Underrated Treasure

Though it is present everywhere, people tend to miss the superfood kulfa

- Anita Tikoo Matange

LAST SUMMER, I found a kulfa plant growing profusely at the base of a wall near my house. Since it was not likely to escape the mali’s (gardener) weeding hands much longer, I pulled it out and carried it home to cook. When I took out the plant from the paper bag, I found hundreds of rattling seeds that I planted in my garden. Now I have a profusion of plump kulfa available at home to enjoy.

Kulfa (Portulaca oleracea) is native to India and has been a part of Asian and Mediterranean diets for a long time. Mahatma Gandhi is known to have favoured it in his raw food diet. Known by various names— luni bhaji in Uttar Pradesh, nonia in Madhya Pradesh and nunar in Kashmir—this succulent herb with its mildly sour leaves is cultivated and consumed widely across the country. In Greek and Turkish cuisines, it is commonly used in sALAds and is an important ingredient in fattoush, the colourful sALAd popular all over the Middle East.

Medicinal bounty

All parts of the plant—leaves, stems, flowers and seeds—are edible. The sour taste in