The wild foods of Maharashtra

Shevala and phodshi are not the only wild vegetables that make a discreet entry into the Mumbai markets during monsoon. “Around Shravan, we get inflorescence and fruits, and post monsoon, there are pods like kharshinga and tetu," explains Shailesh Awate, co-founder of OOO Farms, an agro-enterprise that works in tribal areas of Maharashtra to revive indigenous foods. His favourites are the midly bitter kharshinga pods brined and stir fried into a delicious side dish.

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Kurdu (silver cock’s comb) is another wild vegetable that makes its appearance this time of the year. “The Thakkar tribal community makes delicious bhajiyas (fritters) using the leaves that are high in calcium. A simple stir-fry with green mahua fruits is another monsoon delicacy served with ghavne (unfermented dosa)," says Gaurang Motta, co-founder of Monks Bouffe. The company is known to conduct foraging experience in the forests of Deopada, just two hours from Mumbai.

Chef Thomas Zacharias whose first encounter with shevala was a misadventure went on to experiment with other such foods and launch the Wild Food Project to study the wild bounty of Maharashtra.

“Many tribal communities still rely heavily on forest produce. Sadly many of these wild foods are slowly being forgotten, leading to a loss of diversity on our plates. It’s ironic that while India boasts a rich array of unique vegetables, we are more familiar with imported ones like broccoli and avocado. There’s a growing disconnect with the everyday vegetables available in our local markets, and it’s crucial to address this," he says.

While these wild vegetables are a limited period delicacies for city dwellers, they are a source of nutrition for the Kokana, Warli and Katkari tribes of Maharashtra. “Wild foods are packed with nutrition and unaffected by climate change, fungal diseases and insect attacks unlike cultivated foods," says Awate.

Cook with caution

Wild vegetables haven’t gained popularity as millennial superfoods due to their seasonal availability and, in some instances, potential toxicity. Take the shevala for instance. When consumed raw it can be toxic and leave a stinging sensation in the throat and mouth. It has to be cooked along with the sour kakad berries to make them edible. “Vegetables that contain toxic oxalates need to be blanched/steamed/boiled first, the water squeezed out and then washed with salt water before cooking with a souring agent," cautions Awate.

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From the wilds to the plate

Though kantola, shevla and phodshi do occasionally appear in local markets, most of the wild vegetables are difficult to source. They are available at a few places inside Aarey Colony, Sanjay Gandhi National Park and the vegetable markets at Grant Road and Dadar. That’s the reason OOO Farms partnered with Zacharias, to conduct the annual Wild Foods festival, where people can acquaint themselves with indigenous ingredients, heirloom seeds and taste over 40 vegetables from the forests of the Sahyadri mountains. The festival was held on 1 September this year and displayed close to 200 foraged vegetables. A buffet meal with wild produce was one of the highlights of the event.

Jasleen Marwah’s Kala Ghoda restaurant Folk has a delectable chaat using gharbandi leaves. “We took inspiration from palak patta chaat. The gharbandi leaves look beautiful and when fried, taste even better than palak because the leaves are firmer and stay crispier for longer," says Marwah.

Lakhan Jethani, head chef and co-founder, Mizu Izakaya, has incorporated the khurasni leaves in a dish where the leaves are braised in the agedashi broth.

At the Toast Pasta Bar, head chef and owner Devika Manjrekar has a khurasni garlic bread. There’s also a pasta with bafli (wild carrots) stuffing along with ricotta. “Bafli tastes super peppery and lemony, and I call it the Indian shiso," says Manjrekar.

Meanwhile Zacharias took on the challenge of creating cocktails using wild foods alongside the bar team at The Woodside Inn. He has concocted a mahua flower Boulevardier and a highball with the vegetal notes of wild amaranth.

Nivedita Jayaram Pawar is a Mumbai-based food writer.

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