Saaranai Keerai PAvaka ilai kootu

Source Punarnava | Saaranai | Mukurattai Kodi

In Ordnance Estate, vegetable sellers don't sell curry leaves because curry leaves grows wildly all around. But in our backyard, when we pluck curry leaves, we have to be careful, for there are curry leaf look alikes. Exactly same like curry leaves, minus the fragrance of curry leaves. Mom calls it karvepuillai sakalathi. Puritans would harp around saaranai and mukurattai keerai. For me mom is the authority.

Bittergourd leaves

Ingredients

• Saaranai Keerai | पुनर्नव​ | Boerhavia diffusa 
• Paavaka leaves | Bitter gourd leaves | कारवल्ली
• Sukku | Dried ginger
• Ghee
• Camphor and aromatic spices
• Pugapatta

Preparation of Saaranai keerai paavaka illai kootu

• The cook should collect the fresh leaves of saaranai keerai 
• Its bitter taste should be removed with the leaves of bittergourd and sukku podi
• It should be mixed with salt and spices in appropriate quantity and fried in ghee
• It should be made fragrant with camphor etc and tied with pugapatta before serving for meals
• This preparation is appetizer, digestive, wholesome
• It dispels anaemia and phthisis (wasting disease)

नवं पौनर्नवापत्रमाहरेत्तत्र पाकवित् । कारवल्लीदलैः शुण्ठ्या तत्तिक्तं च हरेत्परम् ॥ ४५० ॥

योगेनानेन तत्तिक्तं त्यक्त्वा तच्च ततः पचेत् । लवणादीन् यथायोग्यं कुर्यादाज्येन भर्जयेत् ॥ ४५१ ॥

वासयेद्वेष्टनात्पूर्वं यथापूर्वं च बुद्धिमान् । दीपनं पाचनं पथ्यं पाण्डुक्षयहरम्परम् ॥ ४५२॥

P.69 of Pākdarpaṇa of Nala by Dr. Madhulika