Kharokhandai Bibaar Ewnai

Kharokhandai is a delicious as well as nutritious edible flower, believed to have medicinal value. Bodos use this in a variety of dishes. It blooms in the night and falls off by morning. That probably is the reason why this plant is also called the "Midnight Horror". 

Bodo name: Kharokhandai

Assamese name: Bhaat-gheela

Scientific name: Oroxylum indicum

A few Bodo terminologies: 

1.Bibaar: flower

2.Ewnai: to fry

It is also known as Indian Trumpet Flower, Broken Bones Plant and Tree of Damocles. It has several medicinal value. The seed is used in traditional Indian Ayurvedic medicines. The root bark is administered as astringent. This is used in tonics formulations too such as Chyawanprash. 

Ingredients for this recipe: 

24 Kharokhandai Bibaar. 

To clean, slit the flower......

 .... remove stamens ....

..... and wash.

Julienne of 1 big onion

2 chillies, slit length wise.

  1 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp salt

 3 tbsp mustard oil

                    Method:

Boil bibaar in water till tender, remove from water squeezing gently. This will wash off the bitterness, you can skip this step if you like it bitter.

Heat oil, saute onion and chilly for 2 minutes ......

...add kharokhandai bibaar, salt, turmeric and stir well. Cook covered in low heat stirring occasionally. Do not add water.

Kharokhandai bibaar ewnai is ready once it turns golden brown. You can serve it this way or try this variation which I have experimented and found out to be tastier. 

Take 3 eggs and beat them well....

...pour on the kharokhandai bibaar after it is fried and stir gently over low flame for 2 minutes...... 

....and delicious kharokhandai bibaar ewnai is ready to be served.