Arni na phool ni Kadhi

I have fond recollection of meals at our family farm when I was a child. There was always something seasonal made with foraged flowers and leaves from the hedgerows or greens growing wild in the fields and orchards.

I’m trying to look for the ‘ edible wilds’ that grow around me, especially the rural, rustic fare that was made by village people who worked on the farm. Even today, there is so much to learn from them but unfortunately this wealth of knowledge is rapidly disappearing in the young generation.

I am truly blessed that part of my childhood was spent on a rural working farm in Charotar, an agriculturally rich belt of central Gujarat. Our farm had an abundance of leafy weeds in the wheat, bajra ( pearl millet), rice fields and below the canopy of mango, chikoo and guava trees in the orchards. The hedgerows on either side of the narrow unpaved road that approached the farm too hid a treasure trove of leafy edibles, invisible to all but the most razor-sharp eyes. Learning to identify the edible wild weeds on shrubs and vines in those hedges and foraging for them on our weekly farm visits was always an exciting adventure and has stayed with me till this day.  The hedgerows were covered with Chanothi (Arbus precatorius) vines, Arni (Clerodendron phlomidis), wild Kankoda (spiny gourd) and Karela (bitter gourd), Varsha Dodi / Fugaa vel (Jivanti), Antar vel (Cuscuta), Dodka, Dodi, Piludi, Fand, Kaanda vel, Paadaa vel, Kali Paath (roots) just to name some.  How unfortunate it is then to see the rapid destruction of hedgerows in the name of development, even in rural areas, leading to a huge loss of the culinary and medicinal wealth our elders shared about these plants. 

How often have we unknowingly trampled on an overgrowth of vegetation or what looks like weeds in our own garden, neighbourhood park or nature trail? Or tugged at a stubborn branch or tendrils of vines on a hedge to clear the way?  Pretty often, I bet! Chances are , there are edible weeds in your backyard, on pathways you walk every day, or in fields near you. Many of these plants can be foraged and added to your daily diet to increase your nutritional intake. 

Let’s talk about Arni (Clerodendron phlomidis) today. Thankfully the depleting hedgerows near my home still have Arni vines and when the flowers are in full bloom, usually around December-January,  there is a sweet fragrance that permeates all around as I walk by. My father loved kadhi made from Arni flowers so we had it once a week during the short flowering season. The flowers are plucked in the morning before they wilted and the sepal, stem and stigma are removed and discarded. Yes, a bit tedious but worth the effort.  After the flowers are washed, they are drained for a while and then lightly sauteed in ghee or oil and kept aside. A regular Gujarati kadhi is made and once it is ready but simmering, the flowers are added to it and cooked briefly. Very simple but there is a wonderful, subtle flavour and fragrance in this kadhi. I’ve also made Bhajiya (pakoda/fritters) and raita using these flowers, once again sauteing them before use. I hope you will have an opportunity to try arni flowers in your cuisine.

Nandita Amin is an architect | landscape architect | gastronaut | intrepid traveller | bon viveur | birder | nature, animal & wildlife enthusiast