Behind the Lotus Stem Delicacy | A Glimpse into the Sheer Hard Work by Nadru Pluckers of Kashmir There is a vegetable available in Kashmir which has many benefits and tastes better than any non- vegetarian dish. It is called Lotus Stem or Nadru. This vegetable helps to keep our blood circulation, blood pressure and heart functioning to remain balanced. It is not only used to make Yakhni, it is also used in spinach, it adds a different taste to pulses and is also made with meat. The most famous dish in Kashmir is Nadru Yakhni. If somebody has thyroid then doctors suggest to eat Nadru to keep it in check. It can be called a medicinal vegetable for its properties. Today we will introduce you to the people who had a hand in bringing this Nadru to us. We will talk to those people who put in so much of physical effort and hard work to bring the Nadru to our dining table, reported Kashmir Ahead team doing a story on the life of a Nadru plucker. Kashmir Ahead team went to meet Fayaz Ahmed and his family. Fayaz’s source of income depends on plucking lotus stem and cleaning it for the market. He lives with his mother, brother, sister and an uncle. In winters, Fayaz goes for lotus stem harvesting after having morning tea. In winters, he skips lunch and has another round of tea during lunch hour. As he has to go inside water in the chilly cold, he prefers to have hot tea rather than a meal. He carries the tea with him. After 7-8 hours of hard work in the freezing waters, Fayaz returns home by four or five in the winter evenings. In summers, Fayaz carries lunch. The whole day passes by in the water hunting for lotus stems. Where do you find Nadru and how do you pluck it, if we can see, Kashmir Ahead team requested. Fayaz agreed to show them live. At the site, Fayaz first wore an additional water resistant pant over his trousers. Then he wore an overhaul water resistant suit on top of it. He left his hands and feet bare. He used his foot to locate the lotus stem. The real work is done by the feet, said Fayaz. After the feet locates the lotus stem then he uses his hands to pull the stem out from the bottom of the lake. Within a few minutes, Fayaz was able to locate and pull out a lotus stem. It was a big size stem. Sometimes, the stems are smaller in size too, informed Fayaz. The plant’s big leaf on the surface of water is an indicator that the lotus stem is down below that point. The lotus stem is actually the root spreading horizontally at the bottom of the lake. Nadru is in great demand. It is even being exported to Dubai. There people are aware of its multiple benefits so the Dubai market is full of lotus stem from Kashmir. It is only because of the efforts of these people that we enjoy the taste of Nadru so comfortably in our homes, reported team. If these people were not there then we would not have been able to harvest lotus stems on our own. These people who do such strenuous work in minus temperatures sell these for mere Rs 4 per kg. In the market these are priced at Rs 200-Rs 250 per kg. Now who puts in more effort?