Manathakkali Keerai (Black night Shade) Soup:One more month to enjoy all homegrown veggies and spinach . Once the cold weather hits, all garden produces will come to an end. We cherish them during the summer. More than the vegetables and fruits, I enjoy growing all kinds of keerai especially Manathakkali, mulaikeerai, ponnanganni,vallarai,Mudakathan and Murungai keerai( as they are not available in stores).I make parupu kadaisal,kootu, thogayal and chutney with all keerai varieties. But I use Manathakkali Keerai especially for soup. It works wonders for people with Acidity/heartburn and Ulcers. Taking over the counter acid/ulcer medicine will decrease your calcium in the body. Instead of that, you can intake this keerai on regular basis.I follow 2 methods for my family.1. I Usually get Manathakkali leaves powder from vedathiri maharishi ashram, Bangalore. Those are organic and dirt free. If you mix 1 teaspoon of Manathakkali powder with 1 cup of buttermilk and take it in an empty stomach continuously for more than 4 days, you can definitely see the difference. I keep these powders for winters. 2. During summer, I grow it in my garden and I use the leaves for making soup. You cannot use garlic, tomatoes ,or chillies to make this soup, as it will aggravate the acidity. 3. My simple recipe is given below: Soup Recipe: (My version):Heat 1 tablespoon coconut oil.Add 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 tsp grated ginger ,2 cups(approx)Manathakkali leaves( ilasu- young leaves) and 3/4 cup water.Sauté until the leaves has wilted. Add 1/4 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper powder. Switch off the stove, Let it cool down.Grind everything into a fine paste. Keep it on low flame. Add 1 cup coconut milk. Let it boil for 2 minutes. Then switch off the flame.Consume the concoction hot.(do not distill). Yields- 4 servings
