INDIAN DISH!!

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!!