Wild celery is specific to Bengali cuisine and is usually consumed as part of panch phoron
Studies show that radhuni seeds can relax the gut and airways and improve digestion (Photograph: Vibha Varshney) THE INDIAN kitchen is a noisy place. Amid the clatter of pots and pans, one can distinctly hear the splutter of whole spices as they sizzle in hot ghee or oil and crack open to emit an unmistakable aroma. This technique of extracting essential oils of spices, known as tempering, can enhance the flavour of even the most bland dish and is integral to cuisines across South East Asia, including India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Though spices are used only in small quantities for tempering, variations in the ingredients can make a cuisine stand out from the others. For instance, the spices are used in different combinations and with different oils, depending on the region and the recipe. Amount of the spices used varies too. Food can also be tempered at the beginning of preparing the dish or right at the end. Food experts and connoisseurs say that a minor change in the spices can significantly alter the flavour and fragrance of the dish.
One such spice is radhuni or wild celery (Trachyspermum roxburghianum). Called ajmod in Hindi, asamtavomam in Tamil and ayamodakam in Malayalam, radhuni is specific to Bengali cuisine.
It is usually consumed as part of panch phoron, a blend of five tempering spices traditionally used in eastern Indian cuisine. But while in Assam, Odisha and Bihar, panch phoron consists of fruits of fennel and whole seeds of cumin, fenugreek, nigella and mustard in a specified ratio, in West Bengal mustard seeds are replaced by radhuni. And this subtle change significantly enhances the flavour of Bengali dishes. Even though radhuni belongs to the family of cumin and fennel fruits, known as Apiaceae, it adds an intense grassy taste to panch phoron that the other spices lack. Cumin has an earthy taste, while fennel provides a sweet aftertaste. Nigella seeds have an onion-like flavour, while fenugreek adds pungency and bitterness to the spice mix.
Anumitra Ghosh Dastidar, a chef from West Bengal known for her efforts towards promoting traditional foods, says that the Bengali cuisine is incomplete without radhuni. It's importance can be gauged from the fact that in Bengali language, radhuni means the cook. Dastidar prefers using the spice for tempering lentils and in fish recipes, but says procuring the spice is not easy as even Bengalis these days do not know of radhuni. Dastidar, who procures her stock from areas such as Nadia and Purba Bardhaman districts in West Bengal, recalls that while her great grandmother used radhuni, both her grandmother and mother did not.
This fall from grace could be because radhuni is not an easy spice to use; its fragrance comes out only by tempering or dry roasting. It is surprising that the use of radhuni is confined to Bengali cuisine, even though the plant is native to Southeast Asia and grows across the country.
Researchers at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Research Complex for North Eastern Hill Region, Meghalaya, mention in the book Technological Options for Climate Resilient Hill Agriculture published in 2015, that due to the presence of diverse climatic conditions in the northeastern states, wild celery grows easily in the region and can be promoted among farmers. They say that in the Northeast, its leaves are eaten raw or steamed with rice and used to make a kind of tea. Wild celery seeds have a slightly bitter taste and when eaten at the start of a meal, they can improve digestion and promote health.
Researchers from the Aga Khan University Medical College, Karachi, Pakistan, have tried to validate the traditional use of radhuni and found that the seeds can relax the gut and airways and can be used to treat diarrhoea, colic and asthma. Their findings were published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology in June 2012. Due to these benefits, radhuni is in much demand by the Ayurvedic industry. A 2017 report, "Medicinal Plants in India: An Assessment of their Demand and Supply", by the National Medicinal Plants Board, Delhi, and the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education, Dehradun, states that the herbal medicine industry uses 112 tonnes of radhuni each year and that it is collected solely from the wild. It's time the nondescript spice received its due recognition.
RECIPE : SHUKTOIngredients
Method Peel the potato, sweet potato, raw banana and raw papaya and cut them into long pieces. Cut the brinjal and bitter gourd without peeling. All the vegetables should be approximately the same amount and cut into similar-sized pieces. Heat mustard oil in a wok. Fry dal bori and keep aside. Fry bitter gourd and brinjal pieces and keep aside. Temper the oil with bay leaves, whole chilli and panch phoron. Add all the vegetables (except bitter gourd and brinjal) and cook on low heat. Add ginger paste, radhuni paste and mustard seed paste and mix well. Now add the fried boris, bitter gourd and brinjal to the mixed vegetables. Add salt. Pour the milk over the vegetables and mix well. Add sugar and adjust water if needed. Cook on low heat until the vegetables are soft. To finish, add ghee over the shukto and cover the pan. It is ready to be consumed with rice. |
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