Phodshi Bhaji is a Maharashtrian Recipe that uses wild and rare leafy vegetable called "Phodshi" only available during monsoons. Can be eaten with rotis, parathas or bhakri.
Spotting a new ingredient in the vegetable market is quite a eureka moment for me. I am all excited like a little child waiting to try a recipe. The recipe that I share with you today is a wild and rare leafy vegetable that is only available during monsoons. Presenting Phodshi Bhaji, a stir fried leafy vegetable that we thoroughly enjoyed eating with hot ghee phulkas. You can try Methi Missi Roti or Ajwain Mixed Dal Parathas too for a wholesome meal.
Thanks to my vegetable vendor, not only did she tell me what the ingredient was (I thought it was tender spring onions), she was generous enough to share a rough recipe of the same. After reaching home, I did some digging on wikipedia and I found that these phodshi greens grow wildly in forests and hilly regions. It is available during monsoon season only. Phodshi is also known by the name of Safed Mulshi, Mulsi too.
I am sharing a vegetarian version of the recipe she roughly told me. She cooks this leafy vegetable with dried fish or sukki machhi at home. During monsoons many Maharashtrians avoid sea food as it is breeding season so they resort to dried fish that has been salted and sun dried on the shores of Mumbai beaches or homes during summers.
Before you ask me, "How does it taste?" I found it very similar to Palak or Spinach greens. It has a bit of an earthy taste but if you are leafy vegetable fan, just like us and love exploring different ingredients, do not miss your chance on buying these beauties from your local market.
It was quite surprising though living in Maharashtra and in my 38 years of existence, I had not tasted this vegetable. It is also amazing and encouraging to note how such rare vegetables are now making their way into the markets. More and more people are now aware of the benefits of eating local food and indigenous ingredients.
If you are looking for Maharashtrian Recipes particularly with leafy greens, Do check out Takatli Palak Chi Bhaji (Spinach cooked in buttermilk gravy) and Methi Che Ambat Goad Varan (Sweet and Sour Methi or Fenugreek Dal).
Key Ingredients
- Finely chopped Phodshi
- Onions and Garlic Cloves
- Soaked Yellow Moong Dal (split skinless mung beans)
Step by Step process on How to Make Phodshi chi Bhaji
- Soak yellow moong dal for 30 minutes.
- Wash the Phodshi under running water couple of times. Remove weeds etc, if any.
- Trim the bottom portion (as show below) and finely chop the phodshi.
- Finely chop the onions and garlic cloves and keep aside.
- Heat a pan, add oil and jeera or cumin seeds. Now add garlic cloves and saute until slightly brown.
- Add the chopped onions and saute until translucent.
- Add the finely chopped phodshi, soaked yellow moong dal, salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder. Mix well.
- Add around 8 tbsp water, cover and cook the vegetable on low heat until the dal is slightly mushy.
- Finally add goda masala powder, mix once and switch off the flame. Add grated coconut and serve immediately with hot phulkas and / or bhakris (gluten free flatbreads)
Phodshi Bhaji - Wild and Rare Monsoon Leafy vegetable
Ingredients
- 2 bunches Phodshi
- 2 nos Onions (finely chopped) large onions
- 5 nos Garlic Cloves (finely sliced)
- 3 tbsp Yellow Moong Dal (split skinless mung dal) soaked in water for 30 minutes
- 2 tbsp Oil
- 1 tsp Jeera or cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp Haldi or Turmeric Powder
- 1/2 tsp Red chilli powder
- 1 tsp Goda Masala Powder
- Water as required to soak dal + 8 tblsp to cook the vegetable
- 2 tbsp Grated Coconut for serving
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Soak yellow moong dal for 30 minutes.
- Wash the Phodshi bunches under running water couple of times. Remove weeds etc, if any. Trim the bottom portion (as show below) and finely chop the phodshi.
- Finely chop the onions and garlic cloves and keep aside.
- Now heat a pan, add oil and jeera or cumin seeds. Now add garlic cloves and saute until slightly brown.
- Add the chopped onions and saute until translucent.
- Add the finely chopped phodshi, soaked yellow moong dal, salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder. Mix well.
- Add around 8 tbsp water, cover and cook the vegetable on low heat until the dal is slightly mushy.
- Finally add goda masala powder, mix once and switch off the flame.
- Add grated coconut and serve immediately with hot phulkas and / or bhakris (gluten free flatbreads)
Notes
- Clean the phodshi thoroughly well under running water. Check and remove weeds, if any.
- I bought 3 bunches as photographed for Rs. 50/- I have used only 2 bunches for the recipe and it roughly was 3 heaped cups of 250 ml measurement.
- As per my vegetable vendor, Maharashtrians add besan flour too to make this sabzi slightly thick similar to Patal Bhaji (link in post available) Alternatively, instead of Moong Dal that I have added for the recipe, some prefer using soaked chana dal. If you add chana dal, soak for longer time and also semi-cook it before adding with the phodshi. Chana dal takes a while to cook unlike yellow moong dal. (split skinless mung dal)
- This sabzi is best enjoyed with tandalachi bhakri or gluten free rice flour flatbreads. However, you can enjoy them with phulkas too like we did. It also tastes best with some steamed rice and dal or varan.
- The Recipe is gluten free and vegan
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Vidya Narayan
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