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Maad jhor (rice-water soup with greens)

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A thin, nourishing soup made from the starchy water drained from cooking rice, simmered with greens and a little garlic.

Region: JharkhandOccasion: Everyday meals in rural homesTime: 30 minServes: 4Vegan

Ingredients

  • 3 cups maad (the starchy water drained from boiling rice)
  • 1 cup chopped greens such as chana, saroo or spinach leaves
  • 4 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 green chilli
  • 1 tsp mustard oil
  • Salt to taste

Method

  1. When cooking rice in plenty of water, drain off the thick water (maad) into a pot when the grains are just done.
  2. Heat the mustard oil, add the garlic and green chilli and fry briefly.
  3. Add the greens and stir until they wilt.
  4. Pour in the maad, add salt and simmer for 5–8 minutes. Serve warm in bowls or poured over rice.

History

Using the starch water from cooked rice instead of throwing it away is an old habit of the rice-growing villages of the plateau.

Significance

Maad jhor is cheap, filling and easy to digest, and is a reminder of the thrifty traditional kitchen of rural Jharkhand.

Sources