Manathakkali-Keerai-Koottu

 #ManathakkaliKeeraiKoottu  #ManathakkaliKeeraiLentil :

#ManathakkaliKeerai is a medicinal plant which grows as a weed in fields, wooded areas, parks and along road sides in villages. It is also cultivated for its seeds and green leafy vegetables [ Greens ]. There are many varieties of manathakkali plants. The leaves of some plants are tender, deep green in color and less bitter in taste. These leaves are tastier than the other varieties and its image is shown below. Some plants have thick and serrated leaves with hairs, dull green in color and slightly more bitter in taste. The flowers are white in color. Usually the vegetables [ manathakkali ] are green in color with a green lampshade like structure at the top near the stem and fruits are black in color. There are some varieties whose fruits are orange in color.

The unripe fruits and fruits are called manathakkali. They are dried in the Sun and sold in the grocery shops as manathakkali vathal.

It is called Black Nightshade or Blackberry Nightshade in English.

The scientific name is Solanum nigrum.

The leaf - keerai is widely used in Tamil Nadu. It is one of the best remedies for mouth ulcers and stomach ulcers as well. We used to prepare a dish called manathakkali keerai paal saaru [ kazhani saaru ] regularly at home for lunch in which the leaves are cooked soft and coconut milk is added. This is specially made at home whenever a family member or members are suffering from mouth ulcers. The mouth ulcers are cured more effectively if the leaves are eaten raw. 

Manathakkali keerai is called Kasi soppu in Kannada. It is widely sold in the markets of Bangalore and Mysuru. But a very limited number of people consume them as greens at home. I have heard vegetable vendors saying that kasi soppu is being bought mainly by the people of Tamil origin and others use it sparingly.

Here in Chittaranjan also the people are not consuming this wonderful healthy leaves. They never knew that manathakkali keerai belongs to green leafy vegetable and can be eaten just like any other greens. We have seen these plants along the road side and also as wild growth in the backyard of our house. We have uprooted & planted them in our vegetable garden and have been reaping its benefits.

 Manathakkali is a rich source of vitamins such as vitamin A, B and C and minerals like iron, calcium, phophorous and magnesium. As I have mentioned earlier these leaves are more effective than any other medicine for mouth and stomach ulcers.

A tasty koottu can be prepared from #manathakkaliKeerai just the same way as we do with other greens adding cooked green gram and coconut paste.

Preparation time                  : 10 mins

Cooking Time                     : 10 mins

Quantity prepared               : 1 cup approx.

Ingredients :
1 Cup	Manathakkali keerai chopped
1/3 Cup	Green gram split
3/4 Tsp	Sambar Powder
1 pinch	Turmeric powder
1/2 Tsp	Salt [ Adjust ]
To Grind :
4 Tsp	Coconut scrapings
1/4 Tsp	Cumin seeds
3 - 4	Black pepper
2 pinch	Rice flour
Tempering : :
1/2 Tsp	Vengaya vadavam
1/2 Tsp	Cooking Oil

Method :

Take Green gram in 3 liter pressure cooker and rinse well.

Add 3/4 Cup of water and a pinch of turmeric powder [ I have used 1/4 Tsp of finely chopped turmeric tuber ].

Close the cooker with its lid and put the weight on.

Cook on HIGH flame for 3 whistles or after one whistle reduce the flame to SIM & cook for 5 minutes.

Open the cooker only after it ran out of steam.

Transfer into a bowl and keep aside.

In the meantime, grind coconut scrapings, cumin seed, black pepper and rice flour into a fine paste in a mixie [ blender ] and keep aside.

In the same cooker now add 1/3 cup of water, Sambar Powder, turmeric powder, chopped manathakkali keerai and salt.

Close the pressure cooker with weight on.

Pressure cook on HIGH flame for 2 whistles.

Turn off the stove and immediately release the pressure slowly and open it.

Add cooked green gram and coconut paste.

Mix well and allow to simmer for 3 - 4 minutes.

Koottu is ready and transfer into a serving bowl.

Heat a kadai with oil on a stove over medium flame.

Fry Vengaya vadavam and pour over the koottu in the serving bowl.

#ManathakkaliKeeraiKoottu is a great accompaniment to sambar rice or rasam rice.

ManathakkaliKeerai Koottu can also be mixed with hot white rice and relished along with 

any poriyal or kara curry 

or pickle

You may also like to try

Manathakkali keerai Rice

Murungai keerai paal saaru

Noolkhol leaf lentil

Manathakkali keerai paal saru [ Kazhani Saru ]

Vazhaipoo Koottu

vegetable pulillacurry

Manathakkali keerai Rice

Palak Koottu [ Palak Lentil ]

For other tasty dishes

Recipe Index

Ideas for breakfast and dinner

Tiffin Varieties

For Lunch Dishes

Lunch Recipes Index

Manathakkali Keerai Rice

#Manathakkalikeerai Rice : #Manathakkali is known as #BlackNightshade in English.

Manathakkali is a rich source of vitamins such as vitamin A, B and C and minerals like iron, calcium, phophorous and magnesium. These leaves are more effective than any other medicine for mouth and stomach ulcer.

Coconut milk has to be added to the preparation to make it more effective against ulcers and also to subside the bitterness of the leaves. 

Coconut milk is very rich in Vitamins and minerals. It is a good source of crucial minerals like iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorous, manganese, zinc, copper and selenium.
Other than above minerals it contains vitamin C, E and K.
But one cup of milk [ about 240 ml ] gives approximately 552 calories. So it is high in calorie and contains saturated fat.
It is advisable to take mineral rich coconut milk once or twice a week and in small quantities.

I usually include coconut milk once in a week in any one of these recipes like Manathakkali Paal saru, Sweet Coconut milk for Appam, Paruppu payasam, etc.,...

I have already posted a Vegetable Pulav cooked in coconut milk. Now I find lots of manathakkali plants in my garden due to good rains. If I do not consume its leaves in time then insects will feast on them. Generally I used to prepare Manathakkali Paal saru only. To use good amount of these leaves I tried a rice with manathakkali [ black nightshade ] & its leaves and cooked in coconut milk. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients :

1/2 cup                               Raw Rice
1 Tbsp                                Carrot chopped
2 Tbsp                                Capsicum chopped
1                                        Onion chopped
3 or 4 cloves                      Garlic, chop nicely
1 or 2                                Green chilly, slit lengthwise
1 cup                                 Manathakkali leaves [ black nightshade leaves ]
1/4                                     Manathakkali [ black nightshade ]
1/2 cup                              Coconut milk
1 Tsp                                 Salt [ adjust ]

To Temper :
1 Tsp                                Cumin seeds
1/2 Tsp                             Black Cumin
3 Tsp                                Gingelly oil [ till / sesame oil ]

Method :
Wash the rice once and soak in water.

Heat a kadai with oil and splutter cumin and black cumin.
Immediately add green chilly and garlic and saute for a minute.
Then add onion and saute until it turns pink and gives out nice aroma.

Then add carrot saute for a minute.
Drain water completely and add rice keeping the flame at high.
Saute for 30 seconds over high flame.
Then reduce the flame and saute until rice turns bright white.

Finally add manathakkali and saute for few seconds.
Transfer into a pressure cooker.
Now add 1/2 cup coconut milk and 1/2 cup water.

Add salt and mix well.

Then add chopped manathakkali leaves and mix well.

Close the lid with weight on.

Pressure cook for a whistle keeping the cooker at high flame.
Then reduce the flame to SIM position and cook for 5 minutes.
Open the cooker only after the steam has completely subsided.

Meanwhile heat the same kadai on another burner with 1/2 Tsp of oil.
Add a pinch of salt and saute chopped capsicum until 3/4 th done.
Transfer into a bowl and keep aside.

After opening the cooker add sauteed capsicum and mix with a spoon gently without mashing the rice.

Tasty & healthy manathakkali rice ready.

Serve hot with Thayir Pachadi [ Raitha ] or any kuruma.

Other Recipes you might like to try :

Vegetable Pulav with Coconut milk

Manathakkali keerai paal saru

Karuvepilai Rice - Curry Leaf Rice

Kuthiraivaali coriander rice

For other tasty dishes

Recipe Index

For other Rice Recipes

Mixed Rice

Ideas for breakfast and dinner

Tiffin Varieties

For Lunch Dishes

Lunch Recipes Index 

Manathakkali Keerai Paal Saru

#ManathakkalikeeraiPaalSaru - #BlacknightshadeLeavesCoconutMilk : 

Actually the name of this dish is #kazhaniSaru or #thanniSaru,

But we used to call paal saru since coconut milk is used for preparing this dish.
Kazhani means the washed water of rice in Tamil.
Kazhani is a rich source of Vitamin B.
But now it is not advisable to use kazhani as insecticides are sprayed over the gunny bags of rice to protect against infestation.
Whenever we get mouth ulcers we used to take manathakkali keerai paal saru and within 2 days no trace of any ulcers!!! 

Manathakkali is a rich source of vitamins such as vitamin A, B and C and minerals like iron, calcium, phophorous and magnesium. As I have mentioned before these leaves are more effective than any other medicine for mouth and stomach ulcers.
Coconut milk has to be added to the preparation to make it more effective against ulcers and also to subside the bitterness of the leaves. 
Now let me present the way of preparing paal saaru.

Ingredients :
Manathakkali keerai                                      : 1 cup
Onion ( small is preferred )                           : 1 tblsp [ chopped ]
Cumin ( Jeera )                                              : 1/2 tsp
Salt                                                                : 1/2 tsp ( adjust )
Oil for tempering                                          : 1/2 tsp
Coconut scrapings                                        : 1/3 cup ( can take some more also )

Method :
Wash manathakkali leaves ( keerai ) well in clean water and chop nicely.

Take 1/2 cup of water in a vessel and keep on stove over a slow flame.
Add chopped leaves ( keerai ) into the vessel.
Close with a lid and cook till the leaves ( keerai ) become soft.

Do not over cook the leaves ( keerai ).
Add salt and Keep aside.
Now keep a kadai on a slow flame with oil.
Splutter cumin seeds and add diced onions.

Saute for few seconds till the onion turns pink color.
Pour it over the cooked keerai.

Extracting milk from coconut scrapings :

Now take coconut scrapings in a mixie jar.

Run for 2 or 3 rounds only.

Add less than 1/4 cup of lukewarm water and again run 2 or 3 round.

heat water till air bubbles start coming at the bottom

Now strain through a colander into the vessel containing cooked keerai.

Follow the above method for 2 more times to take milk and add to the keerai.
Adjust salt. Ahh!!... PAAL SARU is ready.

Note : Keerai can also be cooked in a pressure pan/cooker.
Take washed & cut keerai with 1/2 cup of water in a pressure pan/cooker.
Close lid with weight on.
Keep on high flame & allow only one whistle.
Immediately remove weight to release pressure.

Transfer into a serving bowl. Then add coconut milk and temper cumin & onion.

Take hot rice in a plate.
Mix well adding liberal amount of paal saru.
Relish with sambar or any kara curry.
Wow!! thats the taste!! no chance at all!!!....

Note :
Coconut milk should be prepared and added to the cooked keerai just before start serving food.




You may also like to try

Manathakkali keerai Rice

Murungai keerai paal saaru

venthayakeerai dhal

Vazhaipoo Koottu

noolkhol leaf lentil

vegetable pulillacurry

venthayakeerai thakkali koottu

For other tasty dishes

Recipe Index

Ideas for breakfast and dinner

Tiffin Varieties

For Lunch Dishes

Lunch Recipes Index