Bitter wild greens of the Khasi Hills boiled with ginger and sesame — the everyday green vegetable preparation of Khasi households celebrating indigenous seasonal greens.
Ingredients
400g mixed seasonal bitter greens — bitter gourd leaves, fiddlehead ferns, wild spinach, watercress, taro leaves or any combination
1 tsp ginger — sliced
2 green chillies — whole
1 tbsp sesame seeds — dry-roasted
1.5 cups water
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp mustard oil for finishing
Salt to taste
Method
Wash all greens thoroughly. Roughly chop larger leaves. Leave smaller ones whole.
Dry-roast sesame seeds in a small pan until golden and popping. Set aside.
Bring 1.5 cups water to a boil. Add sliced ginger, whole green chillies and turmeric.
Add the tougher greens first. Cook 4 to 5 minutes.
Add the more tender greens. Cook 3 to 4 more minutes until all greens are wilted and cooked through.
Add the dry-roasted sesame seeds. Stir.
Add 1 tbsp mustard oil directly to the cooked greens.
Stir — the raw oil finish adds characteristic pungency.
Season with salt.
Serve the greens with their cooking liquid over steamed rice.