Ponnanganni is a nutrition dense local greens. Widely found in India and other Asian countries, this wonder green is rich in calcium and promotes eye health and healthy hair.
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Have you come across this variety of leafy greens? Where I live, we can spot them growing like weeds, along pathways. As it is loaded with nutrients, it is widely eaten in many Asian countries.
In this post, I will share how to make a delicious stir fry using these dwarf copperleaf spinach leaves. We call this as Ponanganni Keerai Poriyal in Tamil.
There is a similar version of this in Sri Lankan cuisine and it goes by the name ‘Vari’.
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What is Ponnanganni?
In English, it is called dwarf copperleaf. Known as Ponnaganti in Telugu, other names for this include Matsyaakshi, Gudari Saag, Water Amaranth, Sessile Joyweed and Honnagone (Kannada).
Known as Pucuk Kurmak in Malay, they cook this with fish in Malay cuisine.
Types of Water Amaranth
There are two types of these leafy greens. Naatu Ponnanganni refers to locally grown Indian variety while Seemai Ponnanganni refers to those grown in foreign soil.
The Naatu Ponnanganni variety has green stalks and stems and is considered more nutritious than the Seemai variety. The latter has red stalks and reddish green leaves.
Benefits of Alternanthera Sessilis
These leaves are chock full of nutrients. Apart from the fact that they are rich in calcium and anti-oxidants, they are a fabulous cure for Asthma, hair fall and eye sight problems.
For lactating mothers, this helps in improving breastmilk secretion while people suffering from piles can include this in their diet and see a considerable improvement.
How to clean water amaranth?
First, separate the stalks in a bunch. Next, pick the leaves from the stalks by plucking them. Then, wash and dry the picked leaves.
Once dry, chop them finely using a sharp knife or shred them finely in a food processor.
Make ahead and meal prep
These leaves are high maintenance, I admit. To cut down on the prep time during busy mornings, you can sort, pick and clean the leaves over the weekend.
Chop them after drying them fully and store in a fridge safe covered container. This keeps well for 3 days.
Please note that the leaves should be completely dry before chopping. Or else, they will rot soon in the fridge.
Serving suggestions
- Eat it mixed with rice and a drizzle of ghee or sesame oil.
- Make it a part of an elaborate meal and serve this along side some Sambar, Rasam or even Kootu.
- Enjoy this on its own with some Sundal and soup for a low calorie meal.
Different ways to cook
- Cook this like a Kootu, just like how you would cook regular spinach.
- You can also add this to Adai or your regular Dosa and Chapati.
- Make it into a Masiyal and enjoy it with ghee and hot rice.
Recipe Notes
- To make this Poriyal, you can use both Naatu and Seemai Ponnanganni.
- While cooking these leafy greens, they will release moisture. It is normal.
- To minimize the leaves from releasing moisture, then make sure the leaves are fully dry before adding them to the pan.
- You can add either coconut or onions. But I prefer adding both since it is very tasty.
- Adding 3/4 tsp turmeric powder to this Poriyal not only enhances the color but also increases its nutritional value.
Method
Prep work
Clean and chop the water amaranth leaves well. Set aside. Gather the remaining ingredients, chop the onions, grate the coconut and keep it ready.
Making the stir fry
Heat a pan with coconut oil. Pop the mustard seeds and add broken white urad dal along with dried red chilis.
When the Urad dal begins to brown, add the chopped onions along with salt and mix well. Saute the onions till they are pink and soft.
Now, add the chopped water amaranth leaves. Mix well. Cook on medium flame till the leaves are completely wilted and have reduced by 1/2 in volume.
At this stage, tip in the grated coconut and mix well. Continue to cook for 2 minutes. When done, serve immediately.
More South Indian Vegetables
Ponnanganni Keerai Poriyal
Equipment
- 1 Frying Pan
- 1 Spatula
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp cold pressed coconut oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1.5 tsp broken white Urad dal
- 3 dry red chilis
- Salt to taste
- 1 cup onions finely chopped
- 1 pound Water amaranth cleaned and chopped (refer blog post) (1 pound =450 grams)
- 1/2 cup coconut freshly grated
Instructions
Prep work
- Clean and chop the water amaranth leaves well. Set aside. Gather the remaining ingredients, chop the onions, grate the coconut and keep it ready.
Making Ponnanganni Keerai Poriyal
- Heat a pan with coconut oil. Pop the mustard seeds and add broken white urad dal along with dried red chilis.
- When the Urad dal begins to brown, add the chopped onions along with salt and mix well. Saute the onions till they are pink and soft.
- Now, add the chopped water amaranth leaves. Mix well. Cook on medium flame till the leaves are completely wilted and have reduced by 1/2 in volume.
- At this stage, tip in the grated coconut and mix well. Continue to cook for 2 minutes. When done, serve immediately.
Notes
- To make this Poriyal, you can use both Naatu and Seemai Ponnanganni.
- While cooking these leafy greens, they will release moisture. It is normal.
- To minimize the leaves from releasing moisture, then make sure the leaves are fully dry before adding them to the pan.
- You can add either coconut or onions. But I prefer adding both since it is very tasty.
- Adding 3/4 tsp turmeric powder to this Poriyal not only enhances the color but also increases its nutritional value.
For Instant Pot & Air Fryer Recipes
Instant Pot timings may vary based on your geographic location. Air fryer settings and timings may vary based on the capacity and the model of the Air fryer.
Disclaimer
Nutrition values are provided here as a courtesy and are only a rough guide. Please consult a health care provider if you have any concerns.
Nutrition
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