Manathakkali kai/Black nightshade berries/Makoy Berries/Manathakkali vathal - (Indian vegetable) - What is manathakkali kai/black nightshade berries?, Flavour and Culinary uses of manathakkali kai/black nightshade berries in Indian cooking, How to purchase and store manathakkali kai/black nightshade berries?

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What is Black Nightshade Berry?/Manathakkali Kai Uses/Black Nightshade Berries Uses/Makoy Berries Images/Manathakkali Vathal Uses/Sun Dried Black Nightshade Uses

Manathakkali kai/Black nightshade berries

In the picture -
TOP RIGHT - MANATHAKKALI VATHAL /DRIED BLACK NIGHTSHADE BERRIES
BOTTOM LEFT - MANATHAKKALI KAI /RAW BLACK NIGHTSHADE BERRIES

TABLE OF CONTENTS

MANATHAKKALI KEERAI/BLACK NIGHTSHADE

Solanum nigrum, commonly known as Black nightshade or blackberry nightshade in English, Manathakkali keerai or Sukkuti keerai in Tamil, and Makoy in Hindi. It belongs to the family of Solanaceae.

Manathakkali keerai/Black nightshade is an edible herb or short-lived perennial shrub. Almost all parts of the plant (leaves, roots, raw berries and ripened berries) are used as food as well as medicine. The leaves are used as Spinach, raw berries as a Vegetable and ripened berries as Fruit.

In this article, I have shared the information regarding “Black nightshade berries (raw berries)/Manathakkali kai” including its flavour, culinary uses, and purchasing and storing ideas.

APPEARANCE OF MANATHAKKALI KAI/BLACK NIGHTSHADE BERRIES

Manathakkali/Black nightshade plant produces berries in clusters. At an early stage, the berries are in green colour and that turns dull black or purple-black when ripe. There is another variety of manathakkali/black nightshade plants in which berries are in green colour at an early stage and that turn red when ripe.

Both varieties of berries are tiny (smaller than a pea). It resembles tomatoes but in a tiny size. The exterior part (skin) of the berries is evenly smooth and green in colour. The interior part of the berries contains small seeds with some flesh just-like Tomato.

Manathakkali kai/Black nightshade berries

FEW INDIAN REGIONAL OR VERNACULAR NAMES OF MANATHAKKALI KAI/BLACK NIGHTSHADE BERRY

Tamil name – Manathakkali kai/Sukkuti kai/Mulakuthakkali kai.

Malayalam name – Karinthakkali kai/Mulakuthakkali kai.

Telugu name – Kasaka/Kamanchi.

Kannada name – Ganike kai/Ganike hannu.

Hindi name – Makoy/Makoi.

FLAVOUR OF MANATHAKKALI KAI/BLACK NIGHTSHADE BERRIES

The unripe manathakkali kai/black nightshade berry has a combination of a sour and bitter taste. The ripe black nightshade berries are sweeter. And the dried berries are salty, bitter and mildly sour.

Manathakkali kai/Black nightshade berries

INDIAN CULINARY USES OF MANATHAKKAIL KAI/BLACK NIGHTSHADE BERRY

In India, manathakkali keerai/black nightshade is a common leafy green casually grown and eaten as food as well as medicine.

In the southern part of India, black nightshade leaves and berries are popularly used ingredients. Raw berries are commonly used as vegetables and ripe berries are used as a fruit in Indian cooking. Ripened berries are eaten as it is but raw berries are mostly cooked before consumption.

Manathakkali kai/black nightshade berries can be used to make various traditional foods.

FOR EXAMPLE

PACHAI MANATHAKKALI KAI KUZHUMBU (TAMARIND BASED CURRY), SAMBHAR (DAL-BASED DISH), MANATHAKKALI KAI THOKKU (SIDE DISH FOR PLAIN RICE or IDLI/DOSAI).

Manathakkali plant produces berries only in seasons. To preserve and use berries throughout the year, it needs to be preserved by sun-drying or pickling.

TRADITIONAL SUN-DRYING OR PICKLING RITUAL

Traditionally, in India particularly in South India, summer months are dedicated to preserving various seasonal ingredients either by sun-drying or pickling. There are many processes involved in Sun-drying or pickling seasonal ingredients. Once ingredients are dried or pickled, they are carefully preserved in special and traditional Indian storage containers made out of WOODEN BOXES, GLASS JARS and BARNI JARS (CERAMIC JAR). This kind of summer activity is followed for generations and is still followed in India.

NOTE

The main reason for preserving various ingredients is -

  • One seasonal ingredient will not be available in other seasons.
  • During the rainy season, there might be a scarcity of fresh ingredients.

To avoid those kinds of troubles, Indians have been following food-preserving rituals.

MANATHAKKALI VATHAL/DRIED BLACK NIGHTSHADE BERRY

Manathakkali kai/Black nightshade berries

Manathakkali kai is mostly used in a dried form in Indian cooking. To dry the berries there are various processes involved by cleaning, washing, soaking in the buttermilk for a few days and finally sun drying. Once manathakkali kai is completely dried it is carefully stored in a BARNI JAR.

Manathakkali vathal/dried berries can be used to make MANATHAKKALI VATHAL KUZHUMBU (Tamilnadu style tamarind-based curry), PODI (flavourful powder eaten with plain rice, ghee or sesame oil), and simply fried in oil and used as a side dish for rice.

Vatha Kulambu/Manathakkali Vathal Kuzhambu Recipe/Vathal Kuzhambu Recipe

In the picture - Vatha Kulambu/Manathakkali Vathal Kuzhambu Recipe

For the detailed Vatha Kulambu/Manathakkali Vathal Kuzhambu Recipe. Kindly, click the below link -
🔗Vatha Kulambu/Manathakkali Vathal Kuzhambu Recipe

ANGAYA PODI (MEDICINAL POWDER)

Angaya podi is a traditional recipe from Tamilnadu cuisine. It is a blend of different dried leaves, vegetables, fruits and spices. It is an indispensable power that is given to new mothers post-delivery. Angaya podi blend includes manathakkali vathal. It helps as a coolant and is also used to heal inner wounds post-delivery.

Manathakkali kai/dried black nightshade berries are one of the healthiest ingredients and have been part of the human diet for many years. We should try to include manathakkali kai in our diet.

The above is some of the recipe ideas using manathakkali kai.  You could innovatively use manathakkali kai in your cooking.

IMPORTANT NOTE

Sometimes people are confused Black nightshade (Solanum nigrum) with the deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna) and do not use this berry in their diet. There is a key difference in finding edible berries – black nightshade berries grow in clusters and deadly nightshade berries grow individually.

Disclaimer

If you are not sure about finding edible berries or if you are not comfortable using black nightshade berries in cooking. Please avoid using it.

TIPS TO BUY AND STORE MANATHAKKALI KAI/BLACK NIGHTSHADE BERRY

Manathakkali kai/Black nightshade berry is a seasonal vegetable and it is mostly available from January to April. Dried black nightshade berries/manathakkali vathal is easily available around the year.

You can buy manathakkali kai from the local vegetable sellers, organic stores and also in the online market.

When buying manathakkali kai, look for freshness, and green coloured and avoid buying bitter taste, dis-coloured and wrinkled berries.

HOW TO STORE BLACK NIGHTSHADE BERRIES/MANATHAKKALI KAI?

You can easily store manathakkali kai in the refrigerator for a few days. Dried black nightshade berries/manathakkali vathal can be stored for a year. While storing dried berries/vathal make sure there is no moisture present in it.

HAPPY COOKING!
with better ingredients for better food.


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