MORINGA THOGAYAL, how to make a yumm yumm thogayal with drumstick leaves

 Well…….about Moringa leaves…..I have mentioned in several of my posts….

Moringa Recipes

This thogayal is the latest addition to my Moringa Recipes.....the super fresh, tender, light green colored Drumstick leaves are specially plucked from a tree in our native place, Thanjavur, where I had recently been !!!!

This thogayal is not only good to eat with rice, it is also a nice chutney for dosas and idlies.

Ingredients

Drumstick leaves - 2 handfuls

Small onion - 10 - 15

Chopped ginger - 1 tsp

Garlic - 2 pods

Curry leaves - a few

A small piece hing

Split urad dhal - 2 tsps

Channa dhal - 2 tsps

Red chillies - 4 - 5

Grated coconut - 2 tsps

Tamarind paste - 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

Any cooking oil - 2-3 tsps to season

Recipe cuisine: South Indian; Category: Side dish; Lunch/breakfast/dinner

Prep time: 10 mts; Cooking time: 10 mts

Yields roughly a cup full

Oil heated in pan, hing, urad and channa dhals, red chillies seasoned

Then small onions, garlic and ginger added

After the onions become golden in color, washed and drained moringa leaves along with curry leaves added

Salt to taste and tamarind paste added, after the leaves are sauteed well

grated coconut added

everything mixed well

after the whole thing cools down, loaded into a blender jar, and ground to a thogayal

See how nice it looks!!! I am not proudly boasting about the heavenly taste.......because as Kannadasan says, சொல்லாத சொல்லுக்கு விலை ஏதும் இல்லை!!!!! Am I right or wrong???

This post first appeared in www.malpatskitchen.com

MULTIPURPOSE CHUTNEY, An amazing Chutney to go with many...

 Here is a Chutney, which goes well with not only Tiffin Varieties...Dosa varieties...rotis, stuffed parathas...can be used as a thogayal...this chutney is a real treasure, to be the side of so many dishes....and it is very healthy too...

Has in it

Small Onions.......which contain antioxidants and reduce cholesterol levels

Big Onions......which contain Cancer-fighting compounds abd boost bone density

Ginger.....Contains Gingerol which has medicinal properties

Garlic.....prevents Dementia and Alzheimer

Curry leaves.....reduce heart disease risk factors

Coriander leaves ........full of Vitamin K, plays an important role in helping blood clot

Mint leaves........relieve indigestion and improve brain function

Tomatoes......loaded with Lycopene, protects your cells from damaging...

Coconut.......controls diabetes and has anti-ageing effects on body

And almost all these are easily available at home...we don't have to run for any exotic ingredient...

and on top of everything, very easy to make and very tasty too!!!

I have served with Wheat dosas!!!

Ingredients

Small Onions - 1 small cup

Big Onion - 1, chopped

Tomatoes - 2, chopped

Ginger - 1 tsp, chopped

Garlic - 4 pods

Curry leaves - 1 small cup

Coriander leaves - 1 small cup

Mint leaves - 1 small cup

Fresh grated coconut - 2 tbsps

Tamarind paste - 3/4 tsp

Jaggery - 1 tsp

Salt to taste

To Season

Cooking oil - 2 - 3 tbsps

Hing powder 

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Split Urad dhal - 1 1/2 tsps

Channa dhal - 11/2 tsps

Red chillies - 3-4

Recipe Cuisine : South Indian; Category: Side to tiffins, rotis and rice

Prep time: 10 mts; Cooking time: 10 mts

Serves 3-4

Cooking oil heated in a pan, hing powder, mustard, split urad and channa dhal added

Sauteed till the seasoning become golden in color and mustards splutter

Now, chopped ginger , garlic pods, red chillies and small onions added, sauteed on medium flame for 3-4 minutes

Big onions, chopped, are added now

Now enter the chopped tomatoes

jaggery and salt to taste added

After the tomatoes become mushy, add the 3 greens...mint, curry and Cilantro/coriander

Add tamarind paste, and saute well, till all the greens shrink in size and lose their raw smell

Switch off, now add the coconut

Mix well, allow the mixture to cool nicely

Load into a blender jar, and grind to a smooth chutney!

Here it is!!!

Served with  Godhumai dosas

This post first appeared in www.malpatskitchen.com

Notes

* Garlic is optional

PIRANDAI THOGAYAL, how to make Adamant creeper chutney

Pirandai also called Adamant Creeper is easily home grown and has so many health benefits. Food is indeed the best medicine ever, the wealth of nutrition and health that lie hidden in the Flora & Fauna around us must be imparted to our children, I strongly believe!!! Can you just believe, my maternal home's backyard is full of this divine plant, treating all sorts of stomach disorders from gastritis, indigestion, piles etc. It must be eaten in moderation, just a small ball of this thogayal will do wonders!!! This plant grown without any fuss, cannot be destroyed by pests or rodents, needs very little water, but needs good sunlight....It is a maintenance-free plant!!!

Backyard of my maternal home!!

In my friend's balcony

Ingredients

Pirandai, broken - 1 cup

Curry leaves - 1 cup

Gingely oil - 2-3 tsps

Hing powder - 1/2 tsp

Mustard seeds - 3/4 tsp

Broken red chillies - 2-3

Split urad dhal - 2 tsps

Pepper - 3/4 tsp

Jeera - 3/4 tsp

Tamarind paste - 1 tsp

Grated coconut - 2 tsps

Salt to taste

Recipe cuisine: South Indian; Category: Lunch/dinner/side

Prep time: 10 mts; Cooking time: 10 mts

Serves 3-4

First we have to take these precautions before touching pirandai. Even though it has such great medicinal values, we can't touch it, it causes lot of irritation and itch. Also tender segments have to be used, otherwise, it causes itch in the throat. So, we have to grease our palms well with gingely oil before handling pirandai. Pirandai broken into segments, and slightly scraped off.

Gingely oil heated and all the above mentioned seasonings added

Pirandai segments and curry leaves added

Grated coconut and salt to taste added, along with tamarind paste

On slow flames, nicely sauteed

A litlte after cooling down, loaded into blender jar

and blended to a smooth thogayal/chutney

While many elders lament about the unavailability pf this wonder-pirandai, it takes very litle effort...just a small segment planted in our balcony will yield everlasting supply!!!

This post first appeared in www.malpatskitchen.com

THOOTHUVALAI THOGAYAL, how to make Solanum Trilobatum chutney

Thoothuvalai/Doodhuvalai , called Solanum Trilobatum in English is a creeper. It is also called Purple Pea Egg Plant. In Siddha medicine it is called "Kayakalpam", because, its roots, stem, leaves and flowers contain medicinal properties and this is the one and only green, which contains natural steroids. It is a Treasure Bandaar.
* Cure for common cold and cough
*Best remedy for sinusitis
*Dissolves tonsils
*Extraordinary in curing asthma
*best prevention  for Cancer
* Controls effects of Diabetes
*Prevents liver damage or infection
*Drives off stomach ache
*Improves blood circulation
*Improves memory, helps in deafness problems
*Cures constipation
*Dramatically increases Calcium in your body when taken with dhal
Such a great plant...has lot of thorns in the stems and some behind the leaves too...we have to carefully discard them. This plant grows like a forest in your backyard...my maternal home has this plant like a real forest....

Ingredients

Thoothuvalai leaves - 2 handfuls ( have to be cleanly washed, wiped, stems with thorns should be carefully removed, leaves alone to be taken, and torn into 2 or 3)

Curry leaves - 1 handful

Ginger - a small piece

Tamarind paste - 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Grated coconut - 2 tsps

For seasoning

Gingely oil - 2 tsps

Hing powder - 1/2 tsp

Mustard seeds - 3/4 tsp

Jeera - 1 tsp

Split urad dhal - 3 tsps

Red chillies - 3

Recipe cuisine: South indian cuisine; Category: Chutney/lunch

Prep time: 10 mts; Cooking time: 10 mts

Serves 2-3

These are the thoothuvalai leaves with thorns

Thorns in closer view

Oil heated in a non stick pan, all the above mentioned seasonings done

Thoothuvalai leaves, curry leaves and ginger added after the seasonings have turned golden

Coconut and tamarind paste along with salt to taste added

All sauteed nicely on slow flames, so that the thoothuvalai leaves will leave off their raw smell

After cooling down, ground to a fine thogayal

Can be refrigerated and used for 3-4 days. Serve with hot rice, white or brown and enjoy!!! Keep all the respiratory problems at bay!!!

This post first appeared in www.malpatskitchen.com

PEERKANGAI PEELS & PODALANGAI PITH THOGAYAL, how to make ridgegourd peels & snakegourd pith chutney

A fond memory.....
My mom used to make this thogayal often, which can be used as a chutney for dosas and rotis...but had forgotten this all the while...
Of course, Meenakshi ammal is there like mom...
To make this thogayal, peels and pith have to be really tender. Otherwise, you just have to discard them.

Ingredients

Peerkangai/ridge gourd peels - 2 1/2 cups

Snake gourd pith - 1 cup

Tamarind paste - 1 tsp

Gingely/cooking oil - 2-3 tsps

Hing powder - 1/2 tsp

Mustard seeds - 3/4 tsp

Split urad dhal - 2-3 tsps

Red chillies - 3-4

Salt to taste

Coriander leaves - a fistful

Recipe cuisine: South Indian; Category: Breakfast/lunch/dinner/side

Prep time: 10 mts; Cooking time: 10-15 mts, depending on the tenderness of the peels

Serves 3-4

The previous day, I made something out of Ridgegourd and Snakegourd...and I had carefully preserved the peels and pith in the fridge. Here are they!!

Oil heated in a pan, hing powder, mustard seeds, urad dhal and red chillies added and sauteed till golden

Peels and pith added, tamarind paste and salt to taste added too

On slow fire, let them all get cooked and become soft

A little later, coriander leaves added too, to impart their flavor

All getting cooked nicely

Allowed to cool, loaded in the blender jar

And blended to a fine thogayal!

Serve it with rice, with a dash of ghee, or make it as a side for tiffins. Anyway, it is nothing but yum!!

This post first appeared in www.malpatskitchen.com

Notes

*Only peels or only pith can also be used.

*White or Yellow pumpkin's seeds and pith can be used too.