Peerkanga Poriyal

Source: Agrifarming

Ingredients

• Luffa acutangula | பீர்க்கங்காய் | तुरई | Ridge gourd
• Asafoetida
• Ghee
• Water of washed rice
• Paste of black pepper
• Nutmeg powder
• Coriander powder
• Fenugreek powder
• Cumin powder

Preparation of Peerkanga Poriyal

• Clean peerkangai and cut into pieces
• Cook it properly
• Fry cooked peerkangai with asafoetida and keep it separately
• Essentially follow this.

Benefits and Properties

• It is palatable, alleviates kapha and pitta disorders
• It is light in potency, cures skin and urinary diseases
• It removes worms, cures asthma and anorexia (loss of appetite)

Verse from Pākdarpaṇa of Nala by Dr. Madhulika P. 65
कोशातकीफलस्यैवं सुजातस्य नवस्य च । कृत्वा पाकादिकं तस्य दापयेद्भक्षयेद्बुधः ॥ ४३० ॥
कोशातकीफलं रुच्यं कफ - पित्त हरं लघु । कुष्ठ - मेह - क्रिमिश्वास - कासारुचि विनाशनम् ॥ ४३१ ॥

Tender Peerkangai benefits
मधुरं गुरुपित्तघ्नं बालकोशातकीफलम् । श्लेष्मपित्तहरं दिव्यं विषमज्वरनाशनम् ॥ ४३२ ॥

The tender peerkangai is tender in taste, heavy in potency, alleviates pitta, sleshma (phlegm) and helps in subsiding malarial fever

Ripe Peerkangai Gunas (properties)
कोशातकीफलं पक्व लालासृक् क्रिमिनाशनम् । वृष्यं विषघनं मधुरं महाकोशातकीफलम् ॥ ४३३ ॥
The ripe peerkangai alleviates excessive salivation. It cures blood disorders and it is antihelmenthic (removes worms). It promotes sexual vigour, it is antitoxic and it is sweet in taste

A reason, why pujAris won't ever accept peerkangai when offered.