Edible Blackberry Malabar Spinach Fruits Mishmash

Prawn Pui Metuli Malabar Spinach Fruit Ghonto

Prawn pui metuli ghonto, a Bengali winter curry made with Malabar spinach berries, pumpkin and prawns.

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 blackberry 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 Bengalis were greatly dependent on managing their livestock at home. As she looked at the basket full of ripened "pui metuli" seeds, she recalled those childhood memories. She enjoyed the meal, and I prepared her recipe today, "Prawn pui metuli ghonto," one of the popular winter vegetable curries.

Ingredients

• Tender pui metuli with stem, cut into 1/2 inch pieces: 2 cups
• Yellow pumpkin, cubed: 1 cup
• Fresh prawn: 200 g
• 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 and add kalonji, green chillies and onion.
3. When the onion is translucent, add the prawn and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes. Then add pumpkin followed by the 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 song] from very far and I felt blessed when I 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.

....................................…….. Popular 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 succulent leaves and grows quickly. It is also very heat tolerant. Following the flowers are the fleshy pea-sized berries, dark blackish-purple fruits that add a decorative element among the heart-shaped leaves. Fruit juice is occasionally used as a dye.

The plant known in Bengali as "pui metuli" is associated with the word "mete" or liver. It contains proteins, fats, vitamins A, C, E, K, vitamin B9 (folic acid), riboflavin, niacin, thiamine, and minerals like calcium, magnesium and iron. Carotene can also be found in Basella alba.

It is very amazing that our ancestors were aware of the therapeutic and medicinal benefits of hundreds of foods, even though they did not have access to modern research facilities and technology. 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 and seasonal intake as health practices remain a trusted alternative approach to well-being among people.

Vernacular Name of Basella alba rubra

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

Vernacular references to Basella alba, commonly known as pui shaak or Malabar spinach.

Ethnobotany

• Pui has been used since ancient times for many useful purposes. It is considered beneficial for overall health and vitamin A storage.
• The paste of root of Basella alba along with rice-washed water is taken on an empty stomach for one month by some rural communities in Odisha to address irregular periods.
• Leaves of pui are used for the treatment of hypertension by Nigerians in Lagos, and for malaria in Cameroonian folk medicine.
• The phytochemical contents of leafy vegetables serve as food supplements and may improve health because of the presence of compounds important for wellbeing.
• The leaves of Basella alba are traditionally used in Ayurveda to promote sound sleep when applied on the head before bathing, and are also used for headache.
• Leaf decoction is used for mild laxative effects. Leaf juice mixed with butter is soothing and cooling when applied to burns and scalds. It has also been used in Bangladesh for acne and freckles. In Ayurveda, leaves and stems have been used in treatments relating to melanoma, leukemia and oral cancer.
• The plant is febrifuge. Its juice is considered 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 is also valued as a Thai traditional vegetable.
• Basella fruit contains gomphrenin derivatives, a betalain pigment. The fruit provides a dark violet color used as food colorant in India.
• Its fiber content helps provide bulk in the diet, supports gastrointestinal function and helps reduce the intake of starchy foods. It is also popular in stir-fries and soups in Chinese and Vietnamese food traditions.