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

OOO Farms Wild Food Agheda / Achira

Other Names

  • Local Name: Agheda / Achira / आघेडा / अचिरा
  • Common Name: Chaff Flower / Devil’s Horsewhip
  • Botanical Name: Achyranthes aspera L.

Status & Habitat

  • Habitat: Herb
  • Occurrence: Open Fields, Roadside and Embankment
  • Season of Availability: July - October
  • Geography: Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Americas
  • Method of Propagation: Seed propagation
  • Part used for Propagation: Seeds

Edible Parts

  • Edible Parts: Tender Leaves & Stem
  • Can be Eaten Raw: Yes

Method of Consumption

  • 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 & Medicinal Benefits

  • 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

  • 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.

Recipes / Usage

  • 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.

Image Gallery

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