Solanum torvum is a bushy, erect and spiny perennial plant. There are two species that can be used as food. It’s commonly known as “Turkey Berry“.
(i). Solanum torvum ( රට තිබ්බටු/ Rata Tibbatu )
(ii). Solanum Indicum/ Bari Kateri/ Brihati ( තිත්ත තිබ්බටු/ Thiththa Tibbatu )
Brihati is an important plant that is used in ayurvedic medicines for many diseases. The whole plant is used for traditional medical remedies. especially stems, roots and fruits.
Also, Solanum torvum is also medicinal. It’s widely used in the kitchen to prepare many kinds of dishes. Although often used for ayurvedic medicine, Because of the bitter taste of Brihati, It is rarely added to diets. But the traditional people constantly add to the food because of its medicinal properties. I recall how I used to eat Brihati for different dishes from my childhood. Traditional people have methods to remove the bitter taste and cook it delicious.
It is much-branched, a prickly shrub growing up to a height of 0.3–1.5 m. Leaves are measure about 5–15 cm × 2.5–7.5 cm and sparsely prickly on both sides. Petioles are prickly and about 1.3–2.5 cm long. Flowers occur in racemose. Pedicels are 6–13 mm long. The fruit is a globose berry, green with white lining. The ripe fruit is yellow. Seeds are small, many, and discoid. It grows in the Dry Zone, which has a special ability to withstand drought.
Benefits of adding in diets 👇
+ It also cleans the blood
+ Reduces body swelling
+ The appetite develops.
+ The heart stimulating properties
+ Beneficial for the worm infections
+ Ideal for people with abdominal pain
+ Beneficial for pimples and skin diseases
+ In the case of respiratory illnesses, It will facilitate breathing
+ Also helps to prevent sore throat and cough
+ It also has the ability to remove the bladder stone
+ It is good for those with low menstrual and Women who leak more blood, should not eat.
In traditional medicine, The parts of the plant are used to make various recipes to treat the following disease 👇
01. Asthma
02. Catarrh
03. Dropsy
04. Chest pain
05. Chronic fever
06. Spasmodic cough
07. Oedema
08. Scorpion stings
09. Difficult urination
10. Worm infestation
It is prepared in different ways as a food. The following are some of the popular among the traditional people.
+ TURKEY BERRY MALLUM
+ TURKEY BERRY CURRY
+ TEMPERED TURKEY BERRY
+ TURKEY BERRY MIXED JACKFRUIT
+ TURKEY BERRY WITH CASSAVA GREEN MALLUM
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Solanales
Family: Solanaceae
Genus: Solanum
Species: S. torvum
Binomial name: Solanum torvum
