Kiri Habarala

Kiri Habarala

Ratala

Ratala (රටල)

Kiri habarala (කිරි හබරල‍)Desi ala (දේසි අල )

Coleus rotundifolius

Dicotyledons family: Lamiaceae

Genus: Coleus

Common Sinhala name: Ratala

Food crop

I use to collect these yams and grow them in our rooftop garden. When they are ready I uproot them, wash and clean them for cooking.  

I has to be cooked in a proper way otherwise it gives a caustic taste. Our domestic aid was very good at cooking them and make it creamy and that is why it is called Kiri habalaala. 

Sadly she passed away recently and this piece is dedicated to her.

 

Habarala or Alocasia cucullatais the plant also known as hooded dwarf elephant ear. 

Because it’s skin is water repellent it is used as a makeshift umbrella.      

It has a beautiful large white flower which blooms very rarely. Just before I left Ceylon, it bloomed, may be just to say Good Bye, since I used to  water it liberally. 

It’s yam is supposed to be poisonous but our domestic aid says it can be eaten if properly cooked. I uprooted one of them and gave her a big piece of yam for her to cook in her own home. 

I was scarred to eat. 

Sadly when she died the tricks of domestic cooking disappear with her. 

I believe the toxin is a cyanogenic glycoside similar to what is found in cassava.

Air Potato

Udala (Dioscorea bulbifera)

The yams are grown not on soil but on the vine, so it is called Udala, meaning not air but above the soil. The tubers of the Udala creeper too, are large in size and have a taste which is very similar to potatoes. Another interesting fact about the Udala creeper is that it produces smaller tuber-like rhizomes on its surface.      

It not as tasty as Rajala. 

There is also a second kind of Udala. 

This variety has white spots on its large, round leaves. The yams, too, have white spots on their peel. However, the yams of this variety of Udala are not eaten but only used in traditional medicine.

Arrowroot

Hulankeeriya (Maranta arundinacea)

According to the book Saru Diwiyata Deshiya Ala, the Veddas call this tuberarukka. 

It contains protein, vitamins, calcium, and a high content of carbohydrates.

The yams of the arrowroot plant are narrow and white in colour, while the plant grows to about one to two feet in height and has long, dark green leaves.

Saru Diwiyata Deshiya Alamentions many health benefits which can be obtained by consuming arrowroot. Because of its high protein content, doctors recommend the yams for patients who need to consume a lot of protein foods.

Consuming the yam is also beneficial in preventing and alleviating illnesses related to the digestive tract, like indigestion and ulcers. Flour made from these yams is also a nutritious food for patients with heart ailments.

 Buthsarana

Indian shot(Canna indica)

Saru Diwiyata Deshiya Ala states that the Indian shot plant grows to about five to six feet in height and has long, slightly broad leaves with brown stems. The booklet also states that the round yams of this plant can be found in two varieties: rathu buthsarana (red Indian shot) and sudu buthsarana (white Indian shot).

“Indian shot yams] are very tasty and are very high in starch. Unlike the other varieties of local yams,  have a slightly sweet taste.” 

Both the red and the white variety of these yams have many medicinal properties and have been noted in curing jaundice (yellow fever) and preventing phlegm-inducing diseases in infants.

Because of the high starch content in Indian shot yams and their ability to help reduce phlegm, they are an ideal food to be given to patients suffering from phlegm-inducing illnesses, and those who are physically weak and need a lot of nourishment.