TURN OVER A NEW LEAF

The young leaves of pilkhan free are a worthy alternative to leafy vegetables in the spring season

- VIBHA VARSHNEY

PILKHAN, or white fig, is a native inhabitant of Delhi, flourishing effortlessly in the city's dry and arid climate. The gigantic tree with massive canopies can be spotted across the city parks and along the roads. Although most people cross philkhan trees every day, they are oblivious to the food that this tree can provide.

Pilkhan (Ficus virens) is a deciduous tree that sheds all its leaves around February and sprouts new ones around April. The tree is known as pakhad in Hindi, bassari in Marathi, kurugatti in Tamil, cherala in Malayalam and pepri in Gujarati. The unopened leaf buds and young leaves of the tree are slightly sour and can be consumed as a healthy stir-fried sabji (see recipe) or turned into a pickle. Though many tribal communities in the country eat pilkhan, not much has been documented about it.