Rugra or Phutka

 

 

 

Rugra or Phutka

 

            Rugra a rare
kind of mushroom which grows in the wilderness of Jharkhand and surrounding
Ranchi. It is purely a seasonal mushroom which grows beneath the Saal trees and
under the earth in the jungles of Jharkhand especially when clouds cracks means
during heavy lightning, it comes into white and Black and white in color, but its
presence is very short not more than 15 days so it sells very costly from Rs
800 to 1000/- a Kg (Today’s rate). Its flavor is similar to goat meat or
Chicken lever but people instead of heavy cost buy it due to its seasonal value.
Urbanites rarely know about it and consume it as they find it as strange items.
The very fact of Rugra is that it is not cultivated commercially anywhere in
Jharkhand. This is the only mushroom which grows under the earth not above  like other mushrooms, at the roots of Sal
trees about 2 to 3 centimeters beneath the earth. Village women go early in the
morning and procure it by digging by her fingers and collect it. In rural areas
it is called Rugra, Phutka or Puttu.

 

            It is called
as gem of Jharkhand as it only find in Jharkhand and some parts of Odisha.
Indian people are not aware of its taste and deliciousness, so who knows about
it, use to come to Ranchi for having a taste for once during early part of
rainy season. My brother is also very fond of Rugra so he uses to come to
Ranchi to relish its deliciousness once. This mushroom grow during rainy season
or say in the holy month of Shravan when people shunned in having non
vegetarian meals, so Rugra considered being a vegetarian option, and taste like
meat so people find it as replacement of non vegetarian meal, and  like to have its curries with Chapaties or
rice. People use to buy this palatable mushroom whatever it may cost from the
tribal Santhali or Oraon women in the local market. It is oval shaped like
small potato size with soft outer shell like egg and black soft yolk like stuff
inside which is very delicious and unique in taste. It is really a gift of
nature for food lovers. It is not only tasty but consists of higher protein,
vitamins and minerals compare to other mushroom and zero carbohydrates and good
for heart and diabetic patients. But it is highly perishable can be decayed
within 8 hrs after harvesting that’s why it is not exported outside and cooked
at the earliest.

 

How to prepare it—

 

1.
As
it is a mushroom which grows under earth so wash and clean it properly so that
the taste of soddening of earth removed also wash with warm water.

 

2.
.Cut
the Rogra into two,

 

3.
Two
onions slished minutely,

 

4.
Make
paste of tomato, garlic, ginger, two cardamom, red chilli, coriander powder and
cumins and add salt as per your taste, also put one table spoon of meat masala.
For taste.

 

5.
Pour
four tablespoons of edible oil and put one or two bay leaf and two full size
red chilies, then put sliced onion into it and sauté it till it become golden
brown.

 

6.
Put
paste of all the ingredients of spices into the boiled oil and fry all the spices
and then put the Rugras into it and fry it till it become red and then put two
cups of water till it boiled properly and then switch off the burner and
garnish it with coriander leaves and serve with Roti or boiled rice.

 

Recipe and cooked by-
Shail Kumari,

 

Text and Photos by- Ashok
Karan,

 

Ashokkaran.blogspot.com,

 

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