Kudachya Shenga are long tender beans collected from the forest during early monsoons for consumption. They are considered a ranbhaji aka wild edible food.
Scientific Name of the plant:
Holarrhena antidysenterica
Common Name for the plant:
Kutaja(Sanskrit), Kuda or Kudai (Hindi), Kuda ( Marathi), kodaga (Telugu), kuddo (Gujarathi), Karachi (Bengali)
Availability:
Holarrhena antidysenterica is a medicinal plant that grows abundantly in India. It also has economic importance.
Holarrhena antidysenterica is known for its use of leaves, seeds, bark, and flowers. The white flowers bloom in summer post which the pods/ beans begin to grow in the early monsoon. These pods/beans are long, cylindrical, have a smooth surface, and are often paired at the tip.
Kudachya shenga are available for a short period of time during early monsoons phase and only the tender variety is used for consumption. The tender beans break quickly and a milky white liquid oozes out.
Nutritional Information:
While there is a lot of information on the usefulness of this plant’s seeds, bark, flowers, and leaves. I strangely couldn’t find a lot of literature on the beans per se.
The seeds of this are called Inderjav and are used in the treatment of diarrhea, dysentery, asthma, lung issues, deworming and many other health issues but they are mainly used as an antidiabetic remedy. The bark powder is used to prevent mouth odor, dental problems, etc
Overall this herb is anti-diabetic, antiemetic, antimicrobial, anti-fungal, and antipyretic and is used widely in Ayurveda and Unani medicine.
Usage:
Chutneys, sabzi, stir-fries with/ without dried fish.
Tip: When you chop the pods/ beans they give out a white liquid. Soak the chopped pods/beans in water for 10-15 mins prior to cooking. Also, give them a boil before using them in any dish.
Note: Consumption of Kudachya shenga should be done mindfully.
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