Moras Bhaji: The salty succulent of the Monsoons

Moras Bhaji is a beautiful salty succulent that grows in damp regions like mangroves, dunes, beaches, etc which is available mainly during early monsoons.

 About Moras Bhaji:

Botanical Name

Suaede Maritima

Common Names

Indian Salt wort ( English)

Lano/Luno/Morad ( Gujarathi)

Moras ( Marathi)

Nirumari (Tamil)

Ila Kura ( Telegu)

Nunkha ( Haryana)

Availability

Moras grows around seashores, marshy lands, salt marshes, etc.

It is basically a halophyte. Halophytes are salt-tolerant plants growing in waters with high salinity like marshy lands, swamps, etc which is exactly where moras grow abundantly.

This monsoon succulent is mainly available from July to September.

Appearance

The leaves are lush green, thick, and fleshy with a smooth surface similar to many succulents while the stems are fleshy and some have a hint of red-pink color. If you taste the leaves you will find them to be hydrating and slightly salty. The flowers are tiny and mainly grow on the topmost tip.

How to clean?

If you see the leaves of the Moras bhaji leaves, they are shiny and appear they are wax-coated like most succulent leaves, making them super easy to clean.

Wash it clean under running water and you are good to go.

You use them as it is with the stem.

Culinary Uses

 

• Salad
• Chutney
• Dry vegetables
• Theplas/Parathas
• Cutlets/ Pattice/Falafels
• Vrat / Fasting foods: Moras being salty in taste is widely used by many during fasting like Gauri vrat, Navratri fasts, etc in the form of theplas, parathas, wadas etc.

Hope you try out this vegetable and share your experience with me in the comments below.

Also, there are many such lesser-known vegetables like Moras which are consumed across India. Sharing a few of my favorite wild foods here-Aakur,  Kudachya shenga

Happy Reading and Eating.