# Hindi: what is this vegetable?



## lcfatima

Is there a Hindi word for this vegetable that looks like a long thin ribbed green stick? I have had it many times in sambhar. One sucks the flesh and discreetly disposes of the skin. I have been calling it the _madrasi DanDa_ but surely there must be a name for it.


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## BP.

Could you snap us a photo?


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## Illuminatus

I think you mean Drumsticks

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moringa_oleifera

I know the Marathi word but am not able to recall the Hindi one. Will be back soon.


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## panjabigator

I don't recall the Hindi either but they're definitely drumsticks.  Delicious!

PS: Shabdkosh.com suggests सहजन की फली.  I don't recall if that's what I've used/heard before.


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## lcfatima

Yes, it is the drumstick vegetable. I had heard the English word before but wasn't sure if it was that or another South Indian vegetable, because there seem to be several that look like sticks. I am guessing in spoken Hindi people say drumstick vegetable, rather than sahjan?


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## Illuminatus

Gator's suggestion is right. I just asked my mother and she confirmed the word. At home, we just use the Marathi term or the English name


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## panjabigator

I didn't know they were apart of Marathi cuisine.  Is it only used in Sambhar or are there other dishes too?  The problem is that you can't find Marathi food in ANY Indian restaurant.  Faqat Mughalai aur Panjabi.


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## Illuminatus

We often use it with Dal. It is not very common in Rajasthan, so we can't use it that much.

Maharashtrians have this special kind of sweet Dal in which we often put this.


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## panjabigator

What is the Marathi term for it, out of curiosity?

I just asked my mom, and after a bit of thinking she suggested the same thing.


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## Illuminatus

*Shevaga chya shenga

*chya = ki
shenga = faliyan
*
Shevaga ki faliyan
*


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## lawnmowrman

I'm planning to take 6 gallons of baby turnip green leaves to an elderly Indian lady later tonight.  There doesn't seem to be a Hindi word for it.  The Persian word is Shalgham.  The Latin name is Brassica napus.  Could someone please tell me what the greens from the turnip plant are called.  It would be helpful, at least to me, if I could tell her what the leaf is when the greens are delivered.


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## teaboy

_shaljam kaa saag_.  _saag_ is any sort of cooking green.  Notice that in Urdu/Hindi, _shaljam_ is with a j not a gh. Pronounce the _shal_ as in Marshall and the _jam_ as in jumble._ Saag_ is rhymes with log or cog (American  pronunciation!)


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## lawnmowrman

Thank you much teaboy.  I'll use your pronunciation when the greens are delivered rather than write the correct words on paper.  Your answer was more than I had hoped for.


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## greatbear

teaboy is right in everything except for the pronunciation of _saag_: the "aa" in "saag" is pronounced just like "a" in "Mars", thus it does not rhyme with cog or log. You could also say "shaljam ki bhaaji" (I would prefer bhaaji to saag).


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## Qureshpor

teaboy said:


> _shaljam kaa saag_.  _saag_ is any sort of cooking green.  Notice that in Urdu/Hindi, _shaljam_ is with a j not a gh. Pronounce the _shal_ as in Marshall and the _jam_ as in jumble._ Saag_ is rhymes with log or cog (American  pronunciation!)




If I might be allowed to throw a very small hammer in the works!

1) Turnip in Urdu is known both as shaljam as well as shalGham.

2) I would define "saag" as any leafy "potherb", typical example is spinach of course. However, in our part of the world we have sarsoN kaa saag (mustard saag), chaulaa'ii kaa saag (?), kaRvaa saag* etc

* In Punjabi this is called "jamaaN daa saag". Another saag from the Punjab is "aur daa saag". I am afraid I do not know their English equivalents.

Now a turnip is a root vegetable and its leaves are not termed as "saag". You could describe them simply as "shaljam ke patte".

Just a question. Did Lawnmowman say 6 gallons of turnip leaves. I thought "gallon" was used to measure liquids(?)


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## tonyspeed

greatbear said:


> teaboy is right in everything except for the pronunciation of _saag_: the "aa" in "saag" is pronounced just like "a" in "Mars", thus it does not rhyme with cog or log. You could also say "shaljam ki bhaaji" (I would prefer bhaaji to saag).



Yes, speakers of American English often have problems with the "aa" vowel. The closest sound I can think of they would know would be when you go to the doctor and the doctor says "open you mouth and say aaaa".
Or the sound made in the commercials after someone takes a big swig of a soda: "aaaaaah"! ..except voiced (using the vocal cords).
In all other words it depends on how the speakers was brought up saying the word. I have heard the "aa" in 'Zaire' if one knows how to pronounce that right. You can hear it in the first half of the American long 'i' vowel
vowel as in the word "sight" and "flight" and "bite" and "right". The second half of that vowel sound morphs into the "ee" sound. But the American short 'o' sound as in 'log' or 'cog' sounds a great deal like the 
Hindi "aw" sound as in "kauf" and "maut" and in the English word "bought".

In any case, I'm sure if you're only going to use Hindi this once, as long as the pronunciation is close enough she will be able to decipher it.


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## Qureshpor

tonyspeed said:


> Yes, speakers of American English often have problems with the "aa" vowel. The closest sound I can think of they would know would be when you go to the doctor and the doctor says "open you mouth and say aaaa".
> In all other words it depends on how the speakers was brought up saying the word. I have heard the "aa" in 'Zaire' if one knows how to pronounce that right. You can hear it in the first half of the American long 'i' vowel
> vowel as in the word "sight" and "flight" and "bite" and "right". The second half of that vowel sound morphs into the "ee" sound. But the American short 'o' sound as in 'log' or 'cog' sounds a great deal like the
> Hindi "aw" sound as in "kauf" and "maut" and in the English word "bought".
> 
> In any case, I'm sure if you're only going to use Hindi this once, as long as the pronunciation is close enough she will be able to decipher it. Plus I don't think there is a Hindi word "saug".




Did you mean "Khauf" (fear)? We have "sog" as in "sog manaanaa" to mourn.


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## Qureshpor

Illuminatus said:


> *Shevaga chya shenga
> 
> *chya = ki
> shenga = faliyan
> *
> Shevaga ki faliyan
> *




Would I be right in thinking that Marathi speakers pronounce "ph" as in "phalii" as "falii"?


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## tonyspeed

QURESHPOR said:


> Did you mean "Khauf" (fear)? We have "sog" as in "sog manaanaa" to mourn.


 Yes I meant khauf. Thanks. That is sog. I was talking about "saug" or "sawg". 
Most Americans I know pronounce the English  short-o sound like the Hindi "au". The Hindi "o" is pronounced in English in words such as "go" and "throw".


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## Qureshpor

tonyspeed said:


> Yes I meant khauf. Thanks. That is sog. I was talking about "saug" or "sawg".
> Most Americans I know pronounce the English  short-o sound like the Hindi "au". The Hindi "o" is pronounced in English in words such as "go" and "throw".




I see. In that case we have "saug" as in "saugand".


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## greatbear

QURESHPOR said:


> Would I be right in thinking that Marathi speakers pronounce "ph" as in "phalii" as "falii"?



Yes, you would be right.


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## greatbear

QURESHPOR said:


> If I might be allowed to throw a very small hammer in the works!
> 
> Now a turnip is a root vegetable and its leaves are not termed as "saag". You could describe them simply as "shaljam ke patte".



I thought it was always "spanner in the works"! Hammer?

"saag" is perfectly alright; you can of course always say "patte" too, but patte meant for cooking/eating are more technically saag. Patte could be for decorating in vases too, otherwise.


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## Qureshpor

greatbear said:


> I thought it was always "spanner in the works"! Hammer?
> 
> You are absolutely right. I was holding the spanner in my left hand and being right handed, I threw the hammer instead! I hope it caused no harm
> 
> "saag" is perfectly alright; you can of course always say "patte" too, but patte meant for cooking/eating are more technically saag. Patte could be for decorating in vases too, otherwise.
> 
> I won't argue on this point. I would just agree to disagree.


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## lawnmowrman

Thank you all very much.  Now I must decide whether to use shaljam kaa saag or shaljam ki bhaaji.  I was looking for the word to name the greens.  Lacking any way to measure, I have to use the bag's six gallon capacity.  One of you mentioned that gallons was used to measures liquids.  Teaboy's pronunciation gave me the impression that kaa is silent.  If so is ki silent?


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## tonyspeed

lawnmowrman said:


> Thank you all very much.  Now I must decide whether to use shaljam kaa saag or shaljam ki bhaaji.  I was looking for the word to name the greens.  Lacking any way to measure, I have to use the bag's six gallon capacity.  One of you mentioned that gallons was used to measures liquids.  Teaboy's pronunciation gave me the impression that kaa is silent.  If so is ki silent?



Silent? Not sure what you mean by that. It is most definitely pronounced. But the 'k' in 'kee' is non-aspirated, meaning a burst of air should NOT come out of the mouth when pronouncing it. In English we tend to always aspirate our K's.


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## teaboy

Not a proper midwest American log, cog or frog...that is the closest rhyme. It isn't a laug, it's a lahg.  Now, if we're talkin' a New York low-aug, or a southern laaaaaw-ug, well, Americans can turn any vowel into a dipthong...


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## teaboy

There's nothing silent in transliterated language!


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## lcfatima

I heard some Hyderabadi Urdu speakers calling this drumstick sojnii kii phalli.

Also, since this thread I heard a Sindhi friend who called it "singii vegetable."


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