Agheda / Achira / आघेडा / अचिरा / Chaff Flower / Devil’s Horsewhip / Achyranthes aspera L.

Other Names

Status & Habitat

Raw: Yes
Ripe: Yes
Both Raw & Ripe: Yes
Dangerous Form to Consume: N/A
As Food: The entire tender plant along with the roots are uprooted and the tender stems and leaves are cooked.
As Medicine: Treats cold, spleen, eye, and skin diseases. Its seeds are consumed during scarcity to alleviate hunger, and its thin roots are used for tooth cleaning.
Cooking Method: - Tender leaves and stems are plucked from the plant, washed and sauteed with onions and chillies.
- This vegetable is supposed to be had in limited quantities as
it is highly medicinal.
Preservation / Curing Technique: N/A
Does Require Another Plants to be cooked together: No
Souring Agents Required: No

Nutritional Benefit: Contains protein.
Medicinal Benefit: Helps treat cold, eye disease, spleen disease, skin disease; acts as a famine food; helps clean teeth.

Tribal Wisdom:
- Tribals use it as a medicine for many diseases like cold, spleen diseases, eye diseases and skin disease.
- Agheda does not need a lot of water and its seeds are used as a famine food
since after eating them, one dos not feel hungry very soon.
- The slender roots of this plant is used to clean teeth.
- Agheda is a wild variety of Amaranth.

Tribal Recipe / Usage:
- Remove the ends of the Agheda plant.
- Wash the tender stems and leaves thoroughly and squeeze excess water.
- Heat oil and sautee onions and chillies. Add Agheda stems and leaves
and cover and cook till greens are wilted and soft.