Manathakkali Keerai Poriyal:

The Botanical name of this plant is 'Solanum nigrum'. Its a perennial plant grows in wild all over India. It is said that it originated from west Africa. Manathakkali is called 'Black NightShade'/ 'Night Shade Plant' in English. In Hindi it is called 'Makoy'. In Telugu its called 'Kamanchi Chettu'.

Well...in Tamil colloquial way 'Manithakkali'...which explains that the plant has minute sized berries! It is also known as 'Sun Berry' and 'Wonder Cherry'.

An analysis of 100 grams of manathakkali leaves shows following results:

Moisture 82.1 %
Protein 5.9 %
Fat 1.0 %
Minerals 2.1 %
Carbohydrates 8.9 %

The minerals and vitamins include:

calcium
phosphorus
iron
riboflavin
niacin
vitamin C
Its calorific value is 68.

The plant and the fruit has toxic alkaloid solanine and saponin in them....upon feeding experiments on sheep for toxicity, however, showed negative results! So don't worry about using wild greens in cooking....and also be specific in identifying right specimen!

Healing Power and Curative Properties:

Generally known for mouth and stomach ulcer in folks remedy. But it also dignifies a wide range of curative abilities towards, fever, stomach disorders, improve appetite, digestive disorders...as even laxative...body coolant. It is appreciated as cardiac tonic. It helps to remove catarrhal matter and phlegm from the bronchial tubes in asthma patients. The fruits of the plant can also be used beneficially in treating asthma.

So....I had a small plant back home...collected just fine and slender twigs for this recipe. To bring up the volume...used more grated coconut, after all coconut also alleviates from mouth ulcer!

Ingredients:

Greens of Manathakkali 1 bowl full
Grated coconut 1 cup
Salt
Chana dal 4 spoons
Urad dal 4 spoons
Dry red chilies 3-5
Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Sesame oil few spoons.

Method:

Wash and clean the greens along with its fine twigs. Chop them coarsely and set aside.

Heat oil in a wok. Add mustard, chana+urad dal, dry red chilies....wait till they pop.

Now add greens and salt. Cover and cook for 2 minutes. When the leaves wilt and reduces...turn them to high heat.

Stir-in grated coconut...fry for couple of minutes and remove from heat!

Enjoy with plain steamed rice.

Its award shower here!!! I am simply speechless! Thank you Priya for considering my name!

There are so many food blogs out there. I hardly have time....to get out and leave my opinion to them! Whatever the recipe is.....sure one of the blogger would have written it with good anecdote. I used to freeze over good photographs. And decorating and garnishing, mind blowing! Almost every blogger have some unique collection...either its ethnic food or fusion cuisine, they sound yummy! I hardly find time to try anything new!!! But if I had had time....I would like to try very few recipes from few of my fellow bloggers! So pardon me from listing few people for this yummy award! I have to say....they inspire me a lot!!!

Purva

Priya

Syeda

Anjum

Anu Divya

Sagari

Sujatha

sailaja

Anthony

Indiandoc

Asha

Joseph Selvaraj

Congrats Y'll...you guys deserve it and much more!!!

I am so happy to tell you'll that Purva has passed this award to me! Thank you so much dear.

I would like to share this with my fellow bloggers:

Viki Xavier

Gita

Purva

Rajeswari

Priya

N33ma

Yasmeen

Syeda

Anjum

Kitchen flavours

Divya

Anu Divya

Ramya

Sagari

Deesha

Saraswathi

Bhawana

Sujatha

Indranee

Cham

Usha

Suma

Aartee

Dibs

Jaishree

I am thrilled to have this splendid award from Neema and Purva.Thank you sweet hearts.

Would like to pass this award to my fellow bloggers....whoever bumps into Kitchen Tantra!!!

So this award goes to all the food bloggers around the globe & also who visit my blog! ha ha ha.

I am overwhelmed to receive buddy award from Yasmeen, N33ma, Gita and Purva. Thank you sweet hearts.

I would like to pass this Great Buddy Award to my blogger buddies:

Viki Xavier

Gita

Purva

Rajeswari

Priya

N33ma

Yasmeen

Syeda

Anjum

Kitchen flavours

Divya

Anu Divya

Ramya

Sagari

Deesha

Saraswathi

Bhawana

Sujatha

Indranee

Cham

Usha

Suma

Aartee

Dibs

Jaishree

Pistachios Candy:

Pistha Halwa. Pista Halwa. Pista Candy.

Ingredients:
Pistachios nuts 1 bowl full
Milk 1 cup
Sugar 1 bowl full
Ghee 1 cup.

Method:


Soak shelled nuts in luke warm water for 20-30 minutes. Then peel their fine skin.

Blend this nuts with milk to a thick puree.

In a non-stick pan add ghee. Try to maintain the whole process on low flame only.

Now add sugar and 1/2 cup of water....bring the syrup to pearl consistency.

To this syrup...add pista paste. Constant stirring with well greased wooden spatula is advised. Better smear the spatula with ghee before hand.

Once the Halwa consistency is achieved transfer it to well greased container. Smear the container preferably with ghee.

The shelf life is more than a month. If refrigerated it stay long till 3-4 months.

One could serve this halwa...well chilled! Or candy them out to your desired shapes. I guess pop-in size is a big here....

Pirandai with leaves and flowers.



Pirandai in Wild - Vellore Mountain.

Perrandai Thovaiyal


There is new wing of studying ethnic herbs and concoctions (Medico-Ethnobotany/ Ethnobotany / Ethnobiology). The Tribals, Natives, Witch doctors, Shamans, Ayurdeva, Siddha, Unani doctors....have been practising this for centuries.(Medicine is always practising....and never studying.....for eg: the result won't be repeated with everyone....certain group, sex, worknature, geographical location, everthing matters) Anyways.... increasing the supply by breeding certain species, tapping its specific genes.....in order to meet the increasing demand should be duly noted. Besides R&D....government should take measures towards conservation, educating the locals...

Its Botanical name is 'Cissus quandrangularis'. We call this as Pirandai / Perandai in Tamil. Its English common name is 'Edible Stemmed Vine'.

Other names of the Vine:

Sanskrit: asthisonhara; vajravalli Hindi: hadjod; hadjora; harsankari
Bengali: hasjora; harbhanga
Marathi: chaudhari; kandavela
Gujrati: chadhuri; vedhari
Telugu: nalleru
Tamil: pirandai
Canarese: mangaroli

It is mainly used as healer of bone fractures. It is one of the very frequently used herb by traditional bone setters of India. (In Hindi Hadj=bone; Jod=to fix). It is also used for piles, asthma, digestive troubles, cough, and loss of appetite.

Chemical Constituents: Stem isolates include 3- keto steroids, onocer-7-en-3a, 21b-diol (I) and onecer-7-en-3a, 21a-diol (II).

Other Uses:Stems and roots yield strong fiber. Young shoots are used in curries. See my Pirandai Karakuzhambu here:

Pirandai Karakuzhambu

Ingredients:

Pinju Pirandai/young shoots of pirandai-finely chopped 1 cup
Urad dal 1/2 cup
Dry red chilies 5
Garlic 5 cloves
Tamarind paste 1 spoon
Asafoetida 1/2 spoon
Salt
Ghee / Sesame oil 1/4 cup(I used ghee).

Method:

In a wok, heat oil and fry the pirrandai. One have to fry this really well or otherwise.....its kind of hard while swallowing(it is pricky-maybe its rhaphides)Then set it aside.

In the same oil, fry all the other ingredients. Once it turns reddish brown, again add the pirandai to it. Fry them again really well.

Let them cool and then take it to blender and wet grind the same.

Serve this along with steam cooked rice/raagi kali/raagi Sangati. Simply un beatable!

Rabbit Spicy Qorma:

Rabbit Qorma. Rabbit Curry. Rabbit Kuzhambu. Rabbit Korma. Rabbit Stew.

For Game lovers simple Hare/Rabbit recipe! Rabbit meat infused with rich Indian spices.

There are 2 types of rabbit meat available in the market....wild-hunted and domestic-slaughtered! I prefer bred for meat rabbit! If I ever witness a rabbit being slaughtered.....I would be devasted! Anyways.....many regions breed rabbits for its protein rich meat....its called 'cuniculture'! One of the lady from my neighbourhood(back home) had a farm like that....she is the one who introduced me to....all about eating a bunny!:(

A yough rabbit weighs about 2-3 kilos! The meat is high in protein. Tastes much like chicken. It is leaner meat than beef and pork! It has low percentage of fat. Unsaturated fatty acids is 63% of total fatty acids! Rabbit has about 795 calories per pound....when compared to chicken 810, Turkey 1190, Lamb 1420, Beef 1440 and Pork 2050! Sounds interesting huh!

Rabbit meat could be suitable for special diets, such as those for heart disease patients, diets for the aged, low sodium diets, weight reduction diets, etc.

Ingredients:

Rabbit's Meat 1/2 kilo
Onions 2 grated
Tomato 2 grated
Fresh ginger paste 1 spoon
Fresh garlic paste 1 spoons
Green chilies 3 slitted
Curry leaves 3 twigs
Cloves 3
Cinnamon 3
Cardamom 3 pods
Fennel seeds 1 - 2 spoons
Bay leaves 2
Cas cas milk few spoons(2 spoons of cas cas wet ground...maybe after soaked in warm water)
Fresh coconut 1 (chopped and wet ground to thick milk)
Oil 1 cup
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/2 spoon
Chili powder 1 -2 spoons
Pepper powder 1-2 spoons
Oil few spoons
Cilantro leaves few to garnish.

Method:

Pressure cook meat with enough salt and water. Maybe for about 6 whistles. Set aside and retain the water.

In a pan heat oil, add cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, fennel seeds, bay leaves, curry leaves and green chilies. Fry them for a while.

Now add onions and fry till golden brown.

Then add ginger - garlic paste to it. Fry them till its raw smell leaves.

Later add tomatoes and fry till its water content is lost.

Now add little bit of salt, turmeric, chili powder, pepper and cooked meat along with its water. Cover and cook over medium heat.

When the meat is done...add cas cas milk and thick coconut milk to this. Let this come to boil 3-5 times.

Garnish with cilantro leaves.

Serve warm to go with chapathis/dosa/idly/iddiyappam.

Purva

N33ma

has passed this Award to me! Thank you so much for considering me! I am truly honoured!:)

I would like to share this award with Fellow Hard Working Blogger Friends:

Viki Xavier

Dibs

Anjum

Pavani Srikanth

Rajeswari Vijayanand

Kitchen Flavours

Divya Vikram

Kay

Priya

Sukanya Ramkumar

Neha

Jaishree

Congrats Y'll.

Appala Kootu:

Pappad Ka Subzi. Appalam Kootu Curry. Aalu-Pappad ka Subzi.

This is my Brother's favourite dish. Whenever he goes to India...Mommy will try to fix them! So....when last time I went to home, I made them for him! Guess he liked it!:) We made it to go with our Vatha Kuzhambu...nice variation from Sutta Appalam!

Ingredients:

Potatoes 2 large (boiled, peeled & cubed)
Chana dal 1 cup soaked in water
Pappad/Appalam 7-10 (fried in oil/toasted in microwave)
Salt
Turmeric 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1/2 spoon
Green chilis 4 chopped
Ginger 2" grated
Garlic 6 beads chopped
Onion 1 large finely chopped
Tomato 1 large chopped
Curry leaves few
Cilantro few
Mustard seeds 1/4 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/4 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Oil few spoons.

Method:

Cook chana dal in a pan...with little salt. And retain the dal alone. Do not over cook them. Set aside

Mash potatoes gently.....leave them little bit chunky here and there, set aside.

In a wide wok, heat oil. Add mustard, cumin, asafoetida, curry leaves. Wait till they pop up.

Add chilies, ginger, garlic and onions. Fry real good...till the raw odour leave the pan.

Now add tomatoes...wait till they wilt up.

Add salt, turmeric and chili powder. Now stir-in mashed potatos, cooked dal and cracked pappads. Mix well...cover and cook for few minutes.

Remove from heat and add cilantro leaves.

Enjoy as a side dish with Vatha kuzhambu...nice variation for sutta appalam!

Vatha Kuzhambu:

Not a big fan, but make it occassionly for guests!

Ingredients:

Dry Manathakkali Vathal - 1 fistful
Tamarind lemon sized ball
Turmeric powder 1/2 spoon/(I use 'virali manjal' whole stick, broken into bits)
Chili powder 1 spoon
Jaggery gooseberry size
Rice flour 1-2 spoons(its only optional, I never use)
Sesame oil 1/2 cup.

For Seasoning:

Mustard seeds 3 -5 Spoons
Curry leaves 1 large bowlful
Asafoetida 2 spoons
Chana dal 1 cup
Urad dal 1 cup
Dry red chilies 6 numbers
Peppercorns 4
Fenugreek 1/4 spoon
Sesame oil few spoons.


To Be Fried Each Separately in Little Oil and Wet-Ground Togather to Thick Paste:(Vatha Kuzhambu masala)


Coriander seeds 2 spoons
Chana dal 1 spoon
Curry leaves 1 twig
Fenugreek seeds 1 spoon
Dry red chilies 6
Asafoetida 1/2 spoon
Sesmae oil few spoons.

Wet Grind to thick batter like consistency and set aside!

Method:

Better....fry the 'vatha kuzhambu masala' (listed above)ingredients first. Each seperately in little oil, till they turn to golden to reddish color. Infact very aromatic! Then wet-grind them togather, using very limited water. Set this masala aside.

In a non-reactive bowl, soak tamarind with 1-2 cups of luke warm water for 1-2 hours. In a blender, run this along with the same soaked water and extract a thick tamarind milk. Set aside.

In a heavy bottomed non-stick pan,add few spoons of oil. Fry the dry vathal(either one 'manathakkali/ sundaikkai). Fry them till they turn to dark brown to black, Set aside.

In a the same pan, heat remaining oil. Now add thick tamarind milk, salt, turmeric powder/ virali manjal' broken into teeny meeny bits, jaggery, rice flour and chili powder. Cover and cook over medium heat for about 12-15 minutes.

When the tamarind's raw odour leaves the pan and it starts to consolidate, better add 'vatha kuzhambu masala' and 'fried vathal'! Bring this to boil. Again switch to medium heat and cook without lid. Maybe till the raw odour of wet-ground paste is gone. The gravy should really thicken now. Wait till oil shows up on sides and top. Then remove from heat.

In a seperate pan, heat oil, add the tempering spices one by one and wait till they pop. Now run this seasoning over the gravy made above. Always season your gravy at last, like a final touch...it makes it really aromatic!!!

Serve warm with plain steamed rice. A spoon full of ghee to go with it, Heaven! Enjoy!

Thakkali Thengai Rasam:

Arathu Vitta Rasam. Tomato Rasam, Tomato-Coconut Rasam.

Busy, Rainy day menu! Arathu vitta Rasam and Spicy fried food! Nothing much to talk about it....simple entry!

Ingredients:

Country Tomatoes 5
Garlic 1 whole head
Dry chilies 6
Peppercorns 1/2 spoon
Cumin /2 spoon
Curry leaves few
Salt
Turmeric 1/4 spoon
Coconut grated 6-10 spoons
Mustard 1/4 spoon
Cumin 1/4 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Curry leaves few
Cilantro few leaves
Oil few spoons.

Method:

Grind first 6 ingredients together.

In a pan, heat oil. Add these wet-ground puree to it. Add salt and turmeric powders. Fry real good! When the raw smell leaves the pan....add 4 cups of water.

Bring them to boil. Then add grated coconut. Remove from heat.

In a seperate pan, heat oil. Add mustard, cumin, asafoetida, curry leaves....wait till they pop up. Now run this tatka over the rasam prepared!

Enjoy with steam cooked rice!

Ramya Vijaykumar

N33ma

Gita

passed this award to me! Thank you so much guys. And should I be really talking about me???? Don't leave me alone....I insist to post 7 MeMe to all the award winners!!!

7 Things I Say More Often:

Oh Really!

Amazing! I am Wondering....

I don't really care!

Dad, Daddy, Daddy would....

Back home, in India....

Whatever, Anyways....

Love it, Awesome dude....

7 Things I Did Before:

Writing Tamil Poems, esp' Haiku Kavithaigal....tons and tons of them. Got several Inter-college prizes over it! But never cared to publish them or share with anyone....

Was a great Runner in school days. Gave up after UG! But hooked up with gym equipments! Had a gym trimmed body...they used to call me 'Junior Maleshwari' in the Lab! Was capable of lifting heavy weights and stuff!

Walking with dad, talking with Dad, dinning with Dad, riding with Dad, arguing, telling tall stories......discussing real world politics! Miss it greatly!

Experimenting in the kitchen with Mommy and Brother! They were my lab rats actually. Both Mommy and Pari used to help me around, never discouraged! I have spoiled so much of food, back then! My Regrets!

Studied extensively Anthropology (but I am Biotech major). Fell in love with cultural & biological Anthropology.....(and still collecting books). Documented(still doing) my stupid hypothesis....hoping that one day...it will get its recognition!

Worked hard to get through Civil Services! Couldn't succeed in UPSC! Got through Andhra services(but got migrated here)so have to forget about it!

Traveled a lot in India...did research in my favourite field! DNA separation, sequencing, PCR,Cloning.....etc!

7 Things I Do Now:

Solo jog, walk, exercise, cook, clean, lawn sow, mow....shop a lot!

I do cook and that's obvious!

I do blog...don't have to mention it. Browse a lot!

In business, importing, cutting and installing kitchen counter tops(Granite)! Hosting cookery classes, branding my gourmet products....marketing....and boring stuff like that...

Looking out for a change in my Profession! In much more challenging area of my field(Molecular Biology, Biotechnology)

Always worry about Mommy's health and whats happening back home! Call home every single day!

Do chat with Pari daily. Talk and walk with AK.

7 Things I Want to Do:

Go back to India. Settle down close to my parents....

Expand my business.

Wanna publish in journal Nature....at least one article.

Do serious research in exactly my choice of area. Come up with more novel ideas....kind of corelating anthro' concepts and biotech concepts and study the area with wide spectrum(a birds eye view) then arrive at new theory! Do I sound like BULB!

Own a beetle car! And drive it like Daddy in Chennai sandhu pondhu(narrow streets).....

Never wanna switch from teaching or lecturing...whether genetics or culinary....I love it!

Build my dream home at a hill station!

7 Things That Attract me About Opposite Sex:

I get attracted to Movie characters(not even the stars)!! Sounds weird, right! Maybe I am involved in the story! I like the part....that I didn't really got attracted to a real person!

I appreciate honesty.

Trustworthy.

Patient, polite, calm & composed, who talks less and crisp...to the point.

Clever and good sense of humour.

Generosity, help the needy, doing some sort of social work.

Who is humble, down to earth, never boasting.....

7 Favourite Foods:

Meen Kuzhambu - both by Dad and Mom.

Ramzaan Nombu Kanjji - by Yasmin's Mom

Arcot Nawabi Biriyani - by Anjum's Mom

Chicken 65 - street food, bought by Pari, which is previously tasted and tested by him!

Quail Chettinad - by me

Grandma's Birinji Rice with Pudhina Thuvaiyal.

Kothamalli Saadham & Aviyal - by AK.

7 Sweet Fellow Blogger Friends:

Viki Xavier

Divya Vikram

Priya

Suma

Rajeswari Vijayanand

Aartee

Yasmeen

Kasini Keerai Bonda:

The Botanical name of this greens is Cichorium intybus. Common English name is chicory leaves. Yeah....the roots of it....is powdered and used in coffee(my fav'). We call it Kasini keerai in Tamil.

Some of its Uses:

It balances pitta and kapha. Cures chronic and deep-rooted fevers. Purifies and improves blood circulation. It is specified in the treatment of - Swelling, Liver diseases, Spleen diseases, Heart diseases, Urinary diseases.

Caution:

This greens are not advised to Diabetic patients! Don't know why...check it out with your physician

I get remembered of this famous Doctor Akbar Kausar...who really popularized this greens. (Met him couple of times....when I took my aunt to his hospital.)Of course people were really aware of the goodness of greens! Greens/leaves are the laboratory of plants! The Chlorophyll present in a leaf is what important in taking that sun's energy to next level! Our forefathers were really aware of this! Maybe continous re search of what to eat what not to eat....differentiating poisonous and non-poisonous! The edible, green, non-poisonous leafy vegetable is known as ‘oushadhi’! Every leafy vegetable is an oushadhi. Oushadhi means medicine! Whatever leafy vegetable we get on season/location....make use of it....sure it does have a purpose to be growing only on that season and only on that location!

Ingredients:

Kasini Greens 1 bunch chopped
Gram flour 1 cup
Onions finely chopped 1 small cup
Green chilies 4 finely chopped
Mint few leaves
cilantro few leaves
Ginger 2" grated
Salt
Chili powder 1/4 spoon
Garam masala 1/4 spoon
Baking soda 1 pinch
Egg whites 1
Oil for deep frying.

Method:

Mix all the above in a bowl(except oil). Make a neat dropping consistency batter.

Heat up the oil. Drop them as small bondas in warm oil. Fry till golden color.

Serve as a snack.