Ragi Vadai - Deep Fried "Ragi Adai" - Another Quick Snack!

கேழ்வரகு வடை  - Deep Fried "Ragi Adai" 

Memories about ragi adai, takes me to my childhood days in my grandparents house. i remember very vaguely.. like a dream.. it was a bright evening.. just few minutes after a heavy rain.. yet sunny.. around 4 pm.. the leaves were dripping water..

"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. 

"செம்மை" Murungai keerai & Vaazhaipoo Rasam (Soup)

"செம்மை " Murungaikeerai & Vaazhaipoo Rasam / Moringa Leaves & Banana Blossom Soup

"Semmai" murungai & vaazhaipoo rasam is the healthy soup recipe which I learnt in the வாழ்வியல் மருத்துவம் - seminar by Semmai Vaazhviyal (செம்மை வாழ்வியல்). Rasam (ரசம்) means soup. They recommend different soup varieties with base as moringa leaves and other vegetable or greens of your choice being any one of - plantain stem, banana blossoms, drumstick, முடக்கத்தான் கீரை (balloon plant) etc. They recommend us to have any one of this soup in the evenings around 4 to 6 pm. Depending on your medical requirements you can choose these greens or vegetables for soup.

Paruppu Keerai Kootu/Dhal

Paruppu Keerai Kootu

Paruppu keerai kootu is another simple dish with dhal and paruppu keerai. It is made in the same way as other keerai kootu. 

I always keep this kootu varieties very simple and one pot dish. Put everything in the small cooker, cook it and temper in the end.

Mullangi Keerai Poriyal / Radish and its Greens Stirfry

Mullangi Keerai Poriyal

Mullangi keerai or radish leaves/greens has a very unique astringent taste. In Tamil the taste is called as "துவர்ப்பு". 

I tried to find an English word equivalent to this Tamil word "துவர்ப்பு", but then i came to know that the English has 5 tastes only excluding துவர்ப்பு. On further search i was able to the find the word "astringent taste" whose meaning was close to  துவர்ப்பு. 

Murungai Keerai / Moringa Leaves Sambar

Murungai Keerai / Moringa Leaves Sambar

Murungai keerai sambar is yet another recipe which kindles my nostalgia memories. I remember my mom making this from my childhood days. 

Murungai Keerai Poriyal / Drumstick Leaves Stirfry

Murungai Keerai Poriyal / Drumstick Leaves Stirfry

Murungai keerai poriyal is what I love from my childhood. One of our neighbours used to make raagi koozhu / porridge during the Tamil month of Aadi. They used to make dry-fish kuzhambu and murungai keerai poriyal along with this porridge. I loved that raagi koozhu/poridge along with this murungai keerai poriyal. Anyone who had this raagi porridge with murungai keerai poriyal or dry-fish kuzhambu will know what an unique country-food combination it is.

Araikeerai (Amaranthus) Masiyal / Kadayal - Country food

Araikeerai Masiyal / Kadayal - Country food

Arai keerai (Amaranthus dubius) masiyal (in Tamil) is another mild keerai kuzhambu made without dhal. So if you want to finish the keerai (greens) in the afternoon itself and not for dinner, then this is the ideal kuzhambu with keerai. The quantity of kuzhambu yielded is less. My mom used to name this kuzhambu as araikeerai puli pottu kadayal.

Ponnaanganni Keerai Poriyal - Country Food

Ponnaanganni Keerai Poriyal - Country Food

Ponnaganni keerai (Alternanthera sessiles) is a very common green available in Tamil Nadu. We generally used to make poriyal with this keerai. There are three varieties of this green which is widely used like naattu ponnanganni, sigappu ponnanganni and seemai ponnanganni. 

Mint-Curry Leaves Chutney

Mint-Curry Leaves Chutney - Pudhina Karivepilai Thogayal

This pudhina-karivepilai thogayal is what I am frequently doing after they started to give bunches of curry leaves for free (they say so and I know there is nothing free in this world) in the vegetable shops.

Murungai Keerai Soup / Drumstick Greens Soup - Health Potion

Murungai Keerai Soup - Health Potion

I got this recipe for my daughter. It is hard for me to make my daughter consume drumstick leaves. Since I know the health benefits of murungai keerai, I cannot let my daughter go without consuming it in any form. She will consume the keerai few spoon if I force her. But one day I will definitely make her eat it with love.

My Precious loves soups. So got this recipe for her. It cannot be as good as eating greens.. still something is better than nothing.. especially murungai keerai for girls -  is a must.

Agathikeerai Poriyal/country food

Agathikeerai Poriyal (Sesbania grandiflora)

This agathikeerai plant is usual grown on the edges of the paddy farms as borders along with pulicha keerai or gongura plants. As the name denotes "agathu keerai".. that means it is good for your body. My grand mother used to make it with very few ingredients. It a typical country side recipe. Choose the fresh and tender greens from the shop. Avoid any bunch with ripe leaves or some leaves with some white lines on it. Remove the leaves from their main stalks. This is one of the greens which can be easily cleaned. Wash them just before cooking. Lets go to the recipe..