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Monday, May 7, 2012

Ponnanganni Keerai Koottu



                                                This is a green with innumerable medicinal effects and at the same time can be cooked with good taste. Pon agum kaan nee is the one word which includes all the benefits of this keerai. If taken regularly the body will glow like gold is what is believed.



For the sake of my readers I have browsed and found some benefits of this green.

There are two varieties of this keerai – local and ‘foreign’.  Native variety is a super green plant. In Tamil we call the foreign one as seema ponnanganni. All of us would have seen that little bushy pink plant in parks and gardens planted as borders.
Uses
The word ‘Pon’ is the vernacular name of the plant ( Ponnanganni) means ‘gold’. This plant is thus as valuable as gold. Fried in ghee with a little pepper, salt and taken for 48 days it promotes the beauty of the body, imparts a golden glow, cools the eyes.


Lean people can gain weight and strength by eating this green leaves, cooked with Thoorr dhal, and ghee.


 Regular intake of this green thrice a week increases production of breast milk in lactating mothers.


It improves the function of the liver.


If eaten with white garlic, Ponnanganni cures chronic constipation. Piles also can be cured.


Some people have ‘hot’ body. Such people can take two ounces juice of this plant mixed with 4 ounces of goat or cow’s milk. The body then gains strength.


Ponnanganni juice  30 ml mixed with goat’s milk (30 ml) may be taken empty stomach early morning. This reduces body heat and nourishes the body. If goats milk is not available, use cow’s milk.


Ponnanganni in any form – food or Thailam is good for the eyes.



                               This keerai can be made a poriyal like aria keerai or can be made in koottu form. Thoor dhal will be good for this green.
Ingredients
Ponnanganni keerai – 3 cups cut
Chopped onion-1
Sambar powder-1 ½ teaspoon
Very small tomato-1
Garlic pods-4
Thoor dhal- 3  to 4 table spoons
Procedure
In a small cooker pressure cook the dhal. Once cooked open the cooker add the green ,onion, sambar powder and the tomato into the cooker itself. Mix well. No need to add more water.Close the cooker and cook for 5 minutes or for one whistle in medium fire, After the pressure releases open the cooker and add the salt needed .season the koottu with a teaspoon of mustard and small jeera. Cook for 5 more minutes without lid. This green needs to be cooked very soft. So pressure cooking will make the job very easy.

6 comments:

Vijay said...

Very nice recipe. Is this found only in India? Is there an English name for this?

Solai Chidambaram said...

Vijay,I have not seen this green US.I dont know about the other countries. I found from a blog while browsing that
The Botanical name of this greens is 'Alternanthera sessilis'. Sanskrit name is Matsyakshi. The common English name is Dwarf copperleaf/ Joyweed/ Sessile joyweed.

maxo said...

Achi,

Valakkam Pola Asathal Recipe.

Do post Ayira Meen Kozhambu pls

subha said...

wow.. it came out excellent taste,i really didnt expect awesome taste and also dont know it has lot of medicinal values....thankgod i got it here(qatar).

thx achi for your efforts.

Solai Chidambaram said...

Subha,Its great that you get this green in your place.If you have the patience to cook and have the taste for this green then cook it often.Really good for health.

Unknown said...

Surprisingly I got this keerai in Norway too.
Thanks for the recipe