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Mogri – A Lesser Known Winter Vegetable

Matunga in Bombay is my go-to market to discover which vegetables are in season and to find something new. Home to Rama Nayak, Ramashray and other iconic South Indian eating places. Matunga is a confluence of South Indian culture with everything Bombay. From Ramanayak, Ramashray Anand Bhawan to the jini dosa at Mawali Bhai and pav bhaji shots at DP’s. You’ll find some food or the other in people’s hands on the streets of Matunga. A foodies paradise! Whenever I go to Matunga, I always check what’s on offer at the roadside vegetable stalls. In addition to the regular stuff for everyday cooking. The stalls also keep a lot of fresh ingredients that are seasonal and not commonly found in many markets. One one such visit I chanced upon a winter vegetable Mogri, in one of the stalls.

Mogri The Winter Vegetable

It looked like string beans or chawli but looked different. The vendor informed me that this is called mogri. After a bit of soul searching and asking around, I understood that these are radish pods and are a winter vegetable. Available usually in the months of December, January and February. The root of the Radish (raphanus sativus) plant is eaten, either raw in salads or cooked as a stuffing in parathas or as a vegetable side dish.

This was the first time I saw radish pods, which is actually the fruit of the plant. The vegetable vendor told me that Mogri is used a lot in Jain cooking, which doesn’t allow the use of root vegetables in their food. Radish pods are rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. They are cooked as a vegetarian side dish in winter months. In the north and western parts of India.

Here are some nice recipes I’ve found online for making mogri, also called songri.