Monday, February 4, 2008

உடல் நலம் தரும் கீரைகள் 101 (101 Varieties of Green to Keep you Healthy)

உடல் நலம் தரும் கீரைகள் 101 - A Book Review
Writing about this gives me immense pleasure as it is written by my very own paternal grandmother. My Dad and Uncles embarked on this journey to get the book published primarily to preserve the information that is bound to disappear if it is not recorded somewhere. The book was published, June 2000 when grandma was 72 years of age. I thank my dad who did most of the research and uncles for the effort and time they put into getting this book published.


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About the Author
Grandma is always a great source of tips not only for cooking but also beauty. Even at this ripe age she has most of her teeth in good condition and a smooth flawless skin. Some of the beauty tips like these are natural, practical and wholesome.

1. Apply the Paal Aadai which forms on the surface of the milk when boiled to give a shiny look to the face.

2. Preserve the skin of Papaya and rub it on arms and legs before bath for a healthy and shiny skin.

Even today she always has a writing pad and pen to jot down cooking tips to pass it on to me and her anybody who would listen, to try it out. Some of the snacks and pickles she created are pretty hard to recreate exactly, like the Kaara Pori and the Lemon Pickle with Green Chilies and Green Pepper Corns. The addition of garlic to the Kaara Pori and Green Pepper Corns to the lemon pickle are her own special touch.


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In her kitchen (in our ancestral home) grandma ruled over her kitchen and created mouth watering delicacies and I am pretty sure she always explained what went into the dish but none registered at that age. Greens of some kind or the other were always included in the meal and it usually came fresh from the garden. Like most homes in villages there was a huge backyard where a lot of greens, vegetables and fruits were grown. For the untrained eye the garden would look like a mass of overgrown plants but grandma knew the purpose each plant served and where exactly it was located. Besides the mandatory Curry Leaf Plant, Lemon Tree, Drumstick tree, Papaya Tree, Coconut tree there were numerous other beneficial greens whose names are probably known only to a few today.

About the Book
The book is written primarily for greens that are very common and some that are not so common. The theme centers around how adding a specific green helps prevent certain ailments and also the health benefits of the particular green and included for each green is a simple recipe. The botanical name provided serves a very useful purpose where the pictures do not. The black and white photographs do not easily convey the image of the green they represent. Collecting photographs for each of these greens might be a good exercise for me.

Sample Pages: Mustard Greens

30 comments:

  1. Simply incredible. Got all nostalgic thinking of my own grandparents, ancestral home, backyard garden and greens!!-:)

    Appreciate the dedication of your family, especially your grandmother in bringing out this priceless book on greens and natural beauty tips (safe, inexpensive and effective!!).

    I wish it were in English.:(. You are a very fortunate person!-:)

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  2. Wow! I wish you had reviewed this book before I went to India, I would have purchased it in Salem. Do you know if this cook book is avbl in Salem. I will ask my parents to buy it...It is cook books like this that are the best. Now I know where these awesome culinary skills come from :)

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  3. I am happy to see a Tamil book on greens. ISG, Now I know where you get your genes from.

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  4. Greens are always filled with loads of health boosters. I love eating greens..raw, cooked..anyway

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  5. Wow...ISG...Iam sure you are proud of your grandma. BTW is there an English version of the book avlbl???

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  6. WOW! So, you have this in your blood huh? Lucky girl... this is so awesome, now its your turn to get a book published Indo...
    And yay, I could read the Tamil version too... :)

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  7. ISG, useful is the info handed over by our grandparents, and great are those people who preserve it! Tks for sharing this with us!!

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  8. What a wonderful thing indo...its nice knowing abt your grandma...I am sure that will be a great work for you to do...is the book still on stand or where is it available?

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  9. Thank you everybody for your overwhelming support. I am not sure if the book is still in print. I'll check with my dad. Moreover I am trying to get this into a PDF format so it is easy to e-share. Probably translate into English as well.

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  10. ISG, that would be wonderful getting the English version in PDF format and e-share. Look forward to that:)

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  11. Wish it was in English!! You should translate it Indo, I don't think I can buy it here though! Book sounds good!:)

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  12. wow indo. u did inherit those 'culinary' genes from ur granny :)
    i so much wish it was in english. i love green leafy vegs and use them quite frequently. this book would have helped to learn and try new recipes. u should start posting the recipes in ur blog.

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  13. your granny is gorgeous. and what a great treasure the book is. love the illustrations inside.

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  14. your granny is gorgeous. and what a great treasure the book is. love the illustrations inside.

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  15. your granny is gorgeous. and what a great legacy she has created. love the illustrations inside the book.

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  16. Oh yes, translate it into English!

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  17. Beautiful way to preserve memories and recipes. Love cook books by non celebs, they are full of homely recipes which people make regularily in their homes.

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  18. I have people coming from India. Got to tell them buy this book. Love it.

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  19. wow! it is wonderful to know about this book, please do get it translated to english if possible.

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  20. Indosungod, thanks for all your 'pickling' advice! My batch didn't turn out too bad after all!

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  21. Oh, ISG, a book by your very own grandmother -- how exciting! I wish I could read Tamil -- I can just imagine the treasures it holds.

    Your grandmother is beautiful -- surely runs in the family! :)

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  22. u have a lovely grandma ,indo

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  23. That is so heart-warming! This has to be the most special cook-book, actually much more than a cook-book! I can imagine the happiness that you must be feeling! Awesome! And thanks for thinking about sharing this cook in the electronic format! Kudos to your beloved and family bringing this book to shape!

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  24. You are so blessed to have such a treasure in your family and the book!

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  25. Wowwww... please let me know when you get the pdf version. would love to read it... and treasure it.

    Congratulations to your paati, appa and uncle for doing this..

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  26. Indo, I want to buy this book. How can I get it?

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  27. I am not sure if this book is still in print. Will check with my dad and let you know. I am trying to scan the pages to make a digital version. I'll let you know when I am done with that project as well.

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  28. Indo, How on earth did I miss this one? :( Is this book still available? I'd like to buy two.

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  29. Kay, I am not sure. I spoke to dad when Nirmala enquired about it. It might be available through the publisher. Let me get the information and I will post it here.

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  30. Thanks Indo,

    If you need help with the pdf version, I'd love to help.

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