A quick traditional no oil stew recipe with radish greens, 4 Ingredients Mula Saak Kangshoi or Manipuri Radish Green Stew. Once upon a time an under-appreciated leafy green in the Western world, it is rich in calcium, anti-cancer properties with more vitamin C than the fruit itself. This happens to be one of my favourite kangshoi during the winters when radish is in season.
Here radish/daikon radish is perennial, which don’t have that strong and pungent taste like winter radishes. However, I have noticed one thing off late that perennial vegetables which are available during particular seasons especially harvesting seasons taste good.
Hence, got myself a good bunch of radish from the local green grocer. About 4-5 tender radish. The radishes were added and used in few dishes. Zip-locked and stored the leaves unwashed in the vegetable crisper of the refrigerator.
Along with it went 3 other main ingredients fermented fish, dry fish and ginger. Offcourse! Salt seasoning and water too. This kangshoi is incomplete without the main ingredients as solely salt, water along with the leafy greens cannot make it as tastier and flavourful.
A few rinse, chopping or simply breaking with bare hands (just like I always do to most of the leafy greens I cook, I guess that is the simplest and most easiest way) and then these robust green veggies are ready for use in any recipe.
Put a pot or wok on medium heat. Add some fermented fish(washed and head discarded), some dry fresh water fish(both small or bigger ones) or oil-fried salt-water fish like mackerels, tuna, red snappers any fish that has good amount of oil. Dry toast both the ingredients, add in about .845 quart (800 ml) or little more of water. Add some salt, bring the water to rolling boil.
Reduce the heat to low, add some sliced or julienned ginger, the chopped radish greens. Cook until the leaves wilt or for about 10 minutes.
I love the strong pungent and bitter flavour of the radish greens, after all what is a veggie whose flavour is subdued and doesn’t taste like itself at the end.
For those of you who love its mildly bitter flavour, the best option is to blanch for 1-2 minutes in boiling hot water.
Read below the detailed recipe for this tasty and healthy leafy kangshoi.
Mula Saak Kangshoi
Servings 3-4
Total Time 20 minutes (Prep time-5 mins+Cooking time 15 mins)
Ingredients
Tender leaves of 4 small Radish, discard the yellow leaves
2 medium size Fermented fish/Ngari, wash well and discard the head
1 medium size piece of dry Fish, fried with a pinch of salt (even hilsa, rohu, catla, or any of above mentioned salt water fishes),
1/2 Tbsp Ginger, sliced or julienned
Salt for seasoning
2-3 fresh Green Chilli Pepper, slit vertically in the middle
Fresh Coriander or Cilantro leaves for garnishing
800 ml (.845 quart) of Water
Method
1.Rinse the radish greens under running tap in a colander. (Rinse them just like spinach leaves)
2.Chop or break the leaves with bare hands and set aside in a bowl.
3.Heat a pot or wok on medium and add the fermented fish, dry fish. Dry toast them until they turn smoky.
4.Now add the water and bring it to a boil for abour 2-3 minutes.(Remve the scum/foam flaoting on top of the boiling water)
5.Then reduce the heat to low and add the sliced ginger and chopped leaves. Let it simmer and cook uncovered until the leaves wilt or for total 10 minutes.
6.Once done, add the slit chilli peppers and garnish with some freshly chopped coriander. Enjoy it with some plain rice, eromba and crisp fried bora.
Note: Never add extra water at later stages as this will spoil the taste of the kangshoi.
Slow-cooking uncovered is the only method for the best and good leafy green kangshoi.
Blanch the leaves for about 1-2 minutes in boiling hot water if you like a mild flavour just before cooking them.
Adjust the ingredients in the recipe as per the number of servings.
You can also add crisp oil fried fish instead of dry fish.
Enjoy making this simple 4 Ingredients Mula Saak Kangshoi (Manipuri Radish Green Stew)
Until then Happy Cooking!
Pushpita's Chakhum 