Pulicha Keerai | Pitwa | Gongura | Hibiscus sabdariffa | Sorrel/Roselle leaves

Pulicha keerai thokku

Medicinal benefits
storehouse of iron and calcium; cools the body; cleanses blood; helps to cure constipation - ayurvedichomeremedies
anti-hyperammonemic and antioxidant - nlm
Used against cough, dyspepsia, fever, hypertension, high cholesterol and for stimulating intestinal peristalsis - tropilab
for good skin - alwaysayurveda 

Reached home by Mayiladuthurai express well past 5 am on Christmas and neivedhyam of pongal had to be offered to God before sunrise. Quickly drew kolam, got ready, and offered pongal well past sunrise. Knew thursday was going to be packed, so tried hard to keep my eyes closed in the train most of the night.

Chithi-Chithappa went to Srirangam for special darshan with police escort, entering beyond the ropes near SriRanganAthar, finished darshan in 30 minutes and brought back a big garland of thiruthulAi.

From morning, it was virundhombal for chithi, chithappa. In spite of pleas, they went to temple without lunch and they came only past 2 pm, shopping for their grandkids, nephews, sister.

Dessert and Starter: Semiya jawarisi pAl pAyasam
Vegetable rice
Ghee dAl rice
Side dish: Okra poriyal, Channa sundal, KothavarangAi paruppu usili, Kuppaimeni keerai kootu, VAzhai thandu more kootu, vAzhaipoo vadai, appalam
For mixing: Sorakka sAmbhAr, lemon rasam, curd


Could not make chithi's favourite pulicha keerai and chithappa's favourite sunda vathal kozhambu.

With left over dough after pooris in the morning, it was ajwain roti with paneer mutter sabji for me, idlis with coconut chutney for the elders and empty stomach for mom and periyamma. Chithappa asked, if there was Blue Cross nearby, for a tiny puppy lay breathing its last. After we bid relatives goodbye at night, thinking how to arrange a feeding bottle for the puppy, realized it was already dead. On Wednesday night, a lively brown puppy, almost a twin of this dead puppy, kept so many toddlers in Carmelaram railway station amused with its cute antics and on Thursday, a similar one lay dead so close to home on the roadside. Just so much is life.

Just four people and from morning, four different drinks, coffee for mom, tea for periyamma, boost for my tiny nephew and jaggery milk with ellaichi for me. Made rasagullas and palkova since milk split the first time.

 

Used to fret earlier when milk got split on Fridays, now its delicious Rasagullas

Yummy Palkova after chenna was taken

Made some random dosa with kalyAna murungai leaves, drumstick leaves mixed in wheat flour batter that mom had kept for a while and normal dosa batter with ridge gourd thugayal and ground chutney.

Drumstick leaves, kalyAna murungai wheat, rice batter dosa

Could not have vadais properly yesterday with guests in batches, so made them again, so that i could savour some.


Chithi wanted pulicha keerai. But could not make it yesterday. So today, it was yummy pulicha keerai. I followed this recipe minus garlic cloves and ground nuts. It was absolutely tasty with roast and ground fenugreek, channa dal, corriander seeds and black gram dal and was so glad on how tasty each dish turned out today. Periyamma did the chopping.

Starter Rasagullas
Side dish: Sorakka moong dal kootu, payir poriyal, peerkangAi thugayal, gongura thokku, appalam, vAzhai poo vadai
Mixing: Sorakka sAmbhAr, milagu thippli rasam, Curd

Didn't know whether to be angry or glad with my 5 year old nephew. Spent 45 minutes searching for my data card after he leflt. Yesterday, i remarked, he is now 5 years old, he was born when guru was in meena and now guru is in kataka/simha retro back to kataka in a while. My brother remarked, he remembered that my nephew was 5 years old, because, he was two years old during my sisters wedding and now it has been 3 years after wedding. My tata photonplus with its blinking blue lights is his favourite. Within no time, the dongle is pulled out of system.

Ajwain mooli parantha, gongura chutney, paneer mutter, payir with rasa gullas

Wanted to take rest on sunday, but as mom started plucking plantain flowers stigma, in addition to manathakAli keerai, in addition to sorakka and knool kol. Decided post 11 am, that marginal efforts for serving guests is insignificant compared to cooking multiple items only for mom. So invited 60+ old swAmy and swAmy amma. Spent nearly 3.5 hours, and i was still making vAzhai poo vadai when they were in and puran poli was still on tava. They left around 5 pm. Exhausted, sleepy and to top it all, could not eat anything beyond poli, wheat jaggery scoops, saltless curd rice, sweet pongal; for sundays are no salt days for me.

Plantain flowers | VAzhai poo, which set the ball rolling

Starters and desserts:
Moong dal pAyasam laced in ghee with coconut and milk and ground ellaichi
Puran poli with moong dal, coconut, jaggery filling
Sweet pongal
Scoops of Wheat fried in ghee with jaggery

Kootu Poriyal:
L->R
VAzhai poo black gram vadai
Cauliflower masala fry
Sorakka Moong dal kootu
Kothavaranga paruppu usili
Podalanga channa dal poriyal
ManathakkAli Keerai kootu
Carrot slices
Pulicha keerai thokku
Fresh Mango pickle (not in snap, kept for curd)

Mixing:
Nool kol sambhar
Karamani kAra puli kozhambu  (not in snap)
Pepper long pepper rasam (not in snap)
Fresh creamy Curd (not in snap)

Served in a hurry, for didn't want to keep the guests waiting. However made mom wait for a moment,  to click. Mom got the not so good looking ubattu and guests got the neat ones.

Puran poli | Ubattu with moong dal in wheat base

There goes christmas holidays, tied to kitchen!!! All three nights paneer mutter masala with mooli or methi or plain ajwain paranthas. Emptied 900 gms of ghee in 4 days. 15 days feasting, 15 days fasting. Two sets of dress for waxing and waning phase of moon. Back to pigeonholed matchbox in Bangalore tonight.

VAzhai poo vadai recipe

• Soak half a cup black gram for 45 minutes
• Remove the stigma of plantain flowers (medium sized) and chop towards the end
• Grind blackgram to coarse thick paste, adding curry leaves, pepper
• Mix chopped plantain flowers
• Make balls with the above mix, flatten, put a hole and fry in oil

 Pulicha Keerai Thokku Recipe:

• Roast 1 tbsp fenugreek seeds, corriander seeds, channa dal each separately, till their aromas come in the slowest flame, chilli one or two as per taste
• Let the spices cool then, Powder the above smoothly or in rava consistency
• Heat gingely/sesame oil in kadAi, and stir the leaves for less than a minute, till it becomes gluey
• Let the leaves come to room temperature, then mash rock salt, the ground powder with leaves using a mathu kattai, else, grind it in mixie

Kuppaimeni keerai kootu/ManathakkAli Keerai kootu

• Finely chop the leaves and tender stems and add tiny fruits of manathakkAli keerai. For any keerai, mom says, if the stem gets snapped effortlessly, then use the stem as well, else discard it
• Pressure cook moong dal (i always prefer yellow moong dal for all kootu, add some even to sAmbhAr along with thuvar dAl)
• Use ghee to remove the bitterness of manathakkAli, else oil, let the mustards, curry leaves splutter, 
• Add a pinch of asafoetida
• Then stir fry the chopped keerai leaves for a minute or so, till the volume reduces
• Now add moong dAl water, salt, turmeric, corriander chilli powder as per taste
• Cover and let it cook in slow flame for 5-10 minutes
• Add moong dal, take it off flame, add coconut and cumin seeds paste, and mix well

It is the same recipe for sorakka or any other gourds, instead of keerai above.

VAzhai thandu more kootu

• Chop plantain pith into thin slices and then make tiny cubes and put in immediately into curd to prevent it from turning dark
• Have yellow moong dal pressure cooked
• For tadka use coconut oil, splutter mustards and curry leaves
• Add cut plaintain pith along with curd and let it cook in slow flame with moong water
• After 5-10 minutes when cooked or when the pith gets crushed between fingers easily, add moong dal and take off flame
• Add coconut with cumin seed paste, and mix well ( i prefer cumin seeds raw, chithappa likes cumin seed roasted)

VAzhai poo black gram vadai/ or even with kadalai paruppu (channa dal)

• Soak pulses either plain black gram or plain channa or a mix of the two 
• Grind it coarsely
• Remove the stigma of plantain flowers, chop it and add it to the dal paste above
• Add half crushed pepper, salt, chopped curry leaves and mix everything well
• Heat oil in kadai, roll the vadai mix into a sphere, flatten them, put a hole in the middle and fry it in oil

Mom has tennis elbow, so we don't grind idli batter, for our grinder is 20 years old heavy weight one. We randomly mix wheat-rice flour, rava, kambu, sollam in varying proportions, add hot water or curd to make varieties of instant dosas. To this mix we can add fresh leaves paste of mudakathAn keerai, kalyAna murungai paste, kuppaimeni, vAta nArayanan or just plain curry leaves paste and make usual dosas laced in ghee

Peerkangai thugayal

• Roast channa dal and let it cool
• Chop ridge gourd and fry it in ghee, along with liberal dose of ginger slices with a green chilli as per taste
• Once everything is cool grind the roasted channa first, then add coconut, curry leaves, ridge gourd and grind coarsely, not too smooth

Ajwain Mooli parAntha:

• for any poori or chapathi, i add liberal doses of omam ajwain (my kapha bro hates ajwain, while vAta me loves ajwain). Ever since guruji told ajwain with salt is nectar, at times, i chew ajwain rawly and gulp in water.
• Shred raddish, squeeze the radish juice to the last drop and add it to wheat flour to make dough
• Stir fry the absolutely dry shredded raddish in oil with ajwain, with turmeric and salt
• Flatten to make roti, take a spoon full of half cooked raddish dry mix to the center and cover with dough
• Now reflatten the stuffed dough and fry it like normal chappathi

Milagu Thippli Rasam

• Grind fenugreek, pepper, long pepper, cumin seeds, curry leaves to coarse powder
• Heat oil in kadai, add these ground spices with asafotida and stir for a minute in slow flame
• Have some dAl water or plain water with turmeric, corriander seeds, salt ready
• Add this water to rasam and take it off flames once froth forms at the edges
• Once warm, squeeze in half a lemon to this rasam, garnish with fresh corriander leaves

March 9th update
Mom had a patch of pulicha keerai which were still 1 feet baby plants when she plucked. Mother's logic was that it won't grow further because of quarters soil (actual reason i feel, is because today is my last day at home).

Today being monday, wanted to make arisi pAl pAyasam, but when i got up to check, after keeping in milk in slow flames to thicken, it became even more tastier kova. This milk is native yellow-red cow's fresh milk. For 4 days, no more packet A1 hybrid milk, but just these 4 days. In PG, we get milk-flavoured white water, that too, if we are lucky, for it gets over by 8 am.

Fresh pulicha keerai from our backyard

Starters:
Last two gulab jAmuns left (am glad that guests came and helped maintain mom's sugar levels)
Milk kova with jaggery and ellaichi (leave milk in slowest flame with liberal dose of ghee)

Mixers:
Avaraka Mango sAmbhar (broad beans was from our backyard)
nAyurvi chutney (recipe)
Pulicha Keerai thokku
Milagu thippli rasam
Fresh curd

Side dish:
Karunai kilangu
Arisi vathal

Karunai Kilangu recipe:
Pulicha keerai demands karunai kilangu, or raw plantain vAzhaikAi roast, or some root roast

• Pressure cook karunai kilangu with salt, remove skin and chop into thick slices
• Heat ghee in thick kadAi
• Add mustard seeds, curry leaves
• Keep the slowest and smallest flame
• Add the chopped karunai kilangu, add salt, turmeric, corriander chilli powder, stir well 
• Keep it covered for 5 minutes while it gets roasted, stir occasionally

AvarkAi Mango sAmbhar:

• Pressure cook thur dal and a little moong dal
• Heat ghee/oil in kadAi, add mustard seeds, curry leaves and asafoetida 2 pinches
• Add chopped vegetable, shredded mango along with mango seed, saute for a minute
• Add salt, corriander-turmeric-chilli powder, mix well
• Add water and cook with covered lid
• Once vegetables are cooked, add cooked mashed dAl, take it off flame and add fresh corriander leaves

Adukku malli on PG terrace

Agreed, with my moodiness, its mostly a case of mind willing, but not moving an inch physically. Only on Thursdays and special yoga days, i wake up early in the morning, rest of the days, i sleep without an alarm. It would be hot close to 10 am, when i would water the pots after bathing. And everyone says roots will suffer when watered in noon sun.

In fact, the first time, when i went for long holidays, April 18 uthiram roomie had forgotten to water the plants and was aghast to see pale yellow dried leaves and dried yellow stem when i came back. Thankfully, another moola roommate who had a garden at home, gave me hope on watering it, in spite of everything being yellow and dry. This was months earlier.
  
Yesterday was chandrashtama for me on ekadashi. When i climbed up to water the plants close to 9 am, was jumping with glee inside, for the flowers had bloomed. Typically one two would bloom, first time 8 had bloomed together and i was so so so very happy.

The fragrance of adukumalli can't  be explained in words. Overwhelming it is.

Fence is greener on the other side. While i long to go to kollimalai stay on hill top, next to scenic Jog falls, next to ocean, folks there want to come to metros and earn quick bucks. In crowded new bangalore, such pots of greenery on terrace top are the only solace. How fulfilling it would be the farmer to see his lush green paddy field. terrace farming in kolli hills is breathtaking. Only after planting few saplings, realized, what a back breaking work it is, but nothing can beat the sweet rewards of lush greenery.

Saaranai Keerai| Trianthema portulacastrum | Bishkhapra or punarnava

Saaranai Keerai, mom plucked in hot noon sun, hence leaves are like this

 

Warning!!! don't ever eat this keerai, without boiling it in tamarind juice or cooking properly, for it has something like pirandai, could be oxalic acid, making throat feel something. The itchiness of throat is not like that of pirandai, it is mild, very much bearable.

Saaranai Keerai

Lunch today:

Mom started and ended lunch with vellam kolukattai

Kootu Poriyal: Carrot Slices, saaranai keerai kootu, velai poosanikai kootu, vendika poriyal.

Kolambus: Periyamma had got murungaka from native place, so murungakka sambhar, thippili lemon rasam, mor kolambu, curd.

Didn't touch curd or mor kolambu, for its no curd fast till September 5th. Folks drink buttermilk, however have been keeping away from buttermilk also.

     Tasting thippili gives an effect, which has to be seen on my colleague's face to understand. Lemon thippili rasam, with a bit of ghee, was too good. Thippili makes tongue feel so clean and fresh. Saaranai keerai and kurinja keerai were introduced by the same aunty.

     Mom knew what was saaranai keerai, but this was the first time, both of us were eating it. So i asked mom, how do you know it is indeed saaranai, she said, she knew. It grows spreading on the ground.

    Quite a lot of research has been done on what is actually punarnava - is it Boehavia diffusa or Trianthema portulacastrum? Mahesh et al state that saaranai is an adulterant to Mukkurttaikodi i.e. punarnava, possibly possessing same properties.

Medical benefits:

decoction of roots to treat asthama and constipation - ethnobiomed, biomedicalcentral, globaljournal

analgesic, stomachic, laxative, treatment of blood disease, anemia, inflammation, and night blindness - phcogrev

ncbi states:

ETHNOMEDICINAL USES
 
The plant is alexiteric, analgesic, stomachic, laxative, alterative; cures “Kapha,” bronchitis, heart diseases of the blood, anemia, inflammations, “Vata,” piles and ascites. The plant has been used in the indigenous system of medicine for the obstruction of the liver asthma, amenorrhea, dropsy, edema, ascites, and beri-beri. A decoction of the herb is used as a vermifuge and is useful in rheumatism; it is also an antidote to alcoholic person.

     Won't ever forget how it made my throat feel, goes to the pirandai class on special processing.

     Was reading out tamizh names listed in ethnobiomed, and when i was reading aloud vasambu (Acorus calamus); mom said, don't take its name; almost like Harry Potter's Voldemort. Her reasoning was, it you say its name, its medicinal properties will be ineffective. If anyone goes to a medical shop, they will ask, give me peru solladha marundhu, instead of asking for vasambu. If vasambu is taken in excess, it will result in stammering it seems.

       Reminds me of varali, one raga that teacher is not supposed to directly teach student, for it results in enmity between teacher and disciple. Funny!!! vasambu, varali, both starting with va.

Kalyana Murungai | Erythrina variegata | Paribhadra

With its tiny thorns, with marching red ants, no wonder it is also called mullu murungai

 

Sundal pulikolambu, with kalyana murungai kootu and parangi kootu

 Had the same question like my brother, what has kalyana murungai पारिभद्र got to do with drumstick leaves. Poles apart. It is quite different. It gets a little chewy after cooking, hence a minute in mixie makes this more smooth.

Health Benefits
Slimming - Mangathayuru etal
analgesic, antioxidant - Suryavanshi
menstrual cramps - homeremedies, ayurvedic home remedies
diabetes - drsagay
to increase breast milk - herbalking
for earaches - chennai ayurveda
for eyes, digestive disturbances - ayushveda
insomnia, anorexia - ayush doctors

Dishes
kalyana murungai ghee dosa aka Mullu murungai dosa

Kalyana Murungai Dosa with Peerkankai chutney

All time favourite is ridgegourd chutney. Mildly sauteed ridgegourd in oil, added lots of ginger, coconut with roasted channa dal. The innate mild sweetness of peerkangai chutney is something, that makes me gorge it. Mixed both kalayana murungai and a little bit of curry leaves to dosa batter.

kalyana murungai idli with coconut pepper chutney

Kalyana Murungai with wheat, kambu, ragi, sollam flour

Kalyana Murungai parantha with okra potato fry

Saturday: Kalyana murungai parantha with cauliflower fry

 

Sunday: Kalyana murungai poori, channa masala, wheat milk pudding with elaichi, cashew raisins

Recipe for kalyana Murungai Dosa:

• Take normal dosa batter. For folks who want to keep away from blackgram for religious reasons, you can use moong dal with rice to make batter. I prefer batter without salt
• Grind the leaves in mixie
• Mix it batter and mix well and make it with crisp with a liberal dose of cows ghee

Ridge Gourd Chutney

• Roast 2-3 spoonfuls of moong dal/channa dal
• Mildly saute one medium sized ridgegourd chopped, an inch of ginger, and one green chilli in oil/ghee for 2-3 minutes
• Set aside to cool off to room temperature (i can't stand more than one chilli, while mom needs two)
• Cut/scrape half a coconut and grind it all together in mixie with salt as per taste
• Frying mustard seeds with curry leaves in oil and adding tadka to ground chutney at the end is optional

Kalyana Murungai Parantha 

• Two ways, either chop the leaves finely and make it like usual methi parantha 
• Or if old people are home and if there is problem of leaves getting caught between gaps in teeth, grind the leaves to a smoot paste, then add wheat flour and make dough to roll out rotis.
• I don't add any spices, other than omum (ajwain). My friends add zeera powder, corriander powder and green chillies. In fact i don't add salt also the paranthas or dosa batter. End of the day depends on your taste.

Kalyana Murungai Kootu

• Wash and finely chop kalyana murungai leaves alone (not the stem)
• Heat oil in a kadai and splutter mustards, zeera, a pinch of asafetida and curry leaves
• Have precooked moong dal - 1 small cup
• Have ground coconut - 1/2 table spoon cumin paste
• Add the Kalyana Murungai leaves and stir them in the slowest flame
• Once leaves are tender, add cooked moong or uncooked dal if you like the dal separate 
• Add pepper corns or finely chopped chilli, tumeric, salt (i typically don't add chilli to kootu)
• Cook with lid covered in slowest flame for 10 minutes till leaves are cooked
• Add coconut paste, mix well and take off the flame

Once my manager was shocked on eating my saltless ragi dosa. Typically for dashami and dwadashi it is saltless dinner. My colleague would find my pulav not spicy. The side dish compensates for the blandness of the pulav or dosa. Many a times, my mom and chithi comment, there is no kAram or pulipu or salt in my kootu. I prefer it that way with mild spices, lots of pepper and long pepper though. At times, we make two variations of sambhar kootu poriyal one with lots of ghee and no spices for me and one without ghee and lots of spices for mom. There will be two sets of poori, one fried in ghee, one in oil. Spicy soya-green peas kurma for mom, moong dal for me to accompany poori. Yet when there is a month of sambhar overdose, one fine day i binge on mango and tamarind tanginess. Am sure, next time you won't ask for recipes.

Folks spice it up with tamarind, i would not add it normally. End of the day your tongue is the king, eat in whatever way, the food appeals to you. Don't stick to any one recipe, your taste buds will guide you.

Naaval pazham | Jamun | Syzygium cumini

Naval palam that fell on the ground inside our compound wall

Usually mom has something or other drying, this time it was jamun seeds

Neighbours jamun that fell inside our compound walls

 

Mom has various powders, that i can't even touch, one of them is powder of these jamun seeds. Am predominantly vAta, so religiously keep away from these jamun seed powder. However, pitta mom gorges this.

for diabetes and wound healing - easyayurveda
liver stimulant, digestive, carminative and coolant - rasavinsuvai
nasal bleeding, strengthening teeth - davayurvedaezine

Trikatu - Pippali - Thippili - Piper Longum with Palm Jaggery

Long pepper, pepper, dried ginger, palm jaggery

Medicinal Benefits

Palm Jaggery - cleanser, digestive aid, mineral source - source
Pipali - Thippili  - Piper Longum

• for cough, strength and vigour, skin - easyayurveda,
• For good digestive system, liver and spleen, aphrodisiac - ayurvedhicdietsolutions

The more, i learn about thippili's medicinal benefits, the more am amazed. When we were kids, dad would do funny sandhi vicheds with thirikadugam- sukkumilaguthippili to amuse us; when we would write grocery list with pepper. We would write tamizh grocery names in english or hindi. Took me decades to write tamizh grocery names correctly in tamizh.


Initially, used to buy sillu karupatti packed in a cute box made from dried palm leaves, from khadi stores, later on switched on making it at home.


Mom takes a hammer and powders palm jaggery and dried ginger, enough to last till i go home after 1-2 months. This time, bro did the pounding task for me, to spare mom's wrists and mixie blades. Then, powdered long pepper - thippli, pepper, pounded dried ginger in mixer. This mix with palm jaggery is my starter, dessert, snack for my sweet tooth. I add more of palm jaggery, so that the spiciness is mild and add roasted gram (pottu kadalai). This snack, my own special chocolate powder, is a favourite at office with folks who can tolerate the tikshan taste of long pepper.

Dried ginger powder in supermarkets is brown, while homemade is so fragrant and whitish. When ever i go home, mom hammers this and kadukai removing core. Ever since, journalist cousin said, have ginger in morning, dried ginger at noon and haritaki aka kadukai (Terminalia chebula) at night, this palm jaggery mixture has become a regular.

From the book Pākdarpaṇa of Nala by Dr. Madhulika P.31

त्रिकटुखलनिर्माणविधिर्गुणाश्च
तक्राजमोदसंयुक्तः खलस्त्रिकटुकोद्भवः । वासितः प्रसवैः सम्यक् सुगन्धसुमनोहरैः ॥ १५३ ॥
औदरानामयान् हन्ति जठराग्निप्रवर्द्धनम् ॥ १५४ ॥

Preparation of Trikatu khal and its properties: Trikatu is mixed with buttermilk (takra) and ajamoda (perum jeeragam | carawey) and is made fragrant by adding aromatic flowers. This preparation named as trikatu khala subsides abdominal disorders and promotes the appetite.

Last day at home with Indian Spinach - Basella alba - Pothika

On saturday, mom bought palak to make palak paneer for rest of folks, the shasti night i had decided to eat agathi keerai paneer. However, who can refuse the demands of a simha lagna bro, so mutter paneer instead of palak paneer and 2 days later, decided to clear the fridge. Hence palak moong dal/paasi paruppu sambhar.

Palak keerai

Palak keerai thandu

Vaazhai Poo

Bitter gourds with channa dal

Health benefits
Palak is called अपोदिका,  उत्पादिका,  पिच्छिलच्छदा,  पोतिका,  पूतिका,  बलिपोदकी,  विशाला,  वृश्चिकपत्त्रिका, वृश्चिकप्रिया, शाकटपोतिका, पिच्छिल

• kayakalpa herb - Vithyavani et al
• Rich in iron, folate, cancer curing as per spinachwonders
• palak and pasalai are different as per rathikasnest
• has oxalic acid, hence, should not be eaten raw as per naturalnews
• for dental, urinary, respiratory problems, constipation, useful for pregnant women - remedyspot
• prevents elderly cataract as per newstrackindia
• for  dysentery, diarrhea, anemia, cancer - Shruthi et al
• for anal prolapse and hernia - stuartxchage

In cups: Arisi pal payasam, Palak moong dal sambhar, lemon rasam, curd | In plate: Vaazhai poo thayir kootu, palak thandu poriyal, pavakai sundal pulli poriyal, agathi keerai-kalyana murungai chutney, maanga thokku, kada murukku, mangoes

Recipes

Palak Keerai Moong Dal Sambhar

• Mildly saute the cut palak in oil, then add asafoetida, turmeric powder, sambhar powder
• Once leaves are soft, add a little bit of tamarind juice and salt to taste
• Add pressure cooked moong dal, gently mash it to make palak keerai paasi parupu sambhar

Palak keerai Thandu Poriyal

• Fry mustard seeds, curry leaves, asafoetida in oil and add cut stem pieces
• Add chilli and salt to taste
• Once soft, finally add shredded coconut and immediately take it off flame

Vaazhai Poo thayir pachadi

• Remove the stigma of plantain flowers and put the cut flowers into curd (to retain whiteness)
• Fry mustard seeds, curry leaves and add only cut vaazhai poo without adding curd
• Add water to cook and salt chilli to taste
• Once soft, add a little bit of pressure cooked moong dal, coconut cumin seed paste, the soaked curd
• Immediately take it off flame once it is uniformly mixed

Pavakai Sundal puli kootu

Mom had originally asked for kathrika puli kootu, however seeing the state of pavakai, decided to make this.

• Stir fry de-seeded sliced pavakai, in cows ghee for 2-3 minutes (to remove bitterness)
• Add asafoetida turmeric powder, chilli-corriander powder, salt to taste, stir and water to cook
• Once bitter gourd is soft, add pressure cooked chana, tamarind paste, cook for 5 minutes till rawness of tamarind goes off and its done

Lemon Rasam

• Coarsely crush pepper, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, 1 chilli, curry leaves in mixie
• Add this mix to hot oil with asafoetida and stir 
• Add water, salt to taste, pressure cooked moong dal
• Don't let it boil and transfer it to serving vessel
• Once luke warm, add half a lemon's juice

Instant Pal payasam

• Mash pressure cooked moong dal, rice, coconut cashew paste, milk with lots of ghee and sugar

Will write about kalyana murungai separately. Mom just added a bit of kalyana murungai, a little bit of agathi leaves to make chutney for dosas for her breakfast. Its been two months since i came home, and it will be another two months during Gandhi jayanthi, when i would come home again. Until then, it is moong dal kichadi with lots of cows ghee in PG, since dadhi vrat starts on August 9th. When moong dal is there, what more does one need.

Saivam and still wondering why no amlas on saptami?

source: silverscreen.in

12:30 am and the tears are still drying in my eyes after seeing the movie Saivam. Azhage is a beautiful song. Mom recommended this movie, and didn’t realize the time passing.

Had a hasta friend around Pudukkottai, who reared lots hens and cocks in her home. The cocks were part of family and they would pull the nighty of my college mate to draw her attention. Though they ate non-veg, they would never kill the birds that they reared at home.

There was a time in CMC Vellore, when every single day for almost 3 months, I had tandoori chicken with maida parotta. Mom would get me a fiction (typically a Cook or Sheldon) and a parcel and I would finish both overnight. Somehow, though I loved biology, loved Ranjini miss, got the highest class score and certificate in 12th biology, could never stand dissections in lab. Could never stand kitchen on Sundays in childhood. Sis after attending pravachans, became the second vegan from 4th, mom being the first. It took me a more than a decade. Nirjal pradhosam fasts started because of neighbours in UG which got metamorphosed to numerous fasts, where you eat only air. And with astrologers as your only conversation friends, one can never eat non-veg.

There is always a trigger for a drastic change in taste buds, but what sustains the trigger is something else. It was in 2005 and Jagannath Puri temple pujari lineage’s Mishra was my friend. His ancestors were the only folks for whom the snakes would make way to take the temple jewels during festivals. My other lunch mate too was a mami. In fact, ever since i came outside home in 2003, my roomie were all mAmis or had at least two mamis sharing my residence at any point of time. Looking back to be honest, his lecture during lunch triggered my vegetarianism in 2005. Within days, happily told him, that I quit non-veg, citing garuda puranam, not the fact, that it was actually due to him.

Once in 2011, went to Banana leaf near Main guard Gate near Trichy Malaikottai and ordered chicken roast, it was served, but could not eat, don’t know why, finally ended up getting it parceled for neighbor.

What sustained vegetarianism all these years in reality was astrology, initially, lal kitab, later garuda puranam. Sun in 11th house are not supposed to eat meat. You get a diseased body in subsequent lives with non-veg as per Garuda puranam. Charaka samhita is replete with non-veg prescriptions though. And the more you study astrology, the more you realize, how blessed you are to be in a human body. One wrong deed, you might be born as a tree, vegetable, hen, goat, fish whatever. Guruji once remarked tiryak yoni (4 legged) for someone’s query on where his pitrus were. Kumbhipaak naraka and fate of capsicum in mirchi bajji are so similar.

Every single wish comes true eventually over lives. It is a continuous series lasting yugas. One needs to be absolutely careful as to what one truly wishes for. Roles interchange. Perhaps I should change life is short statement. Whatever, everything, food whatever is God’s krupa. The moment I have pride, that I have absolute restraint over my tongue, my fasts, and get angry with my bro - the only non-vegetarian at home, then am gone. The moment, I resent my mom or family adding onions garlic to food, then am gone. Though mom adjusts to my cooking, resent going home to relative’s home due to food. Typically, schedule home visits so that my bro would not have to forgo non-veg, because of me. Somehow, can’t stand non-veg inside home now, the smell and all that. For me, temple or mutt food is what I relish the most. What if I was cut thus and cooked or roasted!!!  My bro truly remarks that people who are born vegetarians have greater tolerance for non-veg folks than non-veg folks who have recently became vegetarians. I sit at the farthest corner from my koundiya colleague who eats eggs during lunch. Once, a psychologist was eating chicken next to me and speaking and I almost puked. Everything keeps changing. Today am like this, god knows what will happen when rAhu comes to my dharma sthAna in 2016 during peak of my sade sati.

After guruji came in life, everything is changed, mushroom, onions, garlic are gone from kitchen, hence maggi noodles also, rarely eating outside, no roadside food as well. I missed many office treats – pizza, treats expensive hotel treats, with fasts coming in. Till guruji gave a 15 days for god, 15 days for colleagues, friends  every month rule.

Forget non-veg, or the most delectable pastries, within vegetables, a single tasting of onion garlic will dull a brain; carrots cause laziness, tomatoes induce jealousy, brinjal vipareet gyAna etc. You get cautious on what is allowed for each tithi, each day, each hour – morning, noon and night. Still wondering why no amlas on sundays or saptami. Your body is your vehicle and one needs to take proper care of it and food is the one main input to watch out. To adhere to the spiritual rules without egoistically sticking to them is the key. Sarvam Shri Krishnarpanamastu

Agathi Keerai - Sesbania grandiflora - Agastya

When ChaturmAs started, guruji gave us the list of allowed and not allowed food items. He said no leaves not even curry leaves or corriander leaves, but agastya leaves are allowed. Mom's b'day, so bro and I dropped by. Hence all this. From morning we had guests, 2 were invited (Adi month newly married couple - a satAbhishA and maham), 3 were atithis. The delightful part was a welcome opportunity for Go seva, for a cow came, while drawing kolam in the morning, which had a bit of agastya leaves as well. From morning till I finished serving bro close to 10 pm, it was cooking and serving time for me. In the last minute when mom came with 2 atithis, kept rice again and it was eating in turns, once rice got ready.

Even a lifetime can't make a rohini fast. Praying that should not be the case with bro eating non-veg. So decided not to impose my chaturmAs diet or shravan month ekbhukta naktavrat at home. Prepared everything without tasting. My only prayer is bro should become a vegetarian, eat at home instead of hotels and reduce his 120+kg frame. Everyone is scattered everywhere. Festivals are the only time, you meet your family.

Medicinal benefits 
for breaking fast, anti oxidant, antiageing - Venkateshwarlu et al
traditional indian medicine
ayurvedha consultants

Everything is a medicine when taken in right quantities at the right time, with a happy frame of mind. If you dislike something and eat, then even the most medicinal food will become poison. And if one does not have the right conduct, then ayurvedhic medicines don't work, as per charaka samhita, which am reading. My manager remarked that all healthy food don't taste good. While my take is, nothing can be healthy, if it is not tasty. Taste is the king and it is the best indicator of nutritious value of any food. And the best policy is to eat anything as god's prasad without making a fetish about health benefits, combinations, timings etc.

Agastya chutney with crisp wheat-rava dosa

This dosa agastya chutney was only for b'day mom, so sauted curry leaves, pudhina, agastya for 2-3 mins cows ghee to mask its bitterness. Roasted channa dal and green chillies and coconut also for her. Mom liked it and she said, there was no bitterness of agastya.

Agastya / agathi keerai leaves with pudhina leaves, curry leaves

Coconut with kadalai paruppu / channa dal

Agastya chutney with crisp wheat rava dosa

Agastya chutney for breakfast

Mom's B'Day Lunch Spread
Agreed, was in kitchen from 9 am, cooking for mom and bro. It was only 2 burners and just my two hands. Once in a while it is fine on spending so much time on cooking. Bro slept in train and instead of alighting in Trichy, he got down at Dindigul and came home close to 1:45 pm instead of 7 am. And you can imagine our plight in the morning, was glued to door, window and streets, with his mobile being unreachable. Prayed fervently and then at last his sms came, giving us some relief.

Agastya keerai kootu (ChaturmAs style)

 Sauted agastya keerai in ghee and grinded them. Added cooked moong dal and coconut cumin seed, pepper paste. Finally did a tadka with only mustard seeds, and no curry leaves. This agastya keerai kootu is not bitter either.

Nellika thayir pachadi

 Followed youtube video, on thayir pachadi, and instead of chaturmAs prohibited channadal added, roasted moong dal to thayir pachadi. The hot water in which amla was boiled for 2 minutes was left, so made lemon rasam with that amla water, adding lemon drops after rasam was at room temperature.

Semiya Jawarisi pal payasam, nei paruppu, kothavaranga parupu usili, kadai murukku, mango slices
Side dish L-> R soya-green peas masala, carrot poriyal, mango thokku, agathi keerai kootu, vaazhai poo thayir pachadi, nellika thayir pachadi
Mixing items L->R Fresh Curd, karamani puli kolambu, manga kathrika sambar, nellika lemon rasam

 Actually, had put the cut plantain flowers in curd and cooked them after squeezing curd and after preparation had put curd again to keep the kootu white. However, was disheartened to see it turn brown when i lifted the lid before serving, thankfully, it was only the top layer. Be it plantain pith or plantain flowers, curd is the best accompaniment to keep it from turning brown.

Dinner
Wanted to make paranthas (mooli and aloo) but bro said no. So mango milkshake (welcome drink), plain ghee rotis,  mutter paneer, mango thokku, semiya payasam, mangoes for guests while, agastya parantha, agastya keerai paneer with moong dal kicchadi for me. Wanted to eat at 7 pm, breaking my fast, while guests were not hungry even at 8 pm. So to my utter embarrassment, mom told them about my fast, set the table and insisted, everyone should join, so that i could break my fast. Ideally, no keerai at night, nor curd at night, yet i had agastya shAk and had nellika thayir pachadi.

Agastya parantha, agastya paneer, nellika thayir pachadi, moong dal kichadi, mango cube

Just mixed leaves to dough and prepared paranthas. For paneer, sauted agastya leaves in cows ghee and made a paste with pepper and cumin seeds. Finally added salt to taste and added paneer. This was a bit bitter unlike afternoon's ambrosial agastya moong dal kootu.

Necessity is the mother of invention - when the only vegetable you can eat is agathi keerai, mango and amla, then you get creative.

Pepper mango thokku, Moong dal with ghee, Mango, Agastya keerai dosa

 Mixed agastya keerai paste to normal dosa mavu and crisp agastya dosas were ready. To accompany it was tangy pepper thokku, ghee laced moong dal and sweet mango.