The lone kumat (Acacia senegal) tree in a field in Godaro ki Dhani in Bhelu village, 90 km from Bikaner, had already been harvested when we stumbled upon it in October. One of the few remaining pods revealed a row of three shiny, flat seeds used as food by the people in Rajasthan. Called kumatiya or chapatiya, it is one of the five ingredients in the panchkuta vegetable mix—a Marwari dish.