Mananthakkali keerai sweet corn pulav

Yesterday night due to some reasons my cab didn't dropped me in my street... Dropped me bit far from my street.... So while walking towards home, I crossed a vegetable shop.... Seeing fresh keerai in that shop ( green leaves vegetables) I entered to buy some keerai.... Mostly I never cook keerai in working days for two main reason, I won't be able get fresh keerai and other reason is cleaning of keerai is bit tedious process.... After entering shop, I had look on all keerai... Pulicha keerai , paruppu keerai etc... But I choosed manathakkali keerai ( black night shade keerai).... Since my kids recently recovered from chicken pox, I know they will have still some ulcers in stomach... So I thought this keerai will be good to cure any left out ulcers inside them... So bought this keerai... Again I roamed my eyes all over the shop... Already my mind planned to try some varitey rice using this keerai.... But I don't want to make rice using this keerai alone since I know this keerai will give light bitter taste.... But when cooked with coconut milk, it will remove that bitterness.... So mind planned to add coconut milk... So when roaming my eyes, sweet corn kernels attracted me.... Immediatly mind planned, if we use this sweet corn with that bitter keerai....both will become a very good combo.... So immediately bought that corn.. Then near the corn they placed capsicum... Again mind planned, sure if we add this capsicum to this rice , sure it will enhance taste more.... So bought that also.... So in shop itself I planned some new recipe.... Reached home with thinking how this combo I planned will taste.... In night itself I cleaned keerai, scrapped cocconut and kept them fridge... Finally in morning I prepared this rice inserting some ideas from varitety rice recipes that I tried earlier and inserting some new innovations too tried this.... Really result was so great .....I thought if my cab drop me like this daily, can have time to buy fresh vegetables and will give me more room for trying new recipes.... This is a very good way to make kids to eat keerai... All kids love sweet corns... Even you can add all vegetables to make this recipe more colourful... Carrot, yellow capsicum etc will give very nice look... So friends please and give your feedback, especially feedback of kids.....here goes the recipe......

Ingredeints

Basmathi rice - 1 cup

Manathakkali keerai - 1 cup ( tightly packed) or 1 bundle of keerai

Baby corn - two ( or one cup of kernel)

Can increase as per your taste...

Carrot - 2 ( finely chopped)

Capsicum - 1 ( finely chopped)

Onion - 1 ( sliced nicely )

Garlic - 4

Green chilies - 2 ( sliced lengthwise )

Coconut milk - 1 cup

Fennel seeds - 1 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Oil  - 2 tsp

Salt as needed.

Method

Wash the basmathi rice once and soak in water till you prepare other items.

Clean keerai well and finely chop it and keep aside.

In a pan add oil , season it with fennel seeds, cumin seeds... Then add the onion, sauté well it turns pink... Add green chilles and garlic and sauté well.... Add carrot and sauté for one minute... Then add the rice ( filter the rice and then add ).... Sauté rice well till it mixes well with other Ingredeints and its little water that sticked to the rice completely evaporated .... Add keerai sauté for one minute... Ten switch off the flame... Transfer everything to the pressure cooker.... Add one cup of coconut milk and one cup of water ( depending upon nature of rice, may decrease water content little)....add salt and pressure cook it for three whistles and switch off the flame..

While the rice is being pressure cooked....  Steam sweet corns kernels or boil it in water acting very little salt.... In a Kadai add very little oil, sauté the chopped capsicum with very little salt ( very care ful in adding salt since we already added salt in the rice, we are adding salt here since  we are going to add both corns and capsicum after rice is pressure cooked... So for better taste add only little salt)

When pressure resides down... Open the lid transfer the rice to the broad bowl, add one tsp ghee, sweet corns, capsicum and mix everything well without breaking rice....

You can add sweet corns even while sauting carrot and pressure cook with rice.....

Serve hot with gravy or raita or chips....

Considering the following health benefits of this keerai please try to add this atleast once in a week....

( these benefits are for the plants that grow only in Asia, Indoneisa, Africa... I have read in net that in other countries , poisonous form of this keerai is growing, only in Asia it is grown for food)

1. The juice from the plant was used by the ancient Arab physicians for burns and ulcers, and the fresh, bruised leaves eased the pain of inflammation in such ailments as gout, and rheumatism. The juice has been used for ringworm, gout and with vinegar 

2. The juice of the fruit has been used to stop the pain of toothache, and analgesic ointments are made from the plant which are applied locally. 

3.  It has also been used in remedies for cirrhosis of the liver as an antiseptic (juice from the leaves and fruit) and as a laxative. 

4. Infusions are used in dysentery , stomach, complaints and fever.

5. Traditionally the plant was used to treat TB.