Herbal (Healthy) Vegetables in our daily life - Part I

Herbal (Healthy) Vegetables in our daily life - Part I
We might use many vegetables in our daily food preparation but we might don't know the real values or vitamins, minerals it have. I am providing few details which i came across through parents, friends, etc. You have to consult doctor for medicinal problems below is for few handy tips.



Carrot (Daucus carota)
Good for eyes. It is an attractive colourful vegetable. Improves the eye sight when consumed raw in the form of salad if not take as a soup or add in your cooking or juice. When you cut the vegetable the line patterns by itself resembles eye. Rich in beta-carotene, vitamin A, potassium & anti-oxidant , contains soluble fibres to maintain good cholesterol along with other vitamins and minerals in less quantity. It might contain ring worms. Take care to wash thoroughly and peel of the skin. Some research say it might fight against cancer.



Beetroot (Beta vulgaris)
Rich in betaine, vitamin C & A, folate, antioxidant, potassium, magnesium, fibre, etc. When consumed improves the cardiovascular health. This might bring down the blood pressure when consumed as fresh juice. Contains rare vitamins like b1, b2,b3,b5, b6 & b9. Can be take in the form of salad, or curry or juice. Good anti-aging and people with urinary problem should take care and consult proper physician before consuming.



Cucumber(Cucumis sativus - Vellarikai)
Most easily available vegetable and mostly through out the year. Very high in water content so can be consumed in large quantity during summer season in the form of salad or juice and make your body cool. Reduces constipation problem because of fibre, less in calories also contains vitamin K, beta-carotene, potassium, vitamin C, A. Good for skin and cleans your body. Take raw slices or include in your bread sandwich. Take as raitha or salad or cucumber kootu.



Bitter gourd (Momordica charantia - Pagarkai)
Very good for diabetic patients when included in food or consumed as juice. It is very rich vegetable with vitamins, anti agents (antiviral, gastro disease, fever, cancer, etc) fully packed. Good for digestion. Contains, Beta-carotene, Vitamin A, potassium, iron, zinc, manganese, magnesium, folate and other minerals. Brings down the sugar level and an alternative to insulin. Purifies the blood and improves the circulation of blood, brings down the piles problem and joint pains. It is bitter but very very good for health (like our daily life :-). face it happily). When you make bitter gourd kootu or bitter gourd poriyal you won't taste that much bitterness. Bitter gourd fries will be yummy but dunno whether all the goodness will be retained when deep fried.



Cabbage (Brassica oleracea - Muttaikose)
It will reduce the ulcer problem, bad cholestrol when consumed as juice. Contains rich amount of potassium which is required to maintains the blood pressure, vitamin K, vitamin C, calcium, folate, iron, anti-oxidant and fibre. People having thyroid problem should avoid because it simulates those hormone. The fibre content in cabbage helps reduce the risk of cancer. Make poriyal using cabbage



Beans
Beans is rich in Vitamin A, phosphorus, manganese, good source of dietary fibre, iron. We will be adding in most of the recipes like kuruma, aviyal, pulavo and dry curry. Fights against aging an anti-oxidant and other nutrition factors. Because of fibre content it will slowly improves the blood sugar so it is very good vegetable for diabetics. Brings down the bad cholesterol and improves the heart functioning.

Pagarkai kootu (Bitter gourd gravy)

Pagarkai kootu (Bitter gourd gravy) - Prepartion time 15 to 20 mins

Pagarkai is very good for health and contains more vitamins and minerals. Make bitter gourd your families favourite vegetable. We used to make bitter gourd kootu and take along with white rice. Usually people who are under siddha or ayurvedha medication should avoid this vegetable.

Ingredients:-
Pagarkkai - 1 cup (chopped and remove the seeds if it is hard)
Toor dal - 1 cup (pressure cooked)
Sambar powder - 2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - required amount
Coconut - 1 tbsp
Cumin seed - 1 tbsp
Sesame oil - 1 tbsp
Milk or coconut milk - 2 tbsp
Water - required amount
Thallikum vadagam (or) -1
Mustard seed - 1/4 tsp, Urad dal- 1 tsp

Preparation method:-
In a vessel heat water with sambar powder, salt, turmeric. When it is boiling add the pagarkkai and cook till it is tender.
Mash cooked toor dal with milk and add to pagarkai. Cook for few mins and switch of the flame.
Grind grated coconut with cumin seed to coarse paste. Add this to pagarkai kootu and mix well.
Heat oil, add mustard to splutter, urad dal to brown and garnish the kootu (or) fry the thalikkum vadagam or you can use mustard, urad dhal and garnish.
This goes well with rice and ghee. It will be slightly bitter.

Note:-
One method to bring down the bitter taste is to cut the bitter gourd to half and stick the cut portions to the floor of kitchen slab for half an hour.
Another method is to put the chopped pagarkai in a bowl which contains the rice washed water(Usually they say kazhani thanni).

Vengaya uthappam (Onion thick pan cake or uthappam)

Vengaya uthappam (Onion thick pan cake) - Preparation time 15 mins
Usually mom used to make uthappam when we get bored on dosai & idli and also when the idli flour is sour. It will be bit spicy so can be taken without any sidedish. You can try it out in fermented idli dough only thing is the batter has to be thick as we use for idli.

Ingredients:-
Small onion - 10 (peeled and cut into small semi circles)
Green chili - 2 (finely chopped)
Mustard seed - 1/4 tsp
Sesame oil - 4 tbsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 string (finely chopped)
Tomato - 1/2 finely chopped and this is optional
Ginger - 1 tbsp chopped
Idli flour - 2 cup

Preparation method:-
Heat a kadai. Add 1 tbsp oil, mustard seed to splutter, urad dal to golden color, add the chili, onion, ginger, little salt to cook.
Add the garnish and curry leaves to idli flour and mix well.
Heat the kadai and pour one small ladle of uthappam flour. Don't spread too much because, it will become dosai instead of uthappam. If you like now you can top the uthappam with chopped tomato.
Cook in low flame and cover with a lid. After few mins remove the lid and see whether the bottom side has become brown.
Now turn the uthappam carefully and leave the other side to cook and become brown (don't cover now). The side will be crisp and center portion will be soft.
This will be a colorful and tasty dish. I am sure you all will love it. Only if you cook in slow flame it will be cooked well.