ANY OF THE LUXURY HOTELS IN THE COUNTRY, OTHERWISE THE NATURAL TASTE, FLAVOUR AND SIMPLICITY OF THE DISH WOULD HAVE GONE FOREVER IN THE NAME OF CREATIVITY!!