Murungai Keerai Poriyal

Murungai Keerai is one of the rare greens got in US. When ever I go to Asian market I use to search for it, this is time I was lucky. Murungai keerai is bit difficult for cleaning, but rich in iron. In my husband’s back yard, we have two trees hence we often have murungai keerai. One incident I like to tell you, so that you will know the important of this green .I was anemic and doctor asked me to take iron supplements. I continued for some months and my iron level is the blood started increase gradually, but if I stop taking supplements, I become anemic .In this situation I did not like taking supplements but wanted to replace by naturally food. Luckily I had short jaunt to Indian and I had an opportunity to take murungai keerai soup early morning before breakfast for a month’s time and took blood test and the result surprised by increase in red blood cells. So I was able to overcome my anemia with out taking any supplements. On nutrition aspect murungai keerai is richest source of iron, helps to produce red blood cells which in turn carries oxygen throughout the body. More recipes of murungai keerai are going come in my blog stay tuned……try it and be healthy by eating it.

Ingredients:

• Murungai Keerai -1bunch
• Coconut (grated) -4 tbsp
• Garlic -10to 12 pods
• Green chilly -2 or (red chili powder depending on your spice level)
• Pearl Onion – 7 to9 pods or Medium onion chopped
• Turmeric -1/2 tbsp
• Oil – 2tbsp
• Mustard seeds – ¼ tbsp
• Urad dal – 1 tbsp
•  Salt - to taste

Method:

Step 1: Cleaning

1. It is bit tricky to clean the murungai keerai.
2. Keep the keerai outside for overnigh and in the morning all the leaf will fall from the bigger stem.
3. After that you can just clean leaves from the smaller stems.

Step2:Preparing Keerai

1. Wash the murungai Keerai  and keep it aside.
2. Heat oil in a kadai, add mustard seeds to splatters
3. Then add urad dal, chopped onion, garlic and then green chillies.
4. Sautee till the onions is tender and adds the chopped leaves, turmeric, salt and mix evenly.
5. Then add some water or as needed and cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until the leaves are fully done.
6. When water in the greens is completely dried, add the grated coconut and saute it for another minute or two.
7.  Now switch off the heat and transfer to a bowl.
8. Goes well with sambar and rasam rice.

Thandu Keerai Poriyal

Thandu Keerai is known as Amaranths Tender in English. I like to eat greens. They really taste yummy, when handled and prepared with proper care. After Marriage I move to US, where I did not greens regularly. Even though I get, it would be spinach from American grocery. If I need to get Indian greens, I have to go to Indian or Asian groceries. There also we will get only some types of green like Thandu Keerai, fenugreek and mustard greens. So with thandu keerai I have tried one of my mother recipes. You also try it and prepare a different and tasty dish .When we see on nutrition aspect, the greens always plays a vital role. Thandu keerai is also a type of spinach. They are rich in antioxidants, beta carotene etc. Overcooking of green kills the calcium and vitamins in it, so cook unto exact level and get all the benefits of greens.

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Ingredients:

• Thandu Keerai -1bunch
• Coconut (grated) -3 tbsp
• Garlic -6 to 8 pods
• Green chilly -2 or (red chili powder depending on your spice level)
• Onion –medium size chopped
• Turmeric -1/2 tbsp
• Oil – 2tbsp
• Mustard seeds – ¼ tbsp
• Urad dal – 1 tbsp
•  Salt - to taste.

Method:

1. Wash the Thandu Keerai; chop them along with the tender stem.
2. Heat oil in a kadai, add mustard seeds to splatters
3. Then add urad dal, chopped onion, garlic and the green chilly.
4. Sautee till the onions is tender and adds the chopped leaves, turmeric, salt and mix evenly.
5. Then add sprinkle some water or as needed and cook for 5 to 10 minutes or until the leaves are fully done.
6. When water in the greens is completely dried, add the grated coconut and saute it for another minute or two.
7.  Now switch off the heat.
8.  Serve hot with rice.
9. Goes well with rasam rice, chappatis.

Fish Fry

This is a simple and easy Fish fry .Fish fry is the best combination for rasam rice.The fish caught in the river, pond and lake is more taster than the sea fish. The fish is the good source of omega-3 fatty acid. Try this recipe and enjoy.

Ingredients:

• Tilapia (cut into steak about 4 to5 pieces)-1 medium size
• Turmeric-1/4 tsp
• Red chilli powder -1/2 tbsp
• Lemon juice-1 tbsp
• Corn Starch -1/4 tsp
• Food color-a pinch
• Salt-1 tsp
• Oil -frying

Method:

1. Clean the fish and wash it for 2 to 3 times.
2. Take a bowl and add all the spices above and mix well.
3. Pat the fish with tissue paper to remove excess moisture.
4. Add the fish to the bowl and mix it well and keep the marinated fish for 20 to 30 mins.
5. Take a pan and oil into it.
6. When oil is hot drop the fish and fry till it is golden brown.
7. Remove the fish and place it on the tissue paper to remove excess oil.
8. Serve it with onion and lemon.
9. Goes well with Rasam rice.

Baby Potato Fry

The Baby potato fry is one of the best recipes for variety rice. It is my husband’s favorite recipe. We can prepare many different recipes with potatoes. It is one of the best replacements of Meat for vegetarians. Potatoes are rich source of carbohydrates.

Ingredients:

Baby Potatoes - 1/2 kg

Mustard -1/4 tsp

Ginger garlic Paste-11/2tsp

Turmeric Powder -1/4 tsp

Coriander powder -1/4 tsp

Cumin powder -1/4 tsp

Chilli powder -1/2 tsp

Garam Masala -1/4tsp

Oil- Olive oil

Salt as required

Method:

Wash the potatoes to remove the dirt on it.

Take heavy bottom pan and add the potatoes and little salt.

Bring it to boil and cook the Baby potatoes to 75 percent.

Peel off the outer skin and keep it aside (It would be little difficult to peel them).

Take oil in a kadai and add mustard seeds, when they splutter, add the Ginger garlic paste into the oil and fry it in low flame, don’t burn it.

Add the potatoes and all the spice powder, turmeric powder, salt and mix well.

Cook on low flames, stirring frequently by adding oil little by little, till all the potatoes are well roasted.

Switch off the stove when able to see oil oozes out from the roasted potatoes.

Garnish with Cilantro leaves.

It goes well with Cilantro rice, sambar rice, chappati etc,

Okra Stir Fry

This is a simple Okra Stir Fry .Try this recipe at home and enjoy with Sambar Rice.

This is one of my favorite recipe.The stir fries usually takes long time,which inturn becomes tasty recipe.

Ingredients:

• Okra- 20-25
• Onion- 1 medium
• Turmeric Powder-1/2 tsp
• Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves - 1 string
• Red Chilly powder- 1/2 tsp or 1 tsp depending on spice level.
• Garnish-Cilantro Leaves
• Grated coconut - few tsp (optional)
• Salt to taste
• oil- 2 or 3 tbsp

Method:

1.     Wash the okra and keep it aside to dry out the wetness .

2.     Cut okra into desired shape.

3.     Heat the oil in the kadai  and add mustard seeds.

4.     Allow to splutter and add curry leaves and cut okra.

5.     Fry the okra for few more minutes without add any spices ,till the sticky nature of okra goes off.

6.     Then add onions and above mentioned spices and fry till it turns golden brown with constant stirring okra. 

7.     Fry in low flame to prevent from burning okra. When the okra is cooked add in the cilantro leaves. Enjoy with Sambar rice and rasam rice.

Notes: Fry the okra in very low flame for long time to get yummy Okra stir fry.

You can also add grated coconut to increase more taste to it.

Cabbage Poriyal

Cabbage comes under green leafy vegetables. This is a type of vegetable we can eat it raw or in cooked from. Cabbage contains Vitamin K. By eating a cup of cabbage with your daily diet makes a healthy diet. The vitamin k helps in "Blood clot", so we should make cabbage as regular food. The below shown recipe is simple from of cooked cabbage. It is called as Poriya or side dish. In India we use to take this with the main course like rice, sambar and rasam. Cabbage can be used in salad, soups, and curries and in many more ways.

 Ingredients:

• Shredded cabbage - 2 cups
• Grated coconut - 1/2 cup (fresh or frozen)
• Green chilies - 2 to 3
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
•  Urad dal - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder – less than ¼ tbsp
• Curry leaves – 1 string
• Salt - to taste
• Clintro-garnish

Method:

1.     Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, when mustard crackles add urad dal, curry leaves, green chillies and toss it. Add the shredded cabbage, turmeric powder and salt and mix well. Simmer the flame until cabbage cooks. You can sprinkle some water if necessary. Make sure you check the water level in between. Cabbage oozes out water when cooking, so don't add too much water in the beginning. 

2.     Check for salt. Stir occasionally until it becomes dry .Now add grated coconut and let it be for 4 to 6 mins. Garnish with cilantro .Serve it hot.

3.     Goes well with Rice,Rasam etc.

Notes: Add half of the salt in the beginning, because it may become too salty when you add with water .If needed can add at the end.

Beetroot greens Poriyal

Ingredients:

•  Beetroot Greens -1bunch
•  Coconut (grated) -3 tsp
• Green chilly -2
•  Onion –medium size chopped
• Turmeric -1/2 tbsp
•  Oil – 2tbsp
• Mustard seeds – ¼ tbsp
• Urad dal – 1 tbsp
•  Salt to taste.

Method:

1.     Clean and wash the beetroot leaves; cut  in julienne style along with the stem.

2.     Heat oil in a kadai, add mustard seeds.

3.     When the mustard seeds pops,add urad dal, chopped onion and the green chilly.

4.     Sautee till the onin is tender and adds the leaves, turmeric, salt and mix evenly.

5.     Then add a cup of water or less and cook for 5 to 10 minutes or until the leaves are fully done.

6.     Finally add the grated coconut and saute it for another minute or two. Now remove from stove.

7.     Serve hot with rice.

Potato Fry

Ingredients:

• Potatoes-2
• Turmeric -1/4 tsp
• Salt- 1/2 tsp
• Chilly powder-1/2 tsp
• Oil for frying -3tsp
• Cilantro to garnish 

Notes: can add spice according to your taste. This measurement given about is medium spice.

Method:

Step: 1

1.     Take 2 medium sized potatoes.

2.     Peal the skin using the peeler.

3.     Dice the potatoes into smaller cubes (1/2 an inch)

4.     Keep it aside.

Step: 2

1.     Take heavy bottom frying pan and pour oil.

2.     When oil is hot add mustard, then add the potato cubes into oil and toss well 

3.     Then keep in simmer and cook till potato is half cook.

4.     Then add the spices (adding spices in the beginning make potato sticky)

5.     Then add turmeric,Salt and Chilly Powder one by one.

6.     Fry till it is golden brown.

7.     Finally garnish with cilantro.

Notes: It takes time to cook, if you toss simultaneously in regular interval. Will get crispy tasty potato fry.

Diet constrains: Can use olive oil.

Food goes with this: Rasam rice, Sambar rice, variety rice and etc…