Tripuri Boiled Greens
Wild and cultivated greens simply boiled with berma — water spinach (kanghu), colocasia leaves, drumstick leaves, pumpkin tendrils, or wild forest greens gathered from the hillside, washed and boiled in salted water with a small piece of berma until wilted and completely soft. No tempering, no spice paste, no oil — the berma provides all seasoning. The greens are drained and eaten with their cooking liquid as a thin, savoury broth over rice. The simplicity of this preparation is deliberate: in Tripuri food philosophy, the natural flavour of the vegetable should dominate, with the berma playing a supporting rather than central role. The wild greens gathered from Tripura's forests — of which there are dozens of edible varieties — each bring distinct flavours that the minimal preparation preserves. This is weekday domestic cooking at its most unadorned.
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Recipe
Ingredients
| 1 bunch | spinach |
| 1 bunch | mustard greens |
| 1 bunch | fenugreek leaves |
| 1 teaspoon | mustard oil |
| 1 clove | garlic, minced |
| 1 small | green chili, slit |
| 1 small | tomato, chopped |
| 1 cup | water |
| — | salt to taste |
Instructions
- 1 Wash and clean the spinach, mustard greens, and fenugreek leaves thoroughly.
- 2 Chop the greens roughly and set aside.
- 3 Heat mustard oil in a pan over medium heat.
- 4 Add minced garlic and sauté until golden brown.
- 5 Add the slit green chili and chopped tomato to the pan and cook until the tomato softens.
- 6 Add the chopped greens to the pan and stir well.
- 7 Pour in the water and add salt to taste.
- 8 Cover the pan and let the greens boil for about 10-15 minutes until they are tender and cooked through.
- 9 Remove from heat and serve hot.
Tips
For an authentic flavor, use mustard oil, as it enhances the taste of the greens.