Edible Blackberry Malabar Spinach Fruits Mishmash

Prawn pui metuli malabar spinach fruit ghonto

Prep time: 00:10 | Cook time: 00:10 | Total time: 00:20 | Yield: 4 servings

I hugged my mother and she urged me to prepare the "chingri pui metuli with sweet pumpkin" and the edible black berry jumble ghonto after she saw the fruits of the pui and got a smile on her face. My mother recalls the several shak or leafy vegetable kinds that were once freely accessible in the area. The most popular shak or herbs included Kalmee, Kochu pata, Nona, Bathua, Dheki, Gima..., at least forty different varieties are consumed today due to a decrease in the supply of leafy vegetables, forcing people to purchase fewer items and as a result, only the best recipes that have been experimentally verified among thousands of delicious recipes are followed.

My mother recalled childhood memories of their kitchen garden and the "pui creeper" on a bamboo trellis beside the kitchen door covered in little blackish purple coloured berries as at that time Bangalees were greatly dependent to manage their livestock at their homes. As she looked at the basket full of ripened "pui metuli" seeds, she recalled those childhood memories. She enjoyed the meal, I prepared her recipe today, "Prawn pui metuli ghonto," one of the popular winter vegetable curries.

Edible blackberry malabar spinach fruit mishmash - Mom's Recipe

Ingredients

• Tender pui metuli with stem, cut into 1/2 inch , 2 cups
• Yellow pumpkin, cubed , 1 cup
• Fresh prawn , 200g
• Oil , 3 tsp
• Onion seeds or kalongi , 1 tsp
• Onion chopped , 1/2 cup
• Minced green chillies , 2 tsp
• Turmeric , 1 tsp
• Salt and sugar , as required,

Instructions:

1. Season the prawn with salt and turmeric,
2. Heat oil, add kalonji, green chillies and onion.
3. When onion is translucent add prawn and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes, then add pumpkin followed by berries with stem.
4. Add salt and sugar to taste. Mix well and cover to let it simmer.
5. Wait for 10 minutes and Bengali pui metuli ghonto will be ready by then.

She recalls one Boul tune [Bengali folk songs] from very far and I felt blessed when searched and found the lyrics.

Dhin taker beta tin tak,

Aami dite thaki, tui kete thak;

O tor ma redhechhe pui shak!

Ami dite thaki tui khete thak.

....................................……..Pupular folk couplet, author unknown

"Tin tak, the son of Dhin tak, I keep giving the pui green what your mother cooked, you keep eating," Malabar spinach, also known as summer spinach, is not technically a type of spinach but tastes very much like one. This vine has sensitive, succulent leaves and grows quickly. It is also very heat tolerant. Following the flowers are the meaty pea-sized berries, dark blackish-purple luscious fruits, which offer a decorative element with heart-shaped leaves. Fruit juice is occasionally employed as a dye.

The animal protein that is rich in iron may be found in the seeds of the plant known in Bengali as "pui metuli," which translates to "mete or liver." This animal protein has a chemical components that includes proteins, fats, vitamins A, C, E, K, vitamin B9 (folic acid), riboflavin, niacin, thiamine, and minerals like calcium, magnesium, and iron, which significantly increases red blood cell count, white blood cell count, packed cell volume Carotene can be found in Basella alba. However, the extract lowered the activity of ALP, ALT, and AST, three liver enzymes.

It is very amazing that our ancestors were aware of the therapeutic and medical benefits of hundreds of foods, even though they did not have access to anything close to the research facilities and technology that we do today. Since ancient times, medicinal herbs have been used successfully. Because it is affordable, accessible, and effective, traditional knowledge and beliefs in India that incorporate plant- and mineral-based medicines with ritual inbound seasonal intake referred to health practises, maintain well-being, are unquestionably a trustworthy alternative approach to health care delivery among the people..

Vernacular name of Basella alba rubra

English: Ceylon spinach, Malabar spinach, Indian spinach, Red vine spinach, Vine spinach

Ethanobotany

• Pui has been used for many of its useful product from ancient times in the cure of certain problems. It has a positive effect on total-body and stores vitamin A in men.

• The paste of root of Basella alba along with rice washed water is taken in the morning in empty stomach for one month to cure irregular periods by the rural people of Orissa, India.

• Leaves of pui are used for the treatment of hypertension by Nigerians in Lagos, and malaria in Cameroonian folk medicine.

• The phytochemical contents of the leafy vegetables serve as supplements for food and also have the potential to improve the health status of its users as a result of the presence of various compounds vital for good health.

• The leaves of Basella alba are traditionally used in Ayurveda system of medicine to bring refreshing sound sleep when it is applied on head about half an hour before bathing and also used for headache.

• Decoction of leaves used for its mild laxative effects. Leaf-juice mixed with butter, is soothing and cooling when applied to burns and scalds. Its pH is good for skin (5.3-5.4). It has been used in Bangladesh for acne and freckle treatment. The Ayurvedic treatment in India has been using B. alba leaves and stems for anticancer such as melanoma, leukemia and oral cancer.

• The plant is febrifuge. Its juice is a safe aperient for pregnant women and a decoction has been used to alleviate labour. It is also an astringent and the cooked roots are used in the treatment of diarrhoea. This plant serves as a Thai traditional vegetable.

• Basella fruit contains gomphrenin derivative which is betalain pigment. The fruit provides dark violet color for food colorant in India.

• Their fiber content provides bulk in the diet and this helps to reduce the intake of starchy foods, enhances gastrointestinal function, prevents constipation and may thus reduce the incidence of metabolic diseases like maturity onset, diabetes mellitus and hypercholesterolemia. They are also potent antibiotics, antihypertensives and blood building agents and improve fertility in females when eaten in soups. It is very popular in stir fries and soups in Chinese or Vietnamese food.