It smells great. And when added to your dish, it will get an aroma so heavenly, you will drool all the way to the dining table. A little spiky, a little pricky and very, very aromatic, this is Sawtooth, one of my most favorite herbs!
Found across North east India, I have never seen it anywhere else outside the region. In fact, even in the north east, it's a rare sight these days. Is this because of the changing climate?
Maybe. However, its possible to grow this herb elsewhere. The photo here is from my own portable garden.
The soil, prepared by my mom - another plant enthusiast, has 50% compost. Interestingly, the seeds were brought from Hanoi, Vietnam which has a climatic condition and a food habit that is quite similar to that in the north east India and where the herb grows in abandon.
So, how do you use Sawtooth? The edible part is the leaf. Finely chop and add to practically any dish. However, as I said, the leaves are a little thick, and therefore, instead of using for garnishing, put them in the boiling pot.
The healing secret of sawtooth?After viral fever or a flu, when we have lost our appetite and nothing tastes good, sawtooth can stimulate the appetite like magic. If you are planning to make any soup (even an instant noodle soup), a spoonful of diced leaf will just compensate for whatever else you missed.
'Poor man's remedy', did you say? Yes, but who cares when the result is richness of health?
 |
| Sawtooth, also known as Thorny/Pricky Coriander, Bar Dhaniya, Ban Dhaniya, Pak Chi Pharang and Ngo Gai |
Found across North east India, I have never seen it anywhere else outside the region. In fact, even in the north east, it's a rare sight these days. Is this because of the changing climate?
Maybe. However, its possible to grow this herb elsewhere. The photo here is from my own portable garden.
The soil, prepared by my mom - another plant enthusiast, has 50% compost. Interestingly, the seeds were brought from Hanoi, Vietnam which has a climatic condition and a food habit that is quite similar to that in the north east India and where the herb grows in abandon.
So, how do you use Sawtooth? The edible part is the leaf. Finely chop and add to practically any dish. However, as I said, the leaves are a little thick, and therefore, instead of using for garnishing, put them in the boiling pot.
The healing secret of sawtooth?After viral fever or a flu, when we have lost our appetite and nothing tastes good, sawtooth can stimulate the appetite like magic. If you are planning to make any soup (even an instant noodle soup), a spoonful of diced leaf will just compensate for whatever else you missed.
'Poor man's remedy', did you say? Yes, but who cares when the result is richness of health?
This one is my favorite Stella. It gives a nice aroma and taste good with every non-veg's dish. But me and my friend Jonathan like it best when cooked with pork. Ummm.... mouth watering.
ReplyDeleteLove your writting, dear Stella. Keep it up and good luck.
Thank you Phi! Yes, you are right, it tastes unbelievably good with pork or chicken or any non veg dish. I am just trying to encourage vegan readers too. Thanks so much for reading!
ReplyDeletewell my girlfriend had cooked some really yummy pork and it had this funny leaf which i didn't know about so i asked her about it and after a month this is what she posted on my face book page this leaf can do wonders :)
ReplyDeletekeep it up Stella
Many Thanks Jonathan! I am happy you liked both the blog and the taste of the saw tooth. You are lucky, I must admit as this is a herb that's getting really rare!
ReplyDelete