Agathi is a fast-growing, soft-wooded tree whose leaves are cooked as agathi keerai and whose large, curved white or red flowers are fried and curried. In Tamil homes agathi keerai is traditionally eaten on Dwadashi, the day after the Ekadashi fast. Farmers grow it as a living support for betel and pepper vines. Bengal fries the flowers as bok phool bhaja.
- Botanical name
- Sesbania grandiflora (L.) Pers.
- Family
- Fabaceae
- Tamil
- Agathi
- Hindi
- Agasti
- Sanskrit
- Agastya
- Parts used
- Flowers, Leaves, Sometimes tender pods
- Habit
- Soft-wooded tree with large edible flowers and a leafy green
- Last updated
- 2026-10-27
How to recognise Agathi
It is a small, short-lived tree, usually five to ten metres, with soft, corky bark.
The leaves are pinnate, with many pairs of small, oblong leaflets.
The flowers are large, curved and pea-like, white or red, hanging in small clusters.
The pods are long, thin and slightly curved, up to half a metre.
Sesbania sesban has much smaller yellow flowers.
Traditional use of Agathi
Kitchen
Agathi keerai is cooked with coconut and dal, especially on Dwadashi.
Tamil food practice
Kitchen
Flowers are dipped in batter and fried as bok phool bhaja in Bengal and cooked in Thai curries.
Bengali and Thai food practice
Farming
It is planted as a living stake for betel and pepper vines and lopped for fodder.
South Indian farm practice
Modern notes on Agathi
The leaves are rich in calcium, iron and vitamin A.
It fixes nitrogen and grows several metres in its first year.
Trees live only about twenty years.
Agathi safety
Eat leaves and flowers cooked; remove the flower’s inner stamens and calyx, which are bitter. Eat it in normal food amounts.
Ecology and sourcing
It probably originated in South-east Asia.
Birds such as sunbirds and bulbuls visit the large flowers.
It grows on poor soil thanks to nitrogen-fixing roots.
Related plants
Also in Fabaceae
Questions about Agathi
Why is agathi eaten on Dwadashi?
It is a traditional food for breaking the Ekadashi fast.
Are the flowers of Agathi edible?
Yes, cooked.
Why do farmers grow Agathi?
As a support for vines and as fodder.
How fast does Agathi grow?
Very fast, several metres a year.
Is Agathi long-lived?
No, about twenty years.
Sources
- Sesbania grandiflora (L.) Pers. — Plants of the World Online, Kew (search) (accessed 2026)
- Wikidata item Q947251 (Sesbania grandiflora)
Educational page about a plant. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not an offer to sell. Traditional use is historical. If you need care, ask a licensed clinician. Questions: hello@meevamed.com.