For the Soligas, known for their traditional knowledge of ecology, silver cockscomb is a nutritious leafy green vegetable that grows well even on fallow land and in drought-like conditions
Silver cockscomb is a beautiful but troublesome weed. If left unchecked, it can spread quickly and suppress the growth of other crops, affecting their yield. It also attracts insects, caterpillars, worms and moths that can harm crops.
In Karnataka’s Chamarajanagara district, where silver cockscomb is referred to as anne soppu, farmers of the Soliga tribe say controlling the weed can cost up to Rs 2,000 per acre (0.4 hectare) per year. Yet they do not consider silver cockscomb a weed.
For the Soligas, known for their traditional knowledge of ecology, silver cockscomb is a nutritious leafy green vegetable that grows well even on fallow land and in drought-like conditions.
Also known as lagos spinach, the weed belongs to the Amaranthaceae family, which includes economically important plants like spinach (Spinacia oleracea), beetroot and quinoa. The plant is known as Celosia argentea in scientific lexicon, kurdu in Marathi and pannai keerai in Tamil.
Silver cockscomb is a short-lived 50-60 cm-tall plant that bears simple, spirally arranged leaves around the stem with pinkish or silky white flowers. Since it grows widely on farmlands across the country, most farmers use the plant as fodder. But like the Soliga tribe, some communities also consume it as a leafy vegetable.
The women of the Soliga tribe collect edible leaves and young shoots of silver cockscomb to prepare a mash called massanne, which is eaten just before the monsoon (April to June) to help lower the body's heat and reduce stomach burn, which often stems from indigestion.
Basamma, a 58-year-old Soliga tribal woman from Annehola village in Male Mahadeshwara Hills of Chamarajanagara, prefers to consume the green during the rainy season from July to December, when the plant is available in abundance.
She uses silver cockscomb to prepare ullsoppu sambar, which her family relishes with roti or rice and ragi balls. The Soliga community also uses the leaves and young shoots of the plant for preparing a side dish called palya, cooked with either field beans, chickpeas, cowpea or pigeon peas (see recipes).
Scientists have, in recent years, found evidence on the benefits of the weed. In 2018, researchers from Vijayanagara Sri Krishna Devaraya University, Ballari, Karnataka studied antibacterial activity of silver cockscomb growing in Koppal district of Karnataka, and found that its stem and root extracts provide protection against microbial pathogens.
This study was published in Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry. The World Vegetable Center, a Taiwan-based non-profit institute for vegetable research and development, silver cockscomb leaves are high in nutrients such as beta-carotene and folic acids, and have "medium" levels of vitamin E, calcium and iron.
Although it is of the same family as spinach, it does not pose the same risk to kidneys. Spinach leaves are high in calcium, oxalates, vitamin K and potassium, which can impair kidney function and lead to formation of kidney stones.
In comparison, silver cockscomb leaves have lower levels of oxalic acid (0.2 per cent) and phytic acid (0.12 per cent), says the World Vegetable Center.
The plant is frequently used in traditional Chinese and Indian medicine for treating eye diseases and ulcers. Researchers from China reviewed studies available on the plant and found that the seed contains an edible oil that is beneficial for treating conditions such as bloodshot eyes and cataracts. This review was published in the journal Revista Brasileira de Farmacognosia in 2016.
Though scientists are discovering the benefits of silver cockscomb now, communities worldwide have long known its usage and benefits. Believed to have originated in tropical Africa, according to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK, silver cockscomb grows abundantly in South and Southeast Asia, Latin America and parts of the US and Australia.
Communities in these regions use it as a wild vegetable, for fodder and in medicine. Exploring and documenting their traditional knowledge may give this weed a makeover of a superfood.
RECIPES - MASSANNEIngredients
Method Cook the cleaned tender shoots and leaves of silver cockscomb with water and salt. Mash the cooked mixture with garlic and mix it with tamarind water. Season the mix with the oil and mustard seeds and the chopped onion. If preferred, the fried paneer pieces can be added to the massanne curry. Serve with roti, rice or ragi balls. PALYA Ingredients
Cook the tender shoots and leaves of silver cockscomb with the selected bean or legume in a little water with salt. Drain out the water. In a pan, temper the mustard seeds in oil and chillies, followed by onion and garlic. Add the cooked leaves and beans to the pan, followed by tamarind water and cook for a few minutes. The palya is ready to be served as a side dish to any meal. |
RP Harisha is post-doctoral fellow and coordinator, Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment or ATREE, Bengaluru.
This was first published in Down To Earth’s print edition (dated July 1-15, 2023)
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Soliga tribe of Karnataka uses silver cockscomb to make side dishes like palya for rotis, rice or ragi balls (Photograph: Vikas Choudhary).png)
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