10

Wild Greens

You Need To Try During Monsoons In India

1. Shevla (Dragon Stalk Yam)

Botanically known as Amorphophallus commutatus, shevla is also known as dragon stalk yam, which is a wild relative of yams and belongs to the same family as elephant foot yams. It emerges from forest floors after the first monsoon showers and is known by several names, including dragon stalk yam, jungli suran and mogari kanda.

The edible portion of shevla is the young bud and stalk, and it has an earthy, almost meaty flavour and is highly prized in Maharashtra. Because it contains calcium oxalate compounds, which cause itching, it cannot be eaten raw and must be cooked. Sour ingredients such as kakada fruit, tamarind, or kokum reduce its itchiness. It is used to make a famous dish called shevla chi aamti in some Marathi communities.

2. Phodshi

Also called phodshichi bhaji, gavat, or safed mulsi in some areas, phodsi is a wild monsoon green that appears soon after the first rains. It resembles a broad blade of grass and is available for only three to four weeks during the period of monsoons in India, making it a highly anticipated seasonal vegetable in Maharashtra. 

Unlike common leafy greens, phodshi has long flat green stalks and a vegetal flavour. It is classified as a raan bhaji (wild edible green), collected from forested and semi-wild areas rather than cultivated farms. Phodshi bhaji is most commonly used to make sabzis, cooked with onions, cumin, and chilli powder, then finished with grated coconut, although it can be made into fritters.

3. Anne Soppu or Kalmi Saag (Water Spinach)

Water spinach, known as anne soppu in Karnataka and kalmi saag across much of North India and West Bengal, is one of the more widely recognised wild monsoon greens on this list. In parts of Karnataka, this slender-leaved green sprouts along field peripheries with the very first spell of rain, and because it's only available during the rains, foragers actively seek it out each season; in other months, it simply disappears underground. Locally, it's enjoyed as bassaru, paired with ragi mudde.

A kalmi saag recipe in West Bengal takes a different approach and treats it as one of the many saags in the state. Across many Bengali homes, it is often consumed as stir fry made with chopped kalmi or kolmi saag, which is cooked separately, while the tempering is prepared with dry red chilli, kalonji or panch phoron, then stir-fried with garlic and sometimes poppy seeds. Then the saag is added for a delicious side dish.

4. Shapla (Water Lily)

Monsoons in India bring with them a surge in aquatic plants, and one such plant is the water lily. Some Bengali households consume the entire plant from the flowers to the stems. But in most homes, the stem is considered a delicacy. It’s the white-flowered one that is sought after, and it is found mainly in Bangladesh, its national flower, and in parts of India, with West Bengal, in India, consuming it mostly.

The stalks are quite hollow and resemble lotus stems to a large degree. To prepare shapla, their thin outer fibrous layer needs to be peeled, using hands, and then cut into smaller pieces, as one would do for beans. Some like it as a dish made with mustard, and some use it to make fritters. The fritter is the most iconic preparation, where some pieces are skewered with a toothpick (the raft) before being battered and deep-fried.

5. Bichu Buti ka Saag (Stinging Nettle)

Stinging nettle leaf, known across the Himalayan belt as bichu buti, kandali, or bichhu ghas, is a tricky monsoon wild plant, known to ‘sting’. The plant's leaves and stems carry fine, needle-like hollow hairs called trichomes that pierce the skin on contact and release compounds like histamine and acetylcholine, with oxalic acid compounding the burning sensation. 

Despite this, it has been a treasured food source in Himalayan communities for generations. Once the plant is properly cooked (boiled well to remove the sting), the formic acid and histamine in the nettle's stinging hairs act as anti-inflammatory agents. It is also prized for its iron content, particularly beneficial for pregnant women without regular access to iron supplements.

6. Arbi Patta (Colocasia Leaves)

One of the most widely eaten wild monsoon greens across India, which grows in abundance in many parts of India, goes by different names. It is rolled into a delicacy called patra, patrode or alu vadi along parts of the Konkan coast. In Uttar Pradesh, the patrode is added to a gravy that many compare in taste to a fish curry. Arbi patta is also prepared as fritters. In Bengal, it gets the saag treat and is called kochu saag.

Arbi patta sabji is also common across other regions, being sautéed with mustard oil and spices rather than treated like patra. Just like some of the itchy leaves of some monsoon plants, Colocasia leaves also carry a slight throat-irritating quality, if undercooked. It is the oxalate compounds in it that, like shevla, need to be cooked with an acidic ingredient like tamarind or lemon to neutralise that effect.

7. Kare Gidda (Surattense Nightshade)

Better known as kantakari because of its thorny nature, kare gidda is the Kannada name for surattense nightshade, which is considered a weed. This herb grows wild and is valued in Ayurveda for its anti-tussive and anti-asthmatic nature. The fruit, root, and leaves of this plant are used across various preparations, and it's classified as a Dashmul, among the ten medicinal roots. In Karnataka, kare gidda is foraged alongside other monsoon greens. You can source it from your local market in the state, during its narrow seasonal window tied to the monsoons in India.

8. Chenchilakku (False Amaranth)

A lesser-known wild monsoon green, the chenchilakku is a lesser-known wild green, foraged alongside other greens like water spinach and kare gidda, in states like Karnataka and nearby areas. It is called false amaranth because it is prepared and looks quite like the actual amaranth plant, but is not quite the same. It is one of the greens that go by colloquial names and has yet to find mainstream popularity. 

In Kerala, this specific plant forms a part of the Karkidakam traditions, the monsoon month in the Malayalam calendar, where locals practice dietary caution and go for a seasonal cleanse. A dish called pathila thoran is made from a mix of locally available medicinal greens, and these include amaranth varieties, colocasia leaves, and stinging nettle, prepared specifically to help the body adjust to the season.

9. Kasrod (Fiddlehead Fern)

Fiddlehead fern, called kasrod in the Dogri-speaking regions of Jammu, also known as lingad or lingri in Hindi, limbra or languda in Garhwali, dhekia xak in Assamese, dheki shaak in Bengali, and chekoh in Manipuri. It is found and cooked across the states of Himachal, Uttarakhand, Tripura, Darjeeling, Sikkim, Assam and the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. This monsoon green is mostly stir-fried, though in Jammu it's loved as a pickle.

Fiddlehead ferns from the subtropical Himalayan belt are used in folk medicine, recognised for their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, and being known to be good for those managing their blood sugar levels. Fiddlehead ferns also have a higher antioxidant capacity than leafy vegetables like spinach and rocket or arugula, and are known to have a good balance of essential omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.

10. Gongura (Sorrel Leaves)

While sorrel leaves grow year-round, it is preferred in some parts of the country when the monsoons in India arrive. Gongura has a sour flavour, which makes it a great pairing for seafood and meat. In northeastern states like Manipur, sorrel leaves are called sougri, where it is turned into oil-free dishes like kangsoi, with seafood or meat. 

It's rich in Vitamin C and zinc, which help strengthen the immune system against the infections common during this season. Its long stems also keep the leaves further from the soil, making it less prone to contamination during wet weather. The South also loves these leaves, prepared year-round into fiery, tamarind-like chutneys or pickles, especially in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

Comparing the Monsoon Wild Greens

Monsoons in India Mean It’s Time for Foraged Greens 

What unites these wild monsoon greens is their shared monsoon availability as well as their being very niche, given they are available in certain pockets of the country. They are cooked using seasonal wisdom and knowledge, and their handling almost secind nature to many families that grew up eating them. Try the best of the monsoon greens and strike up a conversation with a local before they disappear.