Marathi vegetable names are so interesting, so confusing. Many of us, अमराठी (non-Marathi), find it really difficult to remember these names. Many vegetable sellers in the market use a common name -- Hindi or Marathi. Sometimes, even English. When I asked a vegetable seller, pointing to a packet of 🍄 mushrooms, isko Hindi mein kya bolte hain. Helpful answer: Mushroom. If you ask in Marathi and you check Google Uncle (गूगले काका), you get the same answer: Mushroom.  In Konkani we call in aalambe (आळंबे). So probably, in Marathi too it is आळंबे.

We forget. I am sure I have had ढींगरी मटर (Dhingri Mattar / Mushroom Peas) many times.  But still no one says: ek packet dhingri do! In a way, it is good that we use transliterations (spelling an English work in Hindi/Marathi. e.g. मशरूम or vice versa. e.g. chapati/poli). ASIDE: Indian bread is such a party spoiler and language aberration! 

 

Please note that one good thing about SuperMarkets and Online shopping is that we easily come to know the names of vegetables, fruits and food items in several languages.

 

French Beans

Don't ask me why they are called French beans. As a French translator I love everything French and I love beans.  Exception: French Fries...but then as everyone knows there is nothing French about French fries...unless you claim that julienning is a French technique and hence the term!

 

Farasbi/फरसबी in Hindi and Marathi. Can you believe it फरस means either FLAT or FRENCH! (see dictionary graphic below)

 

श्रावण घेवडा - 

 

Here are some interesting details about the French Beans in Date's Marathi dictionary.

 

Beans - घेवडा

 

There are umpteen number of beans. Let me try to list them.

 

French beans - फरस ]बी

Cluster beans - gavar

Flat green beans - valachya shenga / val papdi  - flat green beans

Bean - ghevda 

Lima flat beans / hyacinth beans / Lablab beans /  Lablab purpureus  / dolichos beans - surti papdi, sem phali,  pandhre pavate, avare baele, val, pavata, val papdi.

 

Vegetable names in Marathi, Hindi, etc.

 

Asparagus - Shatavari

Bitter gourd - karle

Bottle gourd - dudhi bhopla, dudhi

Cucumber - kakdi

Drumstick - Shevgyachya shenga

Radish - muli

Spring onion - kandyachi paat

Colocasia - aalu अळू, अळूची पानं

Ivy gourd / gherkins  - तोंडली

Dill - shepu

Safflower - Kardai

Banana flower - kelphul

Chenopodium album  - चाकवत, बथुवा bathuwa 

 

If you want to know any other names, let me know. 

 

A friend posted Channe ke patte ki sabzi on Twitter.  So the questions poured in: What do you call this in Marathi? So here is an attempt to answer -- based on research on Google!

 

Chana itself has many names such as Garbanzo! We have so many varieties of chana -- Kabuli chana, green chana, small brown chana, etc.  I think Chole refers both to the Chana sabji as well as the chana itself.  Not sure but my favourite Marathi joint in Thakur Complex even has Choley Ussal! Chanyachi ussal is not catchy enough. 

 

Chickpea Leaves / Gram leaves /  हरभऱ्याची पाने / Harbarachi pane / Choliya ke patte / Chane ke patte

 

Green chana is called Harbara in Marathi, Choliya in Punjabi. Typically, the whole plant is available with the green pods. So we would call it harbarache pane or choliya ke patte. Many of us love to eat the fresh green pods. The leaves can be made into a vegetable.

We used to buy the DRIED harbarache pane from the Mahalaxmi Jatra. I made a sabji out of it a few times. 

 

To see a picture of the chickpea leaves, click here: https://syncwithnature.in/know-your-food/chickpea-leaves/. The page provides names in a few Indian languages.

 

English: chickpea leaves

Malayalam: vella kadala ilakal

Hindi chane patta

Telugu: chenuga aaku

Bengali: motor kalai patara

Kannada: kadale kaalu elegalu

 

Let me add:

Marathi: हरभरा पाने, हरभऱ्याची पाने

 

Choliya saag is another name for Chickpea leaves sabji. 

 

Hurda / Ponkh

 

Maharashtra Shabkosh - Yasavanta Ramakrishna Date

हुरडा (p. 3215) हुरडा—पु. मका; जोंधळा, नाचणा इ॰ च्या कणसाचे भाजलले दाणें. 

Roasted grains of Corn (maize),  jawari (jowar), chick peas (tender green chana).

We/ I use grains and cereals synonymously. 

 

Hurda is Marathi, Ponkh is Gujarati.  

 

Ponkh is specifically roasted millet (tender jowar/jwari).

 

Millets = बाजरी,  ज्वारी (sorghum)

Millets have quite a variety. Many multi-millet items have at least 5 different types of millets. Fox tail millets is a name I remember.