Moongra

I saw this interesting-looking long and thin veggie, sold in neat bunches, at a vegetable vendor in Chandigarh, and bought some to try it out. Turned out this was moongra, or radish pods.

My mother-in-law cooked them like a normal indian-style vegetable, with some onions and turmeric and potatoes, and... I did not like them. Could not even finish a spoonful of them. However, it remains a fascinating little vegetable for me, and I surfed the net to find out more...

* Moongra is not such a well known vegetable and aloo moongra is not a common sabzi. Some call it singri while in English it is known as rat tailed radish. The taste of moongra is similar to radish (mooli). Moongra goes well with potatoes as they balance its sharp taste.

Courtesy www.fastindianrecipes.com

* They come in varying length - while the long ones have obviously been bred for easy handling. There are brown-to-black oval-spherical seeds borne in tapering bean-like seedpods called mogri seeds. You can eat radish pods raw or cooked. The raw flesh has a crisp texture and a pungent, peppery flavor, caused by glucosinolates. The seeds of radishes grow in pods, following flowering that happens when left to grow past their normal harvesting period. The seeds are edible, and are sometimes used as a crunchy, spicy addition to salads.

· The sharp flavours of radish pods make them a popular ingredient for different chutneys by pounding these with some green chillies, and mixing in salt and yoghurt.

· Radish pods are also great in salads and stir fries.

· You can cook radish pods with the everyday zeera (cumin) -hing-haldi-mirch tadka or may add potatoes to make aloo mongre ki subzi.

· The radish pods can also be added in kadhi or a typical mixed vegetable preparation.

· In Europe, the pods were often pickled and served with meat. The spicy seeds are sometimes served raw as an accompaniment to beer in Germany.

· Radish pods are rich in ascorbic acid, folic acid, and potassium. They are a good source of vitamin B6, riboflavin, magnesium, copper, and calcium.

· One cup of sliced red radish bulbs provides approximately 20 calories, largely from carbohydrates

· Radishes are suggested as an alternative treatment for a variety of ailments including whooping cough, cancer, coughs, gastric discomfort, liver problems, constipation, dyspepsia, gallbladder problems, arthritis, gallstones and intestinal disorders.

Courtesy www.tarladalal.com

* I found an amazing recipe for "Tingling Moongra" on mammameeyas.blogspot.com/2011/05/tingling-moongra.html - maybe THIS is how I should eat it next time!!!???