Purslane

Purslane known as wild spinach or ground spinach is good for health. It is cultivated for its beautiful flowers and grows wild in farm, roadside and in our gardens. Similar to other leafy vegetables like spinach, amaranth, water cress purslane contains many important vitamins and minerals. Visit today’s grandma’s remedies to see list of health benefits of good old purslane !

If you are keen to include purslane in your diet then there are different ways to use this medicinal herb.

Did you know you can prepare delicious purslane sambar?

Ingredients:

1. Bunch of purslane – with tender stem and leaves
2. Grated coconut – half a cup
3. Red chilli – 6
4. Coriander seeds – 1 tsp
5. Chenna daal – 1 tsp
6. Urad daal – ½ tsp
7. Black pepper – 5-6
8. Cumin – ¼ tsp
9. Toor daal – ½ cup
10. Curry leaves – few
11. Asafetida – pinch
12. Mustard – 1 tsp

 Preparation:

For this recipe you do not need to use tamarind as purslane has bit sour taste. If you want to use tamarind then add very little (1/2 inch) tamarind.

1. Wash and chop purslane leaves and stem to small pieces
2. In a cooker, cook toor daal
3. Dry fry red chillis, chenna daal, urad daal, black pepper, cumin. Let chenna and urad daal turn golden brown. Keep aside for few minutes to cool.
4. Grind all dry fried contents with grated coconut. Keep it aside.
5. In a vessel add little oil and on low flame cook chopped purslane
6. Now add cooked toor daal, grinded contents to cooked purslane. Add ½ cup water to grinder and rinse grinded spice content and transfer to the vessel.
7. Add desired amount of salt and boil
8. In a small vessel prepare seasoning – to heated oil add mustard, curry leaves, one red chilli and asafetida.
9. Transfer seasoning to boiled sambar
10. Serve hot purslane sambar with rice, chapati or roti.