Manathakali keerai kootu recipe, Manathakkali keerai is commonly known as Black nightshade and it is best home remedy for mouth ulcer. Simple kootu recipe to go well with rice as accompaniment in south Indian lunch.

My mom and MIL always make thanni saaru with manathakali keerai mostly. But we can make kootu and sambar too. I have not made anything except thanni saru as I rarely get this keerai. I have posted thanni saru earlier. This is the first time I am making kootu. Last week when we went to Mustafa, I went to the near by shop Aboorvas (next to HSB) and was so happy to see this manathakkali keerai there. It was just kept as such in the box in bulk, but I told the person in the shop if I could get some, before which it was taken away for sorting. He was kind enough to go and get some. I asked while I was billing if there will be stock always, he said yes, mostly in weekends, as fresh stock comes from Cameroon Islands.


I thought it was from india, but who cares. It was not too costly, too. I never go to little India for vegetable shopping, just go to Mustafa and come back, so I was very happy that I could get nearby.

Step by step pictures

1. Pressure cook dal with enough water for 3 whistles in medium flame.



2. Separate the leaves from the stalk, clean. Boil enough water to cook the leaves and add cleaned leaves to it. Let it get cooked. It takes a long time when compared to the other greens. Add salt, sugar to it.



3. When it is cooked, add sambar powder, turmeric. Boil for a minute.



4. Meanwhile, grind coconut, rice flour with little water.



5. Add cooked dal, ground coconut. Mix well and bring to boil.



6. Temper with the items given under ‘To temper’ in order and mix to the kootu. Make sure to brown the onion well for best flaovour.

Serve as accompaniment for rice. We had with rasam, rice and crispy ladies finger fries.