Mudakkathaan Keerai Kara-Kuzhambu:

Mudukku-Atraan = Mudakkathan. Mudukku – Rickets, Atraan – remover. As the name says the greens could be good for one’s bone and promotes bone stegthenning!

Tamil name of this greens is Mudakkatran keerai. The Sanskrit name is Indravalli. English common name is Balloon Vine….as its pods are in triangle shape, air-filled with thin cover. The Botanical name of this wild creeper is Cardiospermum halicababum. Its often mistaken as weeds in many parts. They grow very fast near the wet-lands and river beds. Tamilians use them in cooking, besides I never saw this greens hitting market or anything. People who are aware of its medicinal use….try to procure it!

I googled and listed few medicinal uses of this greens below:

Demulcent – It is soothing, bland and allays inflammation
Diaphoretic – Promotes perspiration
Anthelmintic – Destroys worms
It is a diuretic and a laxative
Strengthens the stomach
Alterative – It gradually induces a healthy change
Stimulant – It stimulates the nervous tissue
It is specifically used in the treatments of -
- Gout
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Skin diseases
- Cough
- Nervous disorders
- Piles
- Chronic bronchitis
- Muscle wasting
- Amenorrhoea
- Dysentery
- Diarrhea

This greens is always made in tangy gravy form. As you guessed…yeah bitter in taste. So pairing it with tamarind is a good idea. I’ve heard people saying ‘Mudakkathaan Keerai Dosai’….but my mommy never made them. Its always Kara-Kuzhambu. So soon I’ll be trying out the Dosa recipe too!

Ingredients:

Mudakkathaan Keerai 1 bunch
Cricket ball size tamarind or 1 spoon of thick tamarind paste
Red onion 1 large finely chopped
Garlic 1 large peeled and semi crushed
Tomato 1 large chopped
Jaggery or brown sugar 1 spoon
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/2 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Rice powder 1 spoon
Sesame oil 1 cup
Mustard seeds 1 spoon
Cumin seeds 1 spoon
Fenugreek seeds 1/2 spoon
Chana dal 1/2 spoon
Urad dal 1/2 spoon
Asafoetida 1/2 spoon
Dry red chilies 3-5.

Method:

In a cast-iron wok, heat oil. Stir-in leaves alone. Stir-fry for a brief period. Then wet-grind using limited water. Set aside.

In the same pan, add few spoons of oil. Add garlic, fry till its raw smell goes off. Further add onions, fry till they turn to golden brown color. Now add tomatoes, fry them till they loose their water content.

Now add salt, turmeric, chili powder, sugar/jaggery and rice powder. Mix them together.

Then add tamarind paste and 2 cups of water. Bring this to boiling stage. Later add wet-ground leaves paste. Continue cooking over medium heat.

When gravy thickens and oil shows up on sides, remove from heat.

In a separate pan, heat oil. Add mustard, cumin, asafoetida, fenugreek, chana dal, urad dal and dry red chilies. Let them pop and splutter well. Run this seasoning over the gravy.

Serve to go with plain steamed rice. Run a spoon full of ghee over it…..just before serving.