Indian Greens - Thoothuvalai Keerai/Thuthuvalai keerai/Purple fruited pea eggplant/Climbing brinjal - what is Thoothuvalai/Thuthuvalai keerai?, Culinary uses of thoothuvalai/thuthuvalai keerai in Indian cooking, How to purchase and store thoothuvalai/thuthuvalai keerai?

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What is climbing brinjal plant?/Thuthuvalai keerai uses/Thoothuvalai keerai/Purple fruited pea eggplant uses

Thuthuvalai Keerai (Climbing Brinjal Plant)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABOUT - "THUTHUVALAI KEERAI/PURPLE FRUITED PEA EGGPLANT"

Solanum trilobatum, commonly known as purple fruited pea eggplant or climbing brinjal in English, thoothuvalai or thuthuvalai keerai in Tamil. It is an edible plant in the botanical family Solanaceae.

Thuthuvalai keerai/purple fruited pea eggplant are a common variety of leafy green found throughout Tamilnadu, India. It is one of the highly effective medicinal plants used to treat various respiratory-related diseases. It is also widely used in home remedies to treat colds and coughs. It is a thorny green and is always cooked before being eaten.

APPEARANCE OF THUTHUVALAI KEERAI/PURPLE FRUITED PEA EGGPLANT

Thuthuvalai/purple fruited pea eggplant is a perennial creeper and is fully covered with thorns except for the flower. The entire thuthuvalai plant is visibly covered with thorns even on and underneath the veins of the leaves. Thuthuvalai leaves are triangular and irregularly lobed. This leafy plant produces beautiful purple-violet coloured flowers and a small fruit just like 🔗Turkey Berry/Sundakkai. All the parts of the thuthuvalai keerai (leaves, stem, fruit, and root) are medicinally valuable and widely used in Siddha medicine. It is also known as KAYAKALPAM.

Thuthuvalai Keerai (Climbing Brinjal Plant)

FEW INDIAN REGIONAL OR VERNACULAR NAMES OF PURPLE FRUITED PEA EGGPLANT

Tamil name – Thoothuvalai keerai/ Thuthuvalai keerai/Nittidam/ Sandunayattan/Surai.

Hindi name -Kantakaari-Latta/Agnidamini.

Malayalam name – Tutavalam/ Putricunta/Puttacunta/Tudavalam/Putharichunda.

Marathi name – Mothiringnee/Thoodalam.

Odia name – Bryhoti.

Telugu name – Alarkapatramu/Mullamustil/Kondavuchinta.

Sanskrit name – Alarka/Vallikantakarika/Achuda.

Kannada name – Ambusonde/Ambusondeballi/ Chitbadane/Hebbe sonnde gida/Mullu kaaka munchi/Mullu mushta/Kakamunji.

FLAVOUR OF THUTHUVALAI KEERAI/PURPLE FRUITED PEA EGGPLANT

Thuthuvalai/purple fruited pea eggplant has a leafy aroma and a strong bitter taste. Over-cooked leaves develop a very strong bitter taste and become unpalatable.

Thuthuvalai Keerai (Climbing Brinjal Plant)
Thuthuvalai Keerai (Climbing Brinjal Plant)

INDIAN CULINARY USES OF THUTHUVALAI KEERAI/PURPLE FRUITED PEA EGGPLANT

Thuthuvalai keerai is a well-known Indian ingredient and is most commonly used in many home remedies and also in Siddha medicine.

It is popularly known to treat colds and coughs and also various respiratory ailments.

SOUTH INDIAN CUISINES

Thuthuvalai keerai is the most commonly used in the southern parts of India particularly Tamilnadu. It can be used to make various south Indian savoury dishes.

FOR EXAMPLE

Thuthuvalai rasam, Thuthuvalai thogayal and Thuthuvalai dosai are the most popular thuthuvalai keerai dishes.

Thuthuvalai Rasam Recipe/Climbing Brinjal Leaves Rasam Recipe

In the picture - Thuthuvalai Rasam Recipe/Climbing Brinjal Leaves Rasam Recipe/Purple Fruited Pea Eggplant Rasam Recipe

For the detailed thuthuvalai rasam recipe/climbing brinjal leaves rasam recipe. Kindly, click the below link to check out -

🔗Thuthuvalai Rasam Recipe/ Thoothuvalai Rasam Recipe/Climbing Brinjal Leaves Rasam Recipe/Purple Fruited Pea Eggplant Rasam Recipe

Thuthuvalai also can be used to make a variety of rice, chutney, kuzhumbu (curry), soup, kottu (dal-based side dish) and many more.

It can be used as a fresh leaf form or as a dried and powdered form.

IMPORTANT TIP

Thuthuvalai keerai/purple fruited pea eggplant is completely covered with thorns and should not be eaten in raw form. It is very important to remove these thorns before cooking as the thorns are considered to be mildly toxic.

Thuthuvalai keerai is one of the healthiest leafy greens, which is given to children and lactating mothers in legiyam or kashayam form.

Being the healthiest herb, we also must include thuthuvalai keerai regularly in our diet. The above are some of the recipe ideas using thuthuvalai keerai. You could innovatively use these green in your cooking.

Do check out these similar posts

🔗Adamant creeper/Pirandai/Hadjod
🔗Drumstick leaves/Murungai keerai
🔗Spleen amaranth/Arai keerai/Thotakura/Cheera
🔗Indian pennywort/Brahmi leaves/Vallarai keerai/Gotu kola
🔗Fenugreek Microgreens/Methi Leaves/Vendhaya Keerai

TIPS TO BUY AND STORE THUTHUVALAI KEERAI/PURPLE FRUITED PEA EGGPLANT

Thuthuvalai keerai/purple fruited pea eggplant is easily available throughout the year from the fresh green leaf vegetable sellers or any Indian organic store and also in the online market.

When buying thuthuvalai keerai, look for green colour leaves and avoid buying wrinkled, soggy, and yellow leaves.

HOW TO STORE THUTHUVALAI KEERAI/CLIMBING BRINJAL/PURPLE BRINJAL PEA EGGPLANT?

You can store thuthuvalai keerai in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for 2 days. Before storing make sure there is no moisture present in them because if any moisture in them will wilt the entire bunch of leaves.

WARNING

Be careful while handling thuthuvalai keerai/purple fruited pea eggplant because thorns in them will hurt the hands.

HAPPY COOKING!
with better ingredients for better food.


Do try the recipe using "Thuthuvalai Keerai/Climbing Brinjal/Purple Fruited Pea Eggplant"

🔗Thuthuvalai Rasam Recipe/Climbing Brinjal Leaves Rasam Recipe/Purple Fruited Pea Eggplant Rasam Recipe

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