Agathi Keerai Poriyal

The leaves, flowers, roots and outer cover widely used for medicinal purposes. I got some Agathi Keerai  fresh organic vegetable shop. The term ‘Agathi’ refers to ‘fire inside’, i.e, it will ignite the fire inside all organs and equalize the blood circulation throughout the body. It is a cleansing agent also. 

It is also called hummingbird tree leaves and rich in calcium, iron and vitamins. It is a famous festive dish of South India often cooked on Dwadashi. The spinach-like dish balances the pitta dosha cures constipation and also helps in the removal of kidney stones. However, care must be taken that the dish is not consumed more than once a month.

Benefits

It’s very good for the bones, helps in curing constipation and helps in digestion. It is the presence of anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties. It not only lowers the body temperature but also works on the root cause of the fever.

You can try other Keerai (greens) recipe collections on my blog like

Manathakali keerai paruppu kootu

Pasalai keerai Fritters

Drumstick leaves Adai

Arai keerai poriyal

Drumstick leaves egg thoran

MORE PORIYAL RECIPES ARE LINKED BELOW

Cabbage Poriyal

Grated radish poriyal

Avarakkai poriyal

Prep  time	Cooking time	Serves
10 mins	10 mins	6 persons

Recipe Course: Drinks

Recipe type: Indian cuisine

Agathi Keerai ( Hummingbird tree leaves)- 2 cups Onion (big) – 1 no Chopped garlic -2 tbsp. Green chilies -2 no’s Turmeric powder -1/4 tsp Grated coconut -2 tbsp. Salt – to taste Seasonings Mustard seeds -1 tsp Urad dal – ½ tsp Hing –pinch Coconut oil – 2 tbsp.

Method

1. Remove the Agathi leaves from its stem. 

2. There’s one easy way to do this. Hold the stem between your thumb and index finger and slide down de-stemming the leaves. 

3. Rinse well under running water in a colander.

4. Tear the leaves with your palms instead of chopping.Keep aside.

5. In a Kadai (wok), add 1 tbsp. of coconut oil, when it is hot.Add the mustard seeds and when they begin to crackle, add urad dal.When the urad dal becomes slightly pink, add the green chillies and fry well.

6. Add the chopped onions and garlic,saute for few minutes.

7. Once the garlic is roasted well, add Agathi keerai leaves, turmeric powder, and salt.

8. Stir well with water and close with lid and cook on low flame.

9. Add freshly grated coconut and mix well.

10. Transfer the content in a bowl .

Tasty Agathi Keerai Poriyal is ready to be served!

Serving Suggestions

Serve it hot with rice and sambar/rasam.

Notes

• Pregnant ladies must abstain from consuming Agastya in any form, especially the leaves as the leaves are considered contraceptive in nature.
• Although its bitter in taste, don’t you think we need to eat this occasionally considering the health benefits associated with it.
• This is the best home remedy for subsiding body heat.

Beetroot Palya - Karnataka Style

Beetroot palya is a very easy and delicious way of incorporating beets in your daily diet. This beetroot palya is a perfect combination and goes very well rice, chapathi or Poori. It is a simple beetroot stir fry with aromatic sambar masala.

You can try some more beetroot recipes like 

Beetroot Halwa

Beetroot pachadi

Beetroot rice

It is also mildly flavoured with garlic cloves pounded with freshly grated coconut. Beetroot is said to have high content of iron and folates making it a highly nutritious vegetable. If taken regularly, it also helps in reducing the acidity in the body

CHECK MORE KARNATAKA RECIPES HERE


Sabsige Keerai adai


Methi leaves sambar


Aloo dill palya


Avarekalu uppittu


Kokum lemonade

Prep  time	Cooking time	Serves
10 mins	15 mins	2 persons

Recipe Course: Side Dish

Recipe type: Karnataka cuisine

Ingredients Beetroots – 2 medium size Oil -1 tsp Mustard seeds – 1 tsp Urad dal – ¼ tsp Channa dal – 1 tsp Hing – ¼ tsp Curry leaves – 1 sprig Dry red chillies -2 nos Onion – 1 no garlic – 3 cloves Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp Sambar powder –  ½ tsp Water – as needed Salt – to taste Grated coconut – 1 tbsp (optional)

Method

1. Wash and peel the outer skin of the beetroot, cut it into long thin strips and keep aside. 

2.Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat. Once the oil is hot enough, add mustard seeds. Let it pop. Now add ured dal and fry it until they turn golden brown. Now add channa dal, hing, curry leaves, dry red chillies.

3.Now along with the seasonings add some garlic and onions.

4. Once the onions are translucent, add in the beetroot, season with salt, sauté it for 5-8mins with a lid closed. Mix well and cook until the beetroot is half cooked. 

5. Add in the sambar masala, turmeric powder and check for salt.

6.Now add little water and mix well, cook for another few minutes. 

7. When they are completely cooked, transfer it to a serving bowl.

8.Healthy beetroot curry is ready to eat. Enjoy the curry as a side dish along with roti, rasam and sambar rice.

Benefits

It also contains lot of nitrates. 

Beets also contain Vitamin C and Vitamin B6. 

Beets help’s to detoxify or cleanse the body. 

Drinking the beet juice helps to reduce blood pressure. 

Rich in Vitamin K. Along with Calcium, Vitamin K will help promote strength of our bones.

Serving suggestions

Serve the delicious palya with  steamed rice,Agaithi keerai sambar and yam fry.

Notes

Beet Greens have comparatively higher level of oxalates. 

If you are prone to Kidney stones, avoid greens and vegetables that have high oxalates.

Purple cabbage Thoran – Kerala Cuisine

Kerala style cabbage stir fry with coconut, garlic and green chilly is one of the easiest recipes.Though I am not a big fan of cabbage, I love that it is one of the vegetable that is easy to cook and cooks fast .A steamed cabbage is healthier than the raw ones and helps in lowering the cholesterol level. It is full of fibers which aids in weight loss.It goes really good with boiled rice and any curry or you can have it any way you wish.

The common vegetables used to make thoran are spinach, cabbage, carrot, beans, beetroot, papaya etc. My favorite ones among this is the carrot and cabbage thoran and also the beetroot thoran. Thoran is a versatile dish in Malayali cuisine which is basically a mixture of a vegetable with grated coconut and spices. It starts with a vegetable mixed with grated coconut, turmeric powder and salt and toasted in coconut oil. The tempering consists of onion, cumin seeds, garlic and red chilies. 

MORE PORIYAL RECIPES ARE LINKED HERE

Brinjal fry

Avarakkai Poriyal

Carrot Beans Poriyal

Prep  time	Cooking time	Serves
15 mins	30 mins	4 persons

Recipe Course: Side Dish

Recipe type: Kerala style recipe

Ingredients Coconut Oil -2 tbsp. Mustard seeds  - 1 tsp Jeera seeds -1 tsp Curry leaves –few sprigs Chopped Garlic – 6 pods Green chillies – 3 no’s Small onions – ½ cup Purple Cabbage(1 medium) -5 cups Grated Coconut -1 cup Turmeric powder  -1 tsp Red chili powder -2 tsp Salt –to taste

Method

1.Remove the thick fibrous outer leaves and wash cabbage under running water. Shred the cabbage into thin pieces or chop the cabbage into small pieces.

2. Chop shallots and keep all the other ingredients ready.

3. Heat a round bottomed pan or kadai and splutter mustard seeds, jeera seeds and curry leaves when hot..(I didnt have curry leaves at home so didnt add to my dish).

4. Add onions, chopped garlic. Sauté it until soft and translucent. 

5. Lower the heat and then add chopped cabbage.

6. Cook for a few more minutes. Now add the grated coconut (coarseness of the coconut is what we are looking for).Do not add water. It naturally has water in it, which releases while it gets cooked.

7.  Add turmeric and red chili powder and sauté it. Cover and cook well for 5 minutes.

8. Now remove the lid and keep it open.

9. Cook it until water evaporates, and cabbage is done. Serve hot. 

Serving suggestions
Serve with rice and kozhambu/sambar.
This is best served with rice and can also be used with chapati.
Thoran is well paired up with boiled rice 
Notes
It tastes good when its crunchy.