PACHAI SUNDAIKKAI PORIAL
Turkey Berry
Botanical Name: Solanum Torvum
Health Benefits:
Good for digestion.
Eliminates worms from the system.
Alleviates colds and chest infections.
Purifies blood, is diabetes friendly, et cetera, et cetera!
We are overwhelmed by the flood of information provided by the internet regarding the health benefits of the bitter berry called Sundaikkai. My grandmother packed the 'information deluge' in one simple sentence when she uttered, 'Sundaikkai is good for health'! That was that! No questions were asked when the berry was cooked and served as kozhambus or porials! We dutifully gobbled up the 'health food' with slight reluctance though! Grandmother used certain tricks to tone down the bitterness of the berries while cooking, which gave no chance for any complaints from any quarter! You will have to just cultivate the taste and savour it with all the health benefits in mind.Then you are sure to enjoy it.
Here is a simple recipe to prepare Pachai Sundaikkai Porial. I am also sharing the trick taught by grandmother to make the Porial delicious and less bitter.
INGREDIENTS
Fresh Sunndaikkai / Turkey Berry - 2 cups
Tamarind - 1 marble size ball
Turmeric powder - 1 pinch
Powdered jaggery - 2 tbsps
Asafoetida - 1 pinch
Salt - 1 tsp
Sesame oil - 2 tsps
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Split black gram dal/ Urad dal - 1 tsp
Red chillies (broken) - 2
Curry leaves - a few
DRY ROAST AND POWDER :
Split pigeon peas/Tur dal - 4 tbsp
Pepper corns - 6
Asafoetida - 1 pinch
Red chilly - 1
Salt - 1 pinch
METHOD
1. Remove the fresh pea size Sundaikkais from stalk and wash them thoroughly.
2. Cover the Sundaikkais with water.
3. Add turmeric powder, asafoetida and tamarind which will disintegrate while cooking.
4. Cook till the Sundaikkais are almost done.
5. Add salt and cook till the water evaporates.
6. Drain if there is excess water.
7. Heat oil in a kadai and splutter the mustard seeds.
8. Add the Blackgram dal and roast till it becomes golden in colour.
9. Add broken red chillies and roast till they become crisp.
10. Saute the curry leaves with the seasoning and add the cooked Sundaikkais.
10. Stir in the roasted and powdered ingredients and blend well.(Instead you may use two tablespoons of Paruppu Podi or Chutney Podi).
11. Switch off flame when the Sundaikkai Porial emanates a pleasant aroma.
Enjoy the Pachai Sundaikkai Porial mixed with steaming hot rice topped with a spoon of ghee. You may also relish it as a side dish with your meal.
NOTE Grandmother's trick:
Cooking Sundaikkais with tamarind juice and jaggery tones down its bitterness considerably.The addition of the spicy Paruppu podi used to camouflage the left over bitterness also enhances the aroma and taste of the Porial.
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