Pungai Ilai mullaikeerai Kootu

Source

Prickly Amaranth: Source

Source Prickly Amaranth

Ingredients

• Soft young leaves of Pongamia glabra | कुबेराक्षि/ करञ्ज​ | புங்கை 
• Guduci/seendhil kodi powder
• முள்ளுக்கீரை | Prickly Amaranth powder or sugar
• Pugapatta
• Spices (turmeric, chilli, jeera)

Preparation of Pungai ilai Mullaikeerai Kootu:

• The soft and young leaves of करञ्ज​ or புங்கை should be taken for this preparation
• It's bitter taste should be removed through the powder of guduci
• Bitterness can also be removed by mullaikeerai powder or sugar
• It should be mixed with spices
• When cooked, it should be tied with pugapatta and served for meals
• This preparation is anthelmintic (destroys worms), appetizer, wholesome
• It alleviates anaemia (पाण्डु) and  tuberculosis यक्ष्म yakshma
• It alleviates collic and vAtic disorders

collic: severe pain in the abdomen caused by wind or obstruction in the intestines

समादाय कुबेराक्ष्या: पर्णं सुतरुणं नवम् । तत्तिक्तमोचनं कुर्यात् कुण्डलीचूर्णयोगतः ॥४४६ ॥

अथवा तण्डुलीयोत्थैः खण्डैर्वा तद्विमोचनम् । अनेनैव प्रकारेण गते तिक्ते भवेन्मम् ॥ ४४७ ॥

सम्भार्दीन् पुनस्तत्र पूर्ववत् परियोजयेत् । बद्ध्वा तत्पूगपट्टेन वेष्टयित्वा प्रदापयेत् ॥ ४४८ ॥

क्रिमिहृद्दीपनं पथ्यं गुल्मशूलानिलापहम् ॥ ४४९ ॥

P. 68 of Pākdarpaṇa of Nala by Dr. Madhulika

Reading about Nala maharaja's pungai mulla keerai recipe made me very happy, for these are commonly available, except for the elusive pugapatta. Heard of kerala ayurvastra. Fact is, in the name of ayurveda-organic, things get prohibitively expensive.

When king Rituparna asks Nala maharaja, why pugapatta is preferred over gold vessels studded with gemstones for cooking, Nala maharaja states that it kills germs, wards of pollution, has a sweet taste, makes food digestible.

Was in railway station, waiting for train and could not help smiling ear to ear reading juice preparations. Gold vessels studded with gemstones for preparing juices!!! What life, kings and people in those era have led!!! Now, folks are eating in plastic, paper, standing, running, walking, jogging. Recycled. Such huge refrigerators all hotels have, that 4 people can sleep inside. Funny life. Am still wondering, how an astrologer predicted that a king would eat previous day gruel on such a such date. 2H needs lots of exploration.

Learning Sanskrit 

समादाय कुबेराक्ष्या: पर्णं सुतरुणं नवम्
          समादाय (सम + आदाय)
          आदाय mfn. At the end of compound, taking seizing
          ind.p. having taken, with along with
          adj. seizing, taking, proving st.
          indecl. With, along with

तत्तिक्तमोचनं कुर्यात् कुण्डलीचूर्णयोगतः

तत्तिक्तमोचनं (तत् तिक्त मोचनं) its bitterness removed

          कुर्यात् (वि.लि. प्र.ए) i.e. Third person singular) could do
          कुण्डली चूर्ण Guduci (Tinospora cordifolia | சீந்தில் கொடி |  powder
          योगतः ind. Conjointly, suitably, properly, conformable to, in accordance with, by means of e.g.            तपोबलयोगतः

अथवा तण्डुलीयोत्थैः खण्डैर्वा तद्विमोचनम् ।
          अथवा indecl. Or
          तण्डुलीयोत्थैः  (तण्डुली अय उत्थैः)
          तण्डुली ?? f. Gourd तण्डुलीय causative due to Gourd; तण्डुल rice
          उत्थैः generated by (3v) उत्थ adj. rising, coming forth,  originating,derived from arising.
          खण्डैर्वा (खण्डैः वा) or by cutting (खण्ड verb cut खण्डै 3v by cutting
          तद्विमोचनम् (तत् विमोचनम्) that(bitterness) is removed

अनेनैव प्रकारेण गते तिक्ते भवेन्मम् (अनेन इव प्रकारेण गते तिक्ते भवेत् इमम्)
          अनेन- indecl. By this; adj. without stags, faultless, sinless;
          भवेत् (विधिलिङ्ग प्र. एक) could be
          इमम् this, these

सम्भार्दीन् पुनस्तत्र पूर्ववत् परियोजयेत् (सम्भार् आदीन् पुनः तत्र पूर्ववत् परि योजयेत् )
          सम्भार् m. requisite, preparation, collection of things required for any purpose
          आदीन् adj. eating, devouring
          - वत् suffix full of
          योजयेत् (वि. लि. प्र. ए.) could be fixed

बद्ध्वा तत्पूगपट्टेन वेष्टयित्वा प्रदापयेत्  (बद्ध्वा तत् पूगपट्टेन  वेष्ट प्रदापय)
          बद्ध्वा gerund. Having bound
          Gerund (verb acting as noun) e.g. Do you mind my asking you?
          वेष्ट m. enclosing, resin, noose, band, enclosure
          वेष्टयित्वा having enclosed
          प्रदापयेत् caus. (वि. लि. प्र. ए.) could be put/placed, could be applied

क्रिमिहृद्दीपनं पथ्यं गुल्मशूलानिलापहम् ॥ ४४९ ॥ (क्रिमि हृत् दीपनं शूल अनिल अपहम् )
Removes germs, promotes digestion, salubrious, vAtic disorder

          अपह adj. destroying, removing, repelling
          हृत् adj. bringing, seizing, carrying away
          अनिल m. paralysis, rheumatism, vAtic disorder
          गुल्म m. chronic glandular enlargement of spleen, abdomen
          शूल m. collic, sharp acute pain due to gas

p.s. Am learning, so please feel free to correct my mistakes. Objective is to learn and what is written should be easy to understand, for everyone's benefit.