A soupy tale!

Grand mothers have a way of explaining things, albeit briefly!

One day she asked me to peel the skin of a few cardamoms for the kheer that she was preparing. Along with peeling the skin of the elaichi (cardamom), I peeled a bit of my own skin at the tip of my finger.

What followed was a whole lot of drama that only a ten year old girl is capable of staging!

My grandmother simply gave a cursory glance and then said this which remains etched in my memory:

“Muththathu Murngapoo mudhugula vizhundhudhunnu azhadhe.”

When translated this means,

“Do not cry because the flower of the drumstick tree fell on your back!”

I pestered her to explain and what she told me left me stunned.

“The moringa or drumstick tree has a light flower. Nothing happens to you when the flower falls on your back. Now go and fetch a few leaves from the tree. But be careful as there could be a hairy caterpillar in the tree. Stay off it,” she ordered.

In a jiffy I rushed back with the leaves...

I disappeared and in a jiffy was back with the leaves. My grandmother continued,

“These leaves are rich in iron and whenever anybody is hurt and has lost lot of blood, a soup made of these leaves help. Even the flower and the fruit of this tree are edible. Of course, you like the sambar made out of drumsticks, don’t you,” she chuckled gently, a thousand meaning hidden.

Then as she started preparing the soup, I was astounded at the ease with which she made it.

At ten, to me, there was none who knew more than my grandmother!

Here is a simple recipe of Moringa leaf soup.

Ingredients:

Drumstick leaves – 20 sprigs

Moong Dal (Yellow Lentil)  – 100 gms (cooked)

Pepper -10

Jeera (Cumin seeds) – 1 tablespoon

Salt – to taste

Butter – 1 tablespoon

Ginger juice – to taste

Corn flour – ½ tablespoon

Garlic - 4-5 (optional)

Add butter to a hot pan and add the cumin seeds. Wait till it splutters. Add the corn flour and fry it in butter for a few seconds. Add the drumstick leaves and sauté it with salt. Add water and allow it to boil.

Add enough water to the cooked dal and strain well. Add the dal water to the above mixture and boil well for about 5 minutes.

A healthy and wholesome meal!

Powder the pepper and add it to the soup. Add the ginger juice and the remaining salt.

Garlic can be added optionally along with the drumstick leaves and sauteed.

This soup constitutes a wholesome meal and is very rich in iron. It is a highly recommended dish for children, pregnant women and nursing mothers.

Drumstick leaves are loaded with health benefits. They are rich in calcium, phosphorus, iron and protein.

The Barber's Trash Can!

One day a traveller reached a village, thirsty and tired.

He and his horse needed some water, food and shelter for the night. He led his horse towards a hut that was still lit from inside. He gently knocked on the door of the hut and after a few minutes a well-built man in his early forties opened the door.

“I am a traveller in need of some water,” he began.

The man asked him to sit on the porch in front of the hut, while he disappeared inside to fetch some water for the thirsty traveler.

The traveller heard heated arguments between the man and his wife, which he chose to ignore. He did not have a choice.

In a while the man appeared with a glass of water. He apologized for the delay in fetching water. The traveler asked the man to be seated next to him.

“If there is something left, can I request you spare it as my horse and I have had a tough day,” he pleaded.

The man stood up hesitatingly. As he turned around, he saw his wife with a plate of rice and dal.

“This is all that is left after dinner. Hope this is sufficient,” she said, passing the plate to her husband.

He smiled as he took the plate from his wife’s hand.

As soon as she went inside, the man apologized to the traveler for not being able to offer anything more.

“We had a tough day too. In fact we fight over even trivial issues. Money, as you know, is tough to beget and without money the wife remains dissatisfied,” the man explained.

The traveler allowed the horse to graze around as he devoured the plate of rice and dal.

“All around I see couples chatting and living happily that sometimes I feel it is better to remain separated, if we are not happy in each others' company,” the man rued.

By now the traveler had finished his humble dinner. He drank the water and sat down next to his host.

“Oh gentleman, I am a traveler and I go from one place to another. I am not married and therefore I do not know how to advise you. But one day I happened to spend a night at a merchant’s house.

Just that morning, the merchant’s daughter had come back home, after a fight with her husband. She refused to go back to her husband’s place and the merchant supported her move completely. After he had left home to attend to his business, the merchant’s mother called her granddaughter and asked her what she would find in the trash can of a barber’s shop.

After thinking for a while the girl replied.

‘Hair?’ 

She was uncertain of the intent with which the question was asked rather than her own reply.

‘Unwanted hair,’ her grandmother corrected her.

‘Every single barber’s shop rejects the unwanted hair into the trash can so that people leaving their shop look beautiful and happy. Likewise, every household must throw their unwanted fights into the trash can so that they can live happily,’ concluded the wise grandmother.

Her granddaughter apologized to her parents and joined her husband,” the traveler explained to his host.

The man nodded as did his wife who was standing at the doorstep, listening to the wise words of the traveler.

The same old spinach!

Hailing from the part of the world that I do, I have been fortunate enough to listen to the one line stories that grandmothers tell their granddaughters.

These stories are very simple tales and can be related through one line that usually is understood by people who grow up there.

The tales are simple but the messages hidden are not!

Here is one such tale…

A farmer and his wife lived in a hut in a village called Mettupuram. Guna, the farmer and his wife Lakshmi lived all by themselves as they were childless.

Guna used to till the small, yet a fertile piece of land that he had inherited from his father.

Every changing season saw Guna grow a different variety of crops and Lakshmi used to take the excess to the market. She traded in the market either for money or for other household things that they required.

After many years, when both Guna and Lakshmi started growing old, they had to make do with lesser produce. Eventually, Guna became very weak and could only sow rice and cultivate rice that was sufficient for the two of them.

Lakshmi never complained. She was also getting older and she started cultivating spinach behind the small hut in which they lived. But this meant that they had only rice and spinach and nothing else.

Guna complained about the lack of variety in the food cooked by his wife, but Lakshmi had, by then, learnt to ignore his complaints.

One day Guna returned from the field unusually tired and drained. When Lakshmi presented rice and spinach, Guna was overcome by a fit of rage.

He picked up the vessel containing the spinach and hurled it towards the wall.

Silently Lakshmi left the scene and slept in the kitchen. An hour later she was woken up by her husband who still seemed angry.

“Oh old woman,” he screamed at her.

As Lakshmi woke up and sat Guna continued,

“You are so shameless! Now go and remove the spinach from the wall and serve me food,” he screamed.

Smiling to herself, Lakshmi did her best!

Author’s note:

The above story is an expansion of a Tamil saying “Soranaketta vallathi sevuthukeeraya vazhichu poodu,” which when translated means,

“Oh you shameless woman, serve me the spinach from the wall!”

There are quite a few messages that we get from this simple story. It throws light on the complexity of the marital relationship. Traditionally women are known to be patient and tolerant outwardly and intelligent in a more subtle and understated manner.

When the wife realised that her husband was unable to till the land efficiently, she starts growing spinach in the backyard. Spinach is known to control blood sugar levels and is rich in vitamins, iron and calcium. When had with rice it is a complete and balanced meal!

Growing spinach is also not very difficult. It is the presence of mind and self-control practised by women that kept marriages alive. Men realised this and in the end submitted their egos (though they were allowed to crib and complain) and ate humble spinach!

Here is an interesting and healthy recipe. Try the Spinach kichidi and stay healthy!

Ingredients:

Spinach – 1 bunch

Moong Dal – 50gms

Raw rice- 250gms

Green Chilli – 2

Turmeric Powder – a pinch

Jeera – 1 tablespoon

Pepper – 4-5 powdered

Mustard seeds – a little

Curry leaves – a few

Coriander leaves – finely chopped

Onion – 1 finely chopped

Tomato -1 finely chopped

Ginger – 1 small piece

Ghee – 1 spoon (optional)

Salt- to taste

Oil – 1 tablespoon

Method:

Cook spinach with little salt. Grind and keep aside.

Cook spinach with salt...

Heat oil in a pan. Add the mustard seed and Jeera. Wait till they splutter. Then add the curry leaves, turmeric powder, green chilli, chopped onions and tomato. Fry with a little salt. Add the spinach paste and simmer for 2-3 minutes.

Wash and cook the yellow dal and rice with sufficient salt. For one measure of rice add 4 measures of water. Pressure cook for about 15 minutes or 4 - 5 whistles.

After the pressure settles, open the pan gently allowing the steam to escape away from you. Mix the spinach and masala paste with the cooked rice and dal.

Add the coriander leaves, ghee and pepper powder. Serve with curd/pickle.

P.S. Garam masala powder can be added optionally. 

 

Spinach kichidi is ready!