Portulaca oleraceaFLOWERS AND SEEDS
Purslane or Verdolaga (Spanish Word) is a vegetable green used in many Indian states and Latin American countries. It is also popular as a salad green in France and other European countries with a taste similar to watercress. Verdolaga is also valued in Latin America for its medicinal properties. It is believed to be native to Ancient India. In Andhra it is mostly used in lentil soups and curries. It has been cultivated for more than 4,000 years. Tenth-century Arabic treatises provide detailed information on varieties and cultivation. Seventeenth-century English recipes used by the cooks of Charles II list it as a salad ingredient. See also: here about this plant.
Nutritional information :
1.It is a good source of vitamin E(6 times more than spinach),A , C and omega-3 fatty acids which help build cell membranes, especially of the brain and eyes, and reduce inflammation and blood pressure.
2.It contains more Omega-3 fatty acids than any other leafy vegetable plant and it is the richest vegetable source of omega-3 fatty acids (which lower lipid levels in the blood). The principal type of omega-3 fatty acid is linolenic acid. It controls bloodpressure, clotting,the immune system, prevent inflammation, lower cholesterol (LDL), prevent certain cancers and control coronary spasms.
3.The late American naturalist Euel Gibbons recommended it highly in his book, calling it "India's gift to the world".
4.Scientific name:Portulacca oleracea ,Family: Portulacaceae.
Common English names: pigweed, Purslane, little hogweed, postelijn, pourpier, portulat, garden purslane, fatweed.
5.In Telugu it is called Gangapaayala/Peddapaayala/Peddapaavila aaku koora
Tamil :Parippu Keerai
Hindi:chota lunia
Sanskrit: bruhalloani
Mandarin Chinese:Gwa tsz tsai;
Filipino: ngalog.
Spanish: Verdolaga
Ingredients:
Gangapayala aakukoora/Purslane - 1 bunch
Toor dal - 2 cups,boiled in pressure cooker
Onion - 1,chopped
greenchillies - 2no,chopped
Garlic - 1 pod,
Sweet Grape Tomatoes/Tomato - 4 no
Red chilli pwd - 1tspn,
Turmeric - a pinch
Salt to taste.
For Seasoning:
Mustard seeds - 1tspn
Cumin seeds - 1tspn,
Red chilli - 1no
Method:
Boil Toor dal and keep it aside.Heat 1 tspn of oil in the pan ,add mustard seeds.Mustard seeds start splutters then add jeera and fry upto jeera changes goldenbrown color.Now add garlic,chopped onions fry till Onions become soft.Add sweet tomatoes and cook for a while in low flame.
Add chopped purslane,green chillies,turmeric to the pan and stir for 2 minute and pour 2cups of water and keep lid on the pan.Cook for 7 minutes and add boiled Toordal,Salt to it.Mix well with laddle and cook for another 7 minutes in medium flame.Garnish with corinder leaves and serve hot with steaming Rice or Chapathis.
Cabbage-Peas-Corn stuffed Parata:
Cabbage - medium size cut into half,chopped into small pieces
Peas (Frozen/Soaked) - 1 cup
Corn (Frozen/Fresh) - 1 cup
Green chillies - 3no,finely chopped,
Onions - 1no,finely chopped
Garlic - Ginger paste - 1tspn
Turmeric - a pinch,
Red chilli pwd - 1 tspn,
Coriander pwd (Dhaniyala podi/Dhaniya pwd) - 1tspn
Salt to taste
Mustard seeds Oil for seasoning
Method:
Heat 1tspn oil in a sucepan and add mustard seeds leave it to splutter then add greenchillies,onions and saute for a while.Add,chopped cabbage,peas,corn ,salt,redchilli pwd and stir well for another 3 minutes.
Add turmeric and coriander pwd,ginger garlic paste and sprinkle 1/2cup of water cover the pan with a lid and cook in medium heat for another 10 minutes.Stir well and add salt and chilli pwd if you feel necessary.Garnish with corinder leaves.
This can be taken directly with chapathis or hot rice .
For Parata:
Mix wheat flour,salt with a warm milk and knead it to fine dough.Cover dough with a damp cloth for 30minutes.Divide the paratha dough into small balls.Roll out each ball with a rolling pin into a small circle, make the cabbage-peas-corn fry stuffing into a small ball size and place in the centre of the chapathi.
Bring the edjes into the middle and rollback into a ball.Flatten these balls and roll out into medium sized chapathis on a lightly floured board.
Heat tawa over a medium heat,add some ghee and place paratha.Keep flame in sim,spread Oil and fry it bothsides.Parata bubble up and chages to goldenbrown color.
Serve hot with dal and curd.
Recipe Source:Amma
