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 Every
other day we hear about food festivals organised by big hotels. But,
have you heard of Keerai Mela? Yes! Recently Hotel Jayaram at
Pondicherry organised a Keerai Mela or Greens Food Festival for a
week. I happened to be there at that time to enjoy the many dishes,
juices and soups all prepared out of different kinds of greens.
"Our part of the country is rich with lots of greens which have
medicinal values in them. Including them in our daily menu will
improve our health. So, for a change we wanted to celebrate this mela
to create renewed awareness about our keerais among the people,"
said Mr. Lakshminarayanan, General Manager of the hotel.
On the days of the mela several greens were used to
prepare juices in the mornings, and later the keerai was used in fried
dishes and also in kootu items for the special lunch. Soups and Vadai
were available in the evenings. Lesser known varieties like
Modakkathan, Thiruvatchi and Ponnanganni were used to make dosas along
with some regular keerais like Murungai (green leaves of drumsticks),
Coriander, Mint, Spinach (Palak) and Amaranths (Araikkerai). There
were even Chutneys of Pirandai and Gonkoora (Pullichaikeerai in
Tamil).
 The
chefs at Jayaram Hotel were so enthusiastic about the response they
had received and were very eager to explain about the good qualities
of these greens. "Juices we made out of keerais like Vallarai,
Vendayam, Thoodhuvalai. Manathakkali and Arugampul were hot
favourities among our customers. These greens were cut and cleaned
before they were ground along with jaggary and coconut scrappings, and
the juices extracted were served fresh.
Dosas smeared with some of these greens were very
tasty and they did not need any elaborate method to make them. Palak,
Coriander, Pudhina (Mint), Murungaikkeerai, Araikkeerai were used to
make dosas. Palak is rich in iron and vitamins; Coriander improves
digestion; protects from skin diseases and also adds to the taste of
the food.
Each of these varieties has medicinal properties.
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Vallarai or Brahmi good for improving memory power, it is
also a nerve tonic and good for getting rid of ulcer, dysentery
and pimples.
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Vendaya Keerai (greens of fenugreek) supposed to cool the
body and is good for diabetics. Has iron content and fibre.
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Thoodhuvalai Keerai removes congestion due to cold; good for
Asthma and improves brain capacity.
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Manathakkali Keerai has lot of vitamins in it. Is good for
mouth & stomach ulcers.
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Ponnanganni Keerai Improves eye sight, good for improving
complexion, reduces flabbiness. It is good for Piles complaints.
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Arugampul One of Natures gift to mankind; the juice
controls Cholesterol; purifies blood;
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Modakkathan (Cardios Permum Halica Cabum) It is good for
Arthritis, and nervous weakness; it is also a laxative.
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Pudhina or mint, which contains vitamin A heals ulcers and is
good for digestion.
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Murungaikkerai or the green leaves of drumsticks improves blood
supply, energy level and purifies blood. It is a laxative too.
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Araikkeerai (Amaranths) which contains vitamin A is again a
nerve tonic.
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Thiruvatchi leaves help reduce kidney problems.
Thus the list is long and enlightening. "It is
amazing to know about the qualities of these green keerais which are
herbs available to help mankind. Even today, doctors recommend
Keezhanelli Keerai for Jaundice. So, this Keerai Food Festival is to
remind people about the value of our keerais. With a mixture of the
regular greens we use, we wanted to give a try with the lesser
known varieties too! And it was well received," said Mr.
Lakshminarayanan. Shall we take the cue to include value addition, by
having keerai in our daily menu? Underneath this innovative trial lies
the good intention of customer-care too!
R Bhararthi
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