Every story of every woman at the heart of the enterprise, is a symbol of hope and resilience for us at Forest Post. One winter, we noticed that a Kadar elder we knew in Sholayar grated her East Indian arrowroot (Manjakoova) harvest in the most crude and cumbersome way and ended up with injuries on her fingers. And yet, she carried on, for summer was approaching and arrowroot was an essential to have in her kitchen. Plus, her grandchildren were visiting in a week and there were goodies to make! Before the next winter we had ensured that in Sholayar there would be a Manjakoova processor which would make life easier. This year we had Vilasini and Shailaja and their cousins in Sholayar process the arrowroot using the new grating machine. And once they were done, it was transported to Edamalayar so that our most adored Kotha chettan, a Malayankudi elder could also process his harvest.
Processing the rhizome of East Indian Arrowroot is laborious, just like the arrowroot from another plant common in homestead gardens – Maranta arundinacea (the powder of its roots are pure white). Once grated, the roots are soaked in water five times to separate the starch from the fibre and also to reduce the bitterness. For medicinal preparations, the wet-filtering is only once or twice. The products you see on the Forest Post website under ‘Wild Foods’ are a small slice of the uncultivated, seasonal foraged foods that were traditionally harvested by forest-dwelling communities in the landscape. The market has shrunken for such foods, which often involve laborious harvest followed by elaborate treatment. Unfortunately, they have also disappeared from the diets of Kadar and Malayar people in the landscape too. Our attempt has been to bring everyone one step closer to not only appreciating but consuming more of such native foods, thanks to the wisdom and knowledge of these communities.
ABOUT THE PLANT
The East Indian Arrowroot powder belongs to the Curcuma or turmeric family, the plant is found across Western, Southern, North-Eastern India and South East Asia. The plant is also called narrow-leaved turmeric. From the blushing pink flower at the top, the part that’s supposed to be harvested is way below underground. In Manipur, pakodas made using these flowers are a delicacy. But everywhere else it is the rhizome that is sought after for its cooling properties, making it ideal for soothing irritations of the lungs, gastric tract or a fever. While it is also a common supplement for babies soon after weaning, it is also a popular ingredient in cakes, puddings, etc.
The first batch of Manjakoova from Sholayar symbolifies a successful outcome of our intervention to incentivise harvest of locally abundant forgotten minor forest products (NTFPs), so that there is no pressure on the ecology. It is also a reminder that we are here to encourage the knowledge and traditional practices involved in ancient ways of food foraging and processing.
CULINARY MAGIC
The East Indian Arrowroot powder, just like the regular arrowroot, is called Koova in Malayalam and Paluo in Oriya. Arrowroots in general, are most in demand during Thiruvathira, a festival in Kerala that celebrates the creation of the universe by Lord Shiva. Women perform the traditional Thiruvathira dance and come together to prepare a rare tuber based delicacy called Ettangadi as well as this delicious, melt-in-your-mouth payasam made from koova with jaggery and grated coconut, and sometimes banana slices and cardamom.
There are other delightful recipes from India including this Konkani one for kuve pitta or kathre pitta dudali which is essentially the same mixture as the koova payasam but set into a soft, jelly-like dessert. Chef Thomas Zacharias of The Locavore once made this delectable custard with its tempting lemon yellow colour at a foraging food cultures event at Kerala Museum, Kochi, in collaboration with women from the Forest Post team.
Manjakoova has been consumed by forest communities for centuries. The Kadars think of it as a remedy for white discharge in girls. In all cultures its cooling properties have been recognised. Maybe a koova payasam is just what you need to beat the harsh summer this year! And all the women out there, we urge you to make time to repose in your being and indulge in some self-care in an otherwise stressful world!