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Manjal da Iretha adye is an aromatic coastal delicacy from Mangaluru, traditionally prepared during Nag Panchami. In Mangalorean homes, turmeric plants are common, and the leaves are used to wrap brown rice dumplings stuffed with coconut and jaggery, which are then steamed.
I first tasted it through my paternal aunt, who cooked it with love and passion. The earthy aroma of turmeric, combined with the sweetness of coconut and jaggery, would instantly captivate my senses. As I unwrapped each dumpling, she would pat my back lovingly, and a gentle peace would wash over me, making me feel light and sleepy, a feeling I only understood after she was no longer with us.
Even today, closing my eyes brings back the sight of neatly stacked Manjal da Iretha adye in a tondur (idli steamer) and the aroma lingering in the air. Life has grown faster and easier with technology, but nothing replaces the joy and lasting peace of eating this traditional treat. I learned to cook it so my family could savour its divine taste, and in passing it on to my daughter, I ensure that the legacy of this simple, yet delectable Mangalorean tradition continues.
Manjal da Iretha adye
Turmeric leaves
Brown rice
Salt
Freshly grated coconut
Jaggery
Cardamom powder
Clean turmeric leaves. Grind-soaked brown rice to a smooth paste with a little salt. Mix freshly grated coconut, jaggery and cardamom powder. Spread the ground rice paste on the leaf, add the coconut jaggery stuffing in the middle. Close the leaf horizontally or vertically and steam cook for 30 minutes.
Vidya Sanath is an author, blogger and home tutor from Maharashtra