Dhekia xaag or Fiddleheads or Ostrich Fern

Dhekia xaag is such an integral part of the cuisine of Assam, with the fresh ferns available almost in every town and village. In the US I saw it just once in the Whole Foods Market, but never again. Considered to be exotic, this edible fern is common in Assam.

Dhekia xaag (saag) bhaji:

Wash the fern well, and blanch them in boiling water for 3-4 minutes. Then saute some finely chopped onions, 2/3 cloves of garlic, and a few green chilles together in a wok. Now chop the ferns, and toss them in the wok, sprinkle some salt and saute for another 3-4 minutes, just so that the cells begin to break. squeeze half a lemon, and you are done with cooking.

Serve with steamed rice.