Kovaika poriyal

Source

Mom's sugar control: Siru kurinja leaves, pavaka, kovakka, knolkhol

Sedative Gasegase payasam without rice, Yummy mochakottai puli kolambu, velrika thayir pacchadi, Kovaika poriyal, maanga thokku, murukku

Kovaika with Vaazhai poo vadai

Gulkand, Vendika puli kolambu, Vaazhaipoo vadai, paapad, Chow chow poriyal, kovaika kootu

Mom prefers her sabji without coconut, dal no oil and it is opposite with me, i would fry in ghee.

Here is my first post on ivy gourd leaves. The first time, i had dinner in guruji's home, they served the most ambrosial kovaika poriyal as part of full banana leaf meals cooked on wood and served by dvijas. After chathurmas, forgot dinner concept, was not at all hungry, but this was dinner at guruji's home, so went up at 10 pm. At the sight of excellent food, served one by one so beautifully on banana leaf, ate to hearts content. So tasty it was.

Weekend trips to Trichy Gandhi market invariably would end up with kovaika, pavaka in the kattai pai, for mom's diabetes. And the hawkers would not sell anything less than a kg. I would buy vegetables from them using signs, without a word in silence. And every time, i would learn after buying, had i bought vegetables from another guy, i could have got perhaps ladys finger for Rs 5 a kg instead of Rs 10 a kg; while waiting for bus, as buyers would discuss prices. Am glad, a break from weekend traveling, no more pre-dawn, market trips right after train journey.

Kovaika reminds me of revati  nakshatra Aug 29 roomie, who said this causes mandha buddhi.

Ingredients

• கோவைக்காய் | कुन्द्रू | Ivy Gourd | Coccinia grandis | बिम्बफल
• Ghee
• Asafoetida
• Spices
• Fragrant substances like camphor

Preparation of Kovaika poriyal

• Take the tender fruit of kovaika and peel out from all sides with knife
• Cook in water
• When properly cooked, it should be fried with ghee, asafoetida
• Finally, it should be made fragrant with substances like camphor

Benefits and Properties

• It provocates sexual vigour, beneficial to eyes
• Alleviates vAta and pitta
• It helps to reduce painful discharge of urine
• It is wholesome, spermatogenic
• Helps to subside jaundice, blood disorders, tuberculosis, asthma, poly dyspepsia (indigestion) and cough

Verse from Pākdarpaṇa of Nala by Dr. Madhulika P. 66

प्रयत्नेन समादाय बिम्बस्य तरुणं फलम् । शलाकया पुनः सम्यक् छिन्द्यातच्च समन्ततः ॥ ४३६ ॥
निधायप्रवणीभाण्डे सिञ्चेत्तत्र जलं बुधः । पक्त्वा तच्च पुनः सम्यक् सर्पिषा च पुनः पचेत् ॥ ४३७ ॥
धूपयेद्धिङ्गुना तच्च वासयेत्कर्पूरादिभिः । वेष्टयित्वाथ नेत्रेण दापयेद्भोजनार्थिने ॥ ४३८ ॥
इदं बिम्बफलं वृष्यं चक्षुष्यं वातपित्तजित् । हितं कृच्छ्रहरं पथ्यं शुक्रदं कामलादिजित् ॥ ४३९ ॥
पित्तरक्तक्षयश्वासतृष्णाकासनिवारणम् ॥ ४४० ॥