Grandma's Kitchen

Pirandai

                   

Plant name: Pirandai also known as Changalam piranda “Fractured bones resettled and healed like a miracle through Siddha oushadam Pirandai”

Botanical name: Cissus quadrangularis

Family: Vitaceae

Actions: Alterative, Emmenogogue, Stomachic.

Siddha Medicinal Uses:

The stem of the plant is used to bandage the part of body subjected to fracture or any bone injury.

The oil prepared from juice of this plant and gingili oil is externally applied over fractured part.

The stem and leaf of plant is ground and the extracted juice along with equal quantity of honey is given in dose of 15-30 ml for irregular menstruation.

Any disorders of ear like pus discharge or ear ache, can be cured by heating the stem in little flame extracting the juice and using it as ear drops.

The dried root powder can be given in dose of 1-3 gm and this can also be applied externally after mixing with hot water for bone fracture.

For digestive problems, the fresh leaves are dried, powdered and given along with powdered chukku (dried ginger) and powdered milagu (pepper).

 PIRANDAI PICKLE

Ingredients:

Pirandai (tender) 3 cups

Garlic 1 pod (whole)

R.chilli 6

Turmeric 1 tsp

Sesame oil 50 g

Tamarind lime size

Mustard 1/2 tsp

Fenugreek 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

Method

1. Peel side fiber (nar) from Pirandai

2. Cut it as small size

3. In kadai add Pirandai, r.chilli , tamarind ,garlic

4. saute well for 5 min.Grind well

5. In kadai add oil, add ground ingredients sauté well

6. Add turmeric powder, salt

7. Stir continuously till oil comes out.

8. Roast mustard, fenu .powder it

9. Add the powder to above ingredients sauté for 2 min

Note: can preserve for long time / shouldn't use wet spoon for take the pickle

Pirandai Vadai 

Ingredients:

Pirandai thandu                       :    a handful

Ghee                                        :    2 tsp

Kaezhvaragu ( ragi )  flour     :     250 gm

Cardamom                              :    4

Cumin                                      :    1 tsp

Pepper powder                        :    ½ tsp

Green chilli                              :    4

Curry leaves                             :    a little

Ginger                                      :    a piece

Salt                                           :    as needed

Asafoetida powder                 :    a little

Method:

1. Take tender pirandai and cut into small pieces.

2. Cut green chilli, ginger, curry leaves into small pieces.

3. Mix kaezhvaragu flour with salt, green chilli, ginger and curry leaves.

4. Heat ghee in a frying pan.

5. Add pirandai, fry and add to the kaezhvaragu flour.

6. Add water and knead to a dough.

7. Set the dough aside for an hour.

8. Make balls of the dough, flatten and cut into desired shapes.

9. Heat oil in a frying pan.

10. Add the shapes and fry till golden brown.

Pirandai Chutney Recipe

Ingredients:

Tender Pirandai pieces: 10

Tamarind: a small ball size

Mustard: 1 tsp

Black gram dal: 1 tsp

Dried red chili: 4 or as

Required Salt: to taste

Asafetida: a pinch

Method:

1. Peel the skins of Pirandai pieces and

fry them in oil and keep it aside.

2. Heat oil in a frying pan.

Add mustard, red chili, asafetida, black gram dal and fry.

3. Add tamarind and sauté.

4. Grind all the items along with salt in a mixer.

Pirandai Thuvaiyal

 Ingredients:

200 gms Tender Pirandai

8 nos Red Chillies

Small Marble size Tamarind

2 tbsp Grated Coconut

1 tsp Mustard Seeds

2 tbsp Urad Dhal

A sprig of Curry Leaves

2 pinch asafetida

2 no Garlic flakes

1 inch Ginger

  

Method:

Clean Pirandai and cut into small pieces without fiber.

Heat 2 tsp oil and add mustard, urad dhal, red chillies, tamarind and asafetida and sauté for a few minutes.

Add Pirandai and curry leaves and further sauté for a few minutes.

Add garlic and ginger, add grated coconut and salt.

Grind it into chutney when cool.

Heat a little oil and add the chutney and fry until it is dry without water content.

This goes well with Chappathis, Rice and Idli / Dosa.

Pirandai  Thokku

Ingredients:

Pirandai (I used about 100 gms of it)

Coriander - 2 large bunches

Pudina (Mint) - 1 small bunch

Kalpuravalli (ajwain / bishop's weed leaves) - 6 to 8

Red chilies - 6-8 (add to taste)

Tamarind - a ball the size of a medium sized lemon

Ginger - 1 inch

Methi (fenugreek) seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

Asafetida (hing) 1/2 teaspoon

Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon

Salt - to taste

Oil - 2 tablespoons

Procedure:

Wash the Pirandai well and break it into bits at each node. Wash the coriander, the Pudina, curry leaves and ajwain leaves well, and remove the thick stalks while keeping the tender ones intact. Roast the Methi seeds and red chilies in 1 teaspoon of oil till they are browned. Let this cool. Then grind with asafetida and salt in your dry grinder to a coarse consistency.

Heat one tablespoon of oil and add the Pirandai, coriander, Pudina and ajwain along with the tamarind. Roast till the leaves wilt. Cool this.

Add this mixture to the coarsely ground paste along with the ginger and grind in the blender. It should not be too finely ground.

Now heat the remaining oil, add mustard seeds, allow them to pop and then add the ground paste to it. Sauté it for 5-6 minutes on a dry flame and allow it turn a dark green.

This can be preserved in a bottle in a refrigerator for quite long. You can even keep some amount for immediate use in the refrigerator and store the rest in the freezer section till required. This can then be thawed and used later.