Lau/ Biskot Slah

Pritam. Shillong, Meghalaya

Lagenaria siceraria. Lauki(Hindi) Laau(Bengali), Doodhi
Large leaves with soft hairs
Season: Summer and Monsoons
Source: Cultivated

Biskot slah/pumpkin leaves
Beef
Bird’s eye red chillies
Soda
Salt

Soda, is very popular in Garo cuisine although this recipe was given by an Assamese man in Shillong which is in the Khasi hills. Traditionally soda is made from wild banana trees. Their barks are peeled into layers and dried before being burnt to an ash from which the soda is derived. This ‘soda’ tenderises meat and is added liberally to various foods. In urban cuisine soda is replaced by its namesake soda bicarbonate, more popularly known as baking soda.

Wash the beef and bring to a boil in water with soda, chillies and salt. There should be enough water to cook the beef but not as much as you would use in a broth. Before the beef is done carefully put in the pumpkin leaves, stalks removed. Serve simmering with rice.

Jangew salad

Pritam. Shillong, Meghalaya

Hiblscus Subdariffa L., Jamaican rosella,Indian rosella,Roselle,Red Sorrel (English) Rosta tenga,Tenga mora, Pisola, Chukiar, Bon-kopahi, Tengamora, Meska-tenga, Mesta tenga, Kukuha (Assamese) Chukar (Bengali) , Patwa,Lal Ambari (Hindi), Pundee beeja,Pundi soppu,Vilaayithi (Kannada), Mathipuli,Papuli,Puli-cheera,Polechi,Puichchai (Malyalam), Silo-sougree (Manipuri), Cempuliccaikkirai,Pitakaru,Seivappukaychuri,Shimai-kashuruk-kirai,Arakkanicceti, Shivappu-kashuruk-kirai, Sivappukkasuru, Simaikkasuru (Tamil), Shimagonguru, Yerragogu, Erragonkaya, Ettagomgura, Erragomgura (Telugu), Jangew (Khasi)
(https://indiabiodiversity.org/species/show/229952)

Three-lobed leaves with hairy underside. Bitter sour taste, hence the names in the local languages like Malayalam and Assamese are descriptive of its sourness. In Assamese all things sour are ‘tenga’. In Malayalam ‘puli’ is also a name for tamarind.

Season: Summer and early monsoon although the plant flowers in the winters

Source: Found both in the wild and cultivated as an edible green

Jangew leaves
Ja myrdoh leaves
Ja tira leaves
Ja ud leaves
Onions
Green chillies
Tomatoes
Lemon

1. This is a recipe where the greens can be mixed and matched endlessly. Wash whatever leaves you have at hand and chop them finely including tender stems.
2. Chop onions and tomatoes finely.
3. Chop green chillies. The finer you chop the hotter the salad although that is not usually a problem in the region where this salad is from
4. Toss the vegetables and the leaves together.
5. Salt and add the the juice of a lemon (or two depending on how much salad you have) a few minutes before serving. This will allow the onions to macerate but will prevent the salad from becoming sad watery mulch if salted too early.

Ja Myrdoh and Climbing Perch

Pritam. Shillong. Meghalaya.

Houttuynia cordata. Also known as fish mint, fish leaf, rainbow plant, chameleon plant, heart leaf, fish wort, chinese lizard tail, or bishop’s weed. Duribok (Garo)

Fishy smell. Medium sized, soft peepal-like leaf.

Season: Summer and early monsoon

Source: Found both in the wild and cultivated as an edible green

Other uses: Blood purifier, digestion

Ja Myrdoh
Kawai Fish/ climber perch
Lasun/ garlic finely chopped
Pyaaz/ onion finely chopped
Haldi/ turmeric
Namak/ salt

1. Wash the leaves thoroughly and remove the tougher ends of the stems.
2. Remove the scales of the fish and the entrails by inserting a sharp pointed knife through the mouth.
3. Heat a pan and add oil. Saute onions and garlic in the hot oil until they lose their rawness. Season with haldi and salt
4. Add the fish, stir it so that it is coated in the onion and garlic. Cook until the fish is nearly done
5. Add the Ja Myrdoh leaves. They’ll turn dark as they cook.
6. Remove from heat. Serve with steamed rice.