What was once an ingredient sourced from the wild to serve as ’emergency’ food in times of drought or economic hardship is now a culinary delicacy. The mahua flower, a staple of the eastern ghats, and also a symbol of faith and tradition among the tribals of the area, is now going mainstream. From candies to chocolate, freeze dried flowers and even gourmet dishes, mahua today is no stranger in the pantry.
Flower power
Mahua is featured in the cuisines of forest communities. It has been used as a natural sweetener in a variety of traditional dishes like halwa and kheer. In Jharkhand and Odisha, a porridge is made with mahua flowers boiled and cooked in a single pot with broken rice or millets, creating a nutritional meal that sustains workers during heavy farming seasons. Maharashtra and Gujarat have the mahoga pulachi baji, where rehydrated dry flowers are ground into a coarse paste and kneaded with spices and flour into patties, and shallow fried.
Traditional superfood
In tribal communities, mahua has prevented them from starving during famines, besides providing other benefits. It has been consumed by breastfeeding tribal women. These blooms are nutrient-dense, being rich in natural sugars, vitamin C, and essential minerals like calcium and phosphorus. The flower extract has been observed to aid heart, liver, female reproductive, and respiratory health. It is also useful for diabetics.
A modern twist
The versatility of mahua allows it to be utilised by chefs and sellers alike, spawning a variety of innovative preparations. Its sweet flavour profile makes it a substitute for sugar in chocolates and candies, ice-cream and cakes. A wide array of mahua candies and chocolates are available online. Wild Harvest, a brand focused on mahua specialities, offers freeze-dried Mahua flowers as well as mahua granola and chocolate.
At Mizu Izakaya, Mumbai, diners can enjoy a mahua ice cream sando. A few years ago, chef Prateek Sadhu added a hand-churned mahua ice cream to the tasting menu at Masque, Mumbai. And most recently, at Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre, chef Harshita Kakwani included a mahua-based chutney, curry, and ice cream in a forest & fire festival.