Manathakkali keerai thanni saaru is a perfect home-remedy for mouth ulcer, mild stomach ulcer. Let's see how to make a palatable dish with this black nightshade greens.
This is a perfect remedy for mouth ulcer. Manathakkali keerai in English is Black nightshade.
Check out my kootu recipe with this greens and also check out my podi & kuzhambu with the vathal (dried berries from the plant).
Ingredients

Manathakkali Keerai - Is a tamil term for Black nightshade (Solanum Nigrum) These are very commonly found in Tamil Nadu and called by couple of other names as well. Milagu thakkali keerai (since the berries look like black pepper and a tiny version of tomato).
The greens are used to make sambar, kootu, thogayal and poriyal while the berries also can be used. Fresh as well as fried berries can be used for vathal kuzhambu.
Health benefits
Home-remedy for mouth ulcer
Firstly, it has lot of medicinal properties, but what I know is it's a wonderful home remedy for mouth ulcer and stomach ulcer.
Secondly, helps with indigestion problem.
Finally, along with coconut milk, it helps with both mouth ulcer as well as epigastric pain.
The leaves are also chewed raw if the mouth ulcer is too big and painful to get immediate relief.
Black nightshade berries
As a kid, I used to love the looks of the berries, it looked as if they were the miniature berries that are described in the English stories I used to read as a kid (Masha and the bear). Somehow, no idea why!
May be I had no idea about berries those days and imagined these so. Only these are too tiny and cute.
I already have Agathi keerai Thanni saaru posted few years back. Yes, we make thanni saaru whenever possible for its goodness.
Recipe card
Manathakkali keerai thanni saaru
Ingredients
- 2 cups Manathakkali keerai, black nightshade 2 cups loosely packed
- 1 cup Coconut grated (refer notes)
- 5 Small onion
- ¼ teaspoon Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
- Salt & water - As needed
Instructions
- Separate the leaves from the stem and wash the greens. Keep aside.
- Slice shallots and slightly crush the cumin seeds.
- Bring 2 cups of water(or water drained while washing rice/ kazhani/ arisi mandi) to boil and add sliced shallots, jeera, a pinch of sugar and the leaves.
- Let it get cooked. Add salt when its half done.
- Meanwhile, extract milk from coconut. Grind the coconut with ¼ cup lukewarm water and squeeze the milk from the coconut using your hands under a metal strainer.
- With the remains, again add little more luke warm water and you can grind and extract the second milk.
- Once the keerai(greens) is cooked then switch off the flame and add the coconut milk and stir well.
- The keerai takes a long time to cook. So while it gets cooked, you can extract the coconut milk.
Video
Notes
- If you want to drink as soup and keep it mild, use as mentioned. For mixing with rice, use more coconut and make it rich.
- Do not let the thanni saaru boil after adding coconut milk. Just warm it, its enough.
- No spicy things in it, so I have not added any. If you want add ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder.
Step by step
Manathakkali keerai thanni saaru method
- Separate the leaves from the stem and wash the greens. Keep aside. Slice shallots and slightly crush the jeera.
- Bring 2 cups of water(or water drained while washing rice/ kazhani/ arisi mandi) to boil and add sliced shallots, cumin, a pinch of sugar and the leaves.
- Let it get cooked. Add salt when it's half done.
- Meanwhile, extract milk from coconut.
- Grind the coconut with ¼ cup lukewarm water and squeeze the milk from the coconut using your hands under a metal strainer.
- With the remains, again add little more luke warm water and you can grind and extract the second milk.
- Once the keerai(greens) is cooked then switch off the flame and add the coconut milk and stir well.
- The keerai takes a long time to cook. So while it gets cooked, you can extract the coconut milk.
You can drink this as such and eat the leaves. My hubby also mixes with rice and eat.
Kalpana Sareesh
wow such an healthy one.. i just drink coconut milk for mouth ulcers.. this one shd be more effective..thanks for a wonderful recipe..
AparnaRajeshkumar
i loved the lighting ! tasted so many times as vathakuzhambu and podi never tasted this way 🙂
Priti S
I am trying to think if I know this green ...looks too gud and love the lighting
prathibha Garre
that greens foto is damn gud raji...never had this green I think..new 2 me..
Nagalakshmi V
this is the first i am hearing of thanni saaru. i will take your help to source those leaves next time. you get in little india?
Kavitha Bhargav
oye!!!! our room got brightened up!!! Nice picture and lighting...
JEYASHRI SURESH
My mom used to grow this in our garden and she plucks it freshly and makes kootu. this one with coconut milk sounds easy and nice. good traditional recipe and a best home remedy for ulcer too. Beautiful pictures
Akila
Adding coconut is interesting n new to me... My mom used to prepare this kootu or sambar. Will try this version soon.
Event: Dish name starts with R till April 15th and a giveaway
Veena Theagarajan
this is my mil signature dish.. It has been while since I did. Tempted.. will try this weekend.. nice clicks as usual Raji
Priya Suresh
My grandma's signature dish, she cook partially with tamarind water and with coconut milk,this looks wonderful.
Dipti Joshi
I don't know whether we get these leaves here....but good to know that it is used for mouth ulcers.
Sangeetha Nambi
Adding coconut will add more flavor to the dish... Real healthy and tasty one... Bookmarked !!!
Kadhyaa
Raks looks so awesome 🙂 but is there any alternate name for Keerai? beautiful clicks
RAKS KITCHEN
Yes I got in Laavan. The one near to Murugan idli shop
சாருஸ்ரீராஜ்
our fav one instead of water for thanni saaru we use kalani thanni (arsi kavuvina thanni )
dassana
the pics are good on white bg. what are these leaves known in hindi, any idea. looks like i have seen them before.
divya
Wow it was just awesome...
Anonymous
Hey Raks... you have an amazing blog here and you inspired me to start my own.. i even tried your Oats Dosa and posted in my blog ... check it out 🙂 I love your pics and step by step instructions... great job !! Keep them coming 🙂
RAKS KITCHEN
Is there anything called Mokoi? Not really sure
RAKS KITCHEN
Oh yes, you are 100% right, I totally forgotten! Will edit to add... Thanks 🙂
Srimathi Mani
Looks delicious Raks. The keerai is what amma used to make us eat all the time.
dassana
never heard of mokoi. i shall show the pic to my mil. she may recognise what these leaves are called. thanks for replying raks.
Gayathri Ramanan
wow..such a healthy soup...Drinking in a empty stomach is good for digestive problem too but we don't add coconut.....love the clicks..
dishesfrommykitchen
Love this keerai a lot and used to do it very often. Unfortunately I am not getting them here. It has wonderful health benefits too 🙂 Yah thanni saaru with any keerai is yumm 🙂
Nisha
Loved this traditional recipe
Thilak saravanan
Ultimate favorite 🙂
Sangeetha Prabhu
RAK'S you're always rocking... Your recipes gives a good result.. And one suggestion pls create a cookery app!!!