Agathi Keerai - Sesbania grandiflora - Agasthi and Bitter gourd

Bittergourd, Tomatoes, Carrot Beans, Pumpkin

Prathamai

Menu:
Ambrosial green moong dal with crushed jaggery
Agathi keerai coconut chutney
Split moong dal khichadi/mand
Wholesome pumpkin poriyal (kootu would be too much for 2)
Pavakai kolambu (sauted in ghee; coconut paste; and it was no longer bitter)
Crunchy carrot beans poriyal
Fresh Curd


I used liberal doses of omam, ginger, zeera in khichadi and kolambu for my cold. Only now, I realized my sis's digicam is still with me and hence this blog. I was chopping vegetables, listening to melodious songs from Mega TV. Typically, i place the lappie on the thavalai listening to audio lectures as I chop and cook. Last time I placed the lappie near the cooker; cooker went off with a loud bang; thank god, the lid didn't blow up and my lappie was saved. These days, am addicted to a series of sixteen lectures of 1.5 hours each from VIHE. I sleep listening to lectures, i wake up listening to lectures. Amazing ayurvedic information in amusing brijvasi's english. He said 20 lectures, but only 16 are available in vihe site. Agreed, i have to listen to same 1.5 hours lecture, thrice at times, since am doing other things as well. Ayurvedic quest intensified, after finding that my batchmate was an ayurvedic doctor. She runs away saying, i ask too many questions, when i pick up some fruit etc to eat, wondering about timing and combination and effects. Need to find a mp3 player that has decent speakers, that i can use 16+ hours a day at a stretch, while cooking and bathing.

Last year, there were so many mangoes (which our neighbour said, was much less compared to the previous year's yield). This time, hardly 1-2 ripe ones falls for my dinner every day. Unripe ones fall off now and almost everyday, it is inji maanga thokku. And most of them are squirrel bitten or god knows what bitten. But lemons grow in decent numbers. So it is lemon juice all the time.

Only yes'day i learnt about amavasya agathi keerai connection. I wanted to taste some agathi keerai, so I kept aside some keerai for today and was shocked on how bitter the chutney was, when tasted separately. But it went well with khichadi and there was no bitterness when eaten together.

P.S. I used to happily peel carrots. Only recently i learnt that its nutrients are present just beneath the skin and hence, carrots should only be washed. On the other hand, am wondering, what i might end up eating along with the peel.

6 months later

BitterGourd, Tomatoes, Ginger

Bittergourd with Jaggery and Ellaichi, Soft yet crunchy ghee rotis

Woke up pretty late at 9 am and saw there were 2 bitter gourds. Mom said, there was a set of vessels to cook without changing the colour of vegetables. Could bittergourd be so yummy - jaggery and ellaichi did the trick. :-)

This time, it was Swami Sarveshananda's Katha Upanisad, that am listening to for months, while cooking went on in the background. Those who are beyond all this hoopla over food and specific taste likings, have their subtle intellect in control over their wandering mind. Realized the importance of rituals only now - training the intellect to take its rightful place over this beautiful mind.

A year later

Pavakkai pitlai, Murungai keerai, Pal Arisi payasam

 Saturdays are for bitter things, if i happen to be at home. Mom said no jaggery, with very little oil, it was still yummy.