Water mimosa, a pantropical nitrogen-fixing perennial legume, locally known as Eshing Ekai Thabi is an important aquatic vegetable of Manipur. The present study was carried out to document the mode of use and importance of the plant. It was observed that the plant is used as a culinary delicacy and also for its nutritional and medicinal properties. This underutilized vegetable is embedded with rich nutrient potentials along with ability to stand against adverse climatic conditions. The cultivation of this aquatic vegetable has helped to sustain the livelihood of community around the waste water wetland where it is grown. Awareness about the multifaceted use of the plant as organic manure and for phytoremediation for polluted waters may be created so that water mimosa may be uplifted from being an underutilised vegetable to an economically important vegetable crop.

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