What is Sangri?

Sangri or Prosopis cineraria is a small to medium size tree, found mainly in the Thar Desert of Rajasthan in India. Common names include: Ghaf (United Arab Emirates), khejri, jant/janti, sangri (Rajasthan), jand (Punjabi), kandi (Sind), Vanni (Tamil), sami, sumri (Gujarat). Its trade name is kandi. It grows in dry and arid regions of Arabia and in regions of India mainly Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, Gujarat, Western Uttar Pradesh and drier parts of Deccan. Sangri is a small moderate sized evergreen thorny tree, with slender branches armed with conical thorns and with light bluish-green foliage. The leaflets are dark green with thin casting of light shade. Although they belong to the same family as beans and lentils, they are usually distinguished as a separate group because of the ways in which they are prepared. The different types of sangria are all spherical, a feature that also sets them apart from beans and lentils. Dried sangria are produced by harvesting the pods when they are fully mature and then drying them. Once they are dried and the skins removed, they may split naturally.

Soaked sangri- Whole sangri needs to be soaked in cold water for at least eight hours before cooking, while broken sangri do not need this extra preparation.

Parboiled sangri- Parboiling is a cooking technique in which soaked sangria beans are partially cooked in boiling water, but removed before it is cooked all the way through. Many recipes call for parboiled sangri as they longer to cook. Parboiling them in advances ensures that they get completely cooked in the final dish.

How to select Sangri

Dried sangria beans are generally available in prepackaged containers as well as bulk bins. They are available as whole beans or cracked or broken beans. Regardless of packaging, check the sangri as best as possible to ensure that they are not cracked and that they are free of debris.

Culinary uses of Sangri

" Use sangri to make dhal, the classic Indian dish.
" Ker Sangri is one of the most mouth-watering delicacies of Jaisalmer. Ker Sangri is a popular vegetarian dish of Jaisalmer. It is cooked on low heat. The ingredients that goes into this dish are desert beans and capers. This vegetarian delicacy can be best enjoyed with Bajara roti
" The kandi or sagri pachadi is easy to prepare and makes for a tasty chutney recipe also. Kandi pachadi or toor dhal chutney is served with rice, dosa or idly.

Health benefits of sangri

" Sangri is pounded, mixed with sugar and used during pregnancy as safeguard against miscarriage. Water-soluble extract of the residue from methanal extract of the stem bark exhibits anti-inflammatory properties.
" It acts as a cooling anthelmintic; tonic, cures leprosy, dysentery, bronchitis, asthma, leucoderma, piles and tremors of the muscles.

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