This year I have had no luck with Suran flower so far. The disappointment after several trips to sabji market is stronger because the season is going. Once, it was so close, I watched a lady leaving with the only two Suran flowers the local vendor had brought. Rubbing salt on the wound, the sabjiwali is good at giving me a pang every time she tells me how I should have made a trip the day before when she handed the Suran flower to the other lucky customer that showed up.
So while hunting Suran flower at other vendors, I found this green and asked what it was. The sabjiwali told me it was called Koral,(pronounced with hard L) a wild green found only in this period of the year.
By now I have learned how awesome can a little known, locally traditional veggie, taste. You have to be a little cautious too because last time I ended up purchasing an extremely bitter green that could possibly not be edible one. Luckily this time, an elderly gentleman standing nearby, who was a regular purchaser of this green, vouched for it. He narrated the recipe so ardently that I ended up buying four Vaata’s (minimum quantity made for selling in portions) instead of one. I get greedy with terms like, once- in -a-year-produce.
This one is not an itchy or bitter green. However, if there is any medicinal value to this one, I have no idea.
The recipe is similar to the local custom green veggie recipe.
Koral- 4 portions,
Field beans 100 gms,
Oil – 1-2 table spoon
Cumin seeds 2 teaspoons
Asafoetida 2 pinch
Onion -1
grated coconut- 2-3 tablespoons
Turmeric powder- 1/2 teaspoon
Method
Heat oil, add asafoetida and jeera and let it splutter. Add onion and green chillies. Let the onion turn a little pink. Add turmeric powder and saute. Add field beans and 1/4th cup water. Cook it for 5 minutes with lid on it. Add grated coconut and Koral and cook till beans are soft and the green changes its color to light green.
