How Green Is My Valley!

 I conjure up a kaleidoscope of images when I think of Assam, which is in the North Eastern part of India and my childhood home.

Lush green valleys through which the mighty Brahmaputra flows, miles and miles of paddy fields, a wealth of flora and fauna peculiar to the region and the home of the one horned rhino are some images, to name a few.

The soil is fertile and growth of vegetation abundant. As a child, I remember being told that if I threw the pips of an orange out of the window, we would soon have an orange tree growing where the pips fell. Rather like Jack and the bean stalk!

Of course, I never did risk throwing the pips out of the window for fear of a tree growing so high that it reached the clouds. I didn’t want any “fee fie fo fums” climbing down into my garden!!

The last time I was in Assam, I visited my niece’s farm- a hundred acres of sheer paradise!  Rolling hills with teak forest cover, orchards replete with fruit, cultivated anthuriums and a large water body teeming with fish. The forests attract an assortment of wildlife like barking deer, porcupine, and monkeys with the odd leopard sometimes straying in as close to human habitation as it dared! 
Far from the madding crowd, it was balm to soothe tired nerves; the perfect antidote to the pressures of everyday city life.
          

           

                

                            

I find the vegetables in Assam tastier than in most places within the country and outside. This state alone boasts of over a hundred varieties of leafy greens, which form an integral part of the Assamese diet. In fact, during one of our harvest festivals, Rongali Bihu, it is customary to eat a preparation made out of as many varieties of greens that are available at that time! A combination of seven varieties is a must!

A great many of these greens are also of medicinal value, knowledge of which has been passed down to us by the older generation and still used by the local people in the treatment of various ailments.


Assamese cuisine overall is simple to the point of being called bland. Not much use of spices most of the heat is derived from the green chilli. Chillies come in different shapes and sizes and in varying levels of heat. In fact, Tezpur in Assam is home to the hottest chilli in the world----- the Bhoot Jolokia!!

The cooking medium is mustard oil and the spice most often used is Panch phuron, which is a combination of five spices.
Mustard,Cumin, Nigella, Fenugreek and Fennel.

People in Bengal and Orissa also use Panch phuron in their cooking. Mustard oil is a common cooking medium. However, the most significant parallel one can draw between these states in India is that we are predominantly rice and fish eaters.

The recipe I am posting today is for leafy greens Assamese style!

It is fresh and very flavourful. Try it out!

Leafy greens               2 bunches (after picking and cleaning you should get around 8-10 loosely packed cupfuls)                                                   

                                            

Mustard oil                                         2-3 tsps

Panch phuron                                    ¾ tsp

Onion                                                 1, medium chopped (about ⅓ cupful)

Green chillies                                     2-3 or to taste

Garlic                                                    2-3 cloves, sliced, (about 1 Tbls)

Turmeric powder                              ¾ tsp

Salt to taste

Coriander leaves chopped,                        ⅓ cup

Method

Pick and wash leafy greens until completely clean and free from grit. Drain and spread out on a towel to dry. Use a salad spinner if available. Chop the greens fine.

In a wok, heat the oil to smoking point, lower heat and throw in the Panch phuron. The seeds will splutter and in about 10 to 12 seconds, they will start to colour a bit and release a wonderful aroma. Add the next three ingredients and sauté until limp.

Lower the chopped greens into the wok and sauté until the greens wilt. Add the turmeric powder and salt and blend well. The greens will probably release some water with the addition of salt. Keep sautéing until dry and glossy. If the greens are tender, they should be cooked by now. However, if you do have a few fibrous bits that need to cook some more, cover the wok partially until done.

Just before removing the wok from the fire, mix in the finely chopped coriander leaves.

Serve hot as an accompaniment to the main meal.

In Assam, some of us like to eat these greens mixed in with our rice and topped with a few drops of mustard oil.