Tag: Poriyal
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Cooking Neem Leaves
Neem leaves are bitter; the bitter taste is their medicinal value. And so, they are rarely consumed. This doesn’t mean they cannot be consumed. Here is a recipe that uses the tender leaves. This dish is eaten in spring (when the tender leaves appear) acts as a cleanser, and boosts immunity. Ingredients: Tender neem leaves…
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Purple joy weed poriyal
Have you ever heard of purple joy weed? This delightful wild amaranth is a true gem of our bioregion, and it’s time we start paying attention to it. As its name suggests, Brazilian joy weed is known for its vibrant colors that range from deep purple to green. And the best part? It’s edible and…
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Sundakkai poriyal
Sundakkai or turkey berry is an highly nutritious wild vegetable. In Tamil Nadu, this vegetable is still eaten, but mainly in a dish called vathal kuzhambu. However, this vegetable can be used in many dishes. Here is how we make a poriyal or sabji with it. Smash the turkey berry or sundakkai with a samsher,…
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Vegan Pineapple Ice Cream
Pineapples grow with ease in our climate here in Auroville. And they are also quite low maintenance in that they can tolerate a certain level of dryness, nor is their growth impeded by the shade of other trees in the garden. At the same time as being delectable, they offer a range of micronutrients, particularly…
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Creamy Green Papaya Soup
There are times when we have so many Papayas on our trees waiting to ripen, that it can be overwhelming, so we take down some green ones and use them in various ways at the Cafe. This Green Papaya soup is one such creation that our guests adore, as we do too! Try it out…
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Snake gourd kootu
Snake gourd lentil curry, or Podalanga kootu, is one of the most traditional dishes of Tamil cuisine. Every Tamil household has their version of it. Through generations of family recipes passed down, we hold a part of our cultural identity. Our food, even with its variations, brings us together. To make it: Boil your moong…
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Neem stick toothbrush
There was an era before petroleum came on the scene, and plastics, and lorries, and tele-advertising, and mechanized dental chairs even! And there were people in this era who brushed their teeth too! And one of the ways some of them did that, was by going up to a Neem tree, breaking of a twig,…
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Drumstick Leaf Stir Fry
Murungai Keerai Poriyal In the form of a Poriyal, or stir fry, this is perhaps one of the best ways to consume the superfood that is Moringa leaves. This is a very easy recipe to reproduce – the most effort needed is perhaps in just separating the leaflets from the stalks. It is culturally considered…
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Indian Almond
Terminalia catappa ‘Nattuvadumai’ The Badam or the Indian Almond, is a fast growing tree with huge leaves that turn red in the summer and fall to the ground. It is grown extensively in the tropics as an ornamental tree, particularly because of the vibrant, striking shades of its leaves, and the aesthetically pleasing, symmetric form…
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Black Velvet Bean
Mucuna pruriens The Sanskrit name for this plant is “Kapikacchu”, because contact with the fine hairs on young foliage and on the shells of the seed pods can make one itch like a monkey! It is also known as “Secret Self” due to its high levels of Dopamine – it contains 4-7% by weight of…