"Black night shade" Dhal / Manathakkali Keerai Kootu

Manathakkali Keerai Kootu - One Pot Dish

Manathakkali keerai  (Solanum nigrum), usually know as night shade plant has many medicinal values. It is very commonly used in south Indian cuisines. 

Manathakkali keerai is said to be good for stomach ulcers and mouth, mouth ulcers. it is also a good medicine for constipation.

We used to eat the dark colour berries when ripe. the unripe berries are used for cooking. the dried berries are also used in south Indian cooking. 

You can make simple dish with this keerai like this kootu recipe like what i have done today or even do a kadayal like other greens such as Sirukeerai or Arikeerai, with little thoor dhal and green chillies.

I prefer making kootu as it is quick and easy to make and yields less quantity so that we can finish it up in the afternoon itself.

This is again one pot dish like any other kootu recipes. i use yellow split moong dhal. 

For more - Kootu and kuzhambu recipes.
For more - Greens / Keerai recipes

Now the recipe..

Ingredients:

• Manathakkali keerai one bunch - cleaned and chopped
• Yellow split moong dhal - 1/4 cup
• Green chillies - 1
• Garlic - 3 cloves
• Onion - sambar onions 7 to 8
• Tomato - 1 small
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon

Tempering:

• Mustard - 1/2 teaspoon
• Urad dhal - 1/2 teaspoon
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
• Dry red chillies - 2
• Asafoetida - 2 pinches

Procedure:

• Wash the moong dhal and take it in the small pressure cooker with 1 and 1/2 cups water. Let it soak till you get ready with the other ingredients.
• Clean and wash the manathakkali keerai. You can use the leaves, flowers and fruits (berries).
• Roughly chop this greens and transfer this to the soaking moong dhal.
• Cut the onion, tomato, green chilli and garlic and add to the cooker. 
• Add the turmeric powder to this and keep it in stove and pressure cook this whistle on for 5 minutes.
• Once cooked, add salt.
• Do the tempering with the given ingredients for tempering and pour this on the cooked greens.
• Give a good stir and there the manathakkai kootu is ready for serving with hot plain white rice or as any side for a meal.

This manathakkali kootu can be taken with chapathi too. 

Happy cooking !!