by PadhuSankar 50 Comments
Brahmi known as vallarai in Tamil is a medicinal herb which has been used for centuries in Traditional Indian (Ayurveda) Medicine. Vallarai keerai (leaves resemble the shape of human brain) has amazing medicinal properties and has the power to cure many diseases. You can include it in your diet once in a week in the form of thuvaiyal, sambar or kootu. Today we will see how to make vallarai keerai thogayal following this easy recipe.
I can write pages and pages on its health benefits but to cut it short, I have given few very important health benefits of vallarai/brahmi leaves. To know more about its health benefits, you can refer here, andhere.
Health Benefits of Vallarai Keerai-Brahmi Leaves
It is a blood purifier and cleanse the system by eliminating all sorts of poisons
It strengthens the immune system.
Relieves anxiety and stress. Helps to improve concentration.
Relaxes muscles and alleviates menstrual pain and disorders.
It calms the heart and helps guard against heart attacks
It is said to cure many types of skin problems like eczema, leprosy and ulcers. It is equally beneficial in the diseases like psoriasis and abscess also.
Promotes mental health and helps improves memory and intellect.
Brahmi extracts are used as the major ingredient for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and brain related problems like insomnia,
Promote youthful vitality and longevity. Prevents early greying of hair.
Strengthens liver. It hasHepatoprotective properties.
Because of its relaxing effects on brain, it is used to treat depression
It is beneficial in relieving tension throughout the system and helps to ease constipation from stress.
Has anti fungal and antibacterial properties
Useful in the treatment of of irritable bowel syndrome.
Vallarai Keerai Thuvaiyal-Brahmi Leaves Chutney
Prep Time : 10 mins
Cook Time : 10 mins
Serves: 3
Recipe Category:Side Dish-Thogayal-Chutney
Recipe Cuisine:Indian
Author:Padhu Sankar
Ingredients needed
Vallarai Keerai/Brahmi leaves – 1 cup firmly packed
Oil – 1 1/2 tbsp (sesame seed oil preferable)
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Urad dal – 2 tbsp
Red Chillies – 3
Pearl Onions – 10-12
Tamarind – peas sized ball or 1/2 tsp paste
Grated coconut or coconut bits – 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Preparation
Wash the greens (use the leaves alone) and keep it aside. Peel pearl onions and keep it ready.
Method
Heat oil in a pan/kadai, add mustard seeds, when it splutters, add urad dal and red chillies.
When urad dal turns golden brown, remove the dal and chillies from the kadai and keep it aside.
In the same kadai, add the pearl onions and saute until it turns transparent.
Then add the brahmi leaves and saute on low heat until it wilts and the raw flavor goes.
Add coconut, salt, tamarind and saute for a few more minutes.
Now add the dal and red chillies back to the kadai and switch off the heat. Once it cools, grind it a little coarse with needed salt adding very less water.
It goes well with hot rice topped with a tsp of ghee or sesame seed oil. It can be had as a side dish for dosa and idli.
The great thing is, this herb grows easily at home and does not need much care. I have just used an old broken tub and few pots to grow this herb. I made this vallarai thogayal from home grown vallarai. You too can try growing this amazing herb at home.
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Reader Interactions
Comments
Hi , this looks yummy. Can we substitute this with Keerai powder?
Reply
No , it will not be good. You can get fresh leaves in the market now a days in India.
Reply
Hello Madam,
Where can I buy this Keerai (fresh leaves)? I live in Bangalore, any idea where it is available in Bangalore?
Thanks much.
EmersonReply
Tried your recipe. Came out well, thanks
If we grind with onion how many days it can be stored.akka
Reply
You can store it for 1 or 2 days in the refrigerator.
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Unknown How do you grow this herb at home? Using seeds or stem? Where can we buy Vallarai keerai seeds?
Reply
Vallarai grows easily at home and does not need much maintenance. Check the link below to know how to grow vallarai at home.
How to grow Vallarai at homeReply
hi tried ur recipe… its good thanks
Reply
Hi Padhu How tasty!! SUPERB. Thank you so much for sharing such a nice recipe. Also, tell me if we get seeds for this plant. I am in Canada. I get fresh leaves here. However, little tempted by your tips for growing it at home too.God bless.
Elsie
CanadaReply
Thank you so much Elsie. Glad you liked it. You have to plant a small vallarai plant with root. It will spread and multiply.
Reply
Looks good . Can we use agathi keerai for this thuvaiyal ?
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- Someone on Earth
Hi Padhu,
Great recipes, thanks for sharing them. I just got some vallarai keerai from farmer's market, will be trying this out today.Reply
I made this. It was bitter. Does Brahmi have a bitter taste?
Reply
Brahmi will be bitter but this chutney will not be that bitter. You should saute the brahmi leaves well and add the mentioned pearl onions. This will reduce the bitterness of the vallarai.
Reply
Hi Padhu,
Keep this good work going. I would like to bring to your attention that Vallarai(Botanical name-Centella Aasiatica, also called Pennywort,Goto kola) is different from Brahmi(botanical name -Bacopa monieri).It is said both have memory enhancing abilities.
Reply
Hi Ms. Padhu, wonderful and easy preparation recipes, excellent work, whenever I try a new dish I search for Padhu kitchen. Thanks a lot.
Reply
Was really useful as I hv never tried this greens. Came out yummy too.
Reply
Hi paddu, I always use your recipe. It comes out good. Congratulations. I want to know how you grew the keerai?
Did you start from the leaf, can you just plant leaf?Thank you for liking my recipes. You have keep a small plant with root and not the leaf. It will multiply. You can see the picture in my kitchen garden.
Reply
Hi.. about growing this keerai.. wht to sow? ? Tia
Reply
I have already answered the question above. Just keep a small plant with root. It will multiply.
Reply
Hii I had planted stems of pudhina to grow it at home..my doubt is will brahmi also grow like that ? Or how to grow them at home ?
Reply
If it has roots, it will grow otherwise it will not grow like pudina.
Reply
Yummy Receipe. Thanks for sharing. Whenever I try something new I always visit ur page. The quantities of raw materials turns out appropriate always.
Just one query I have how to plant this one. If we just place the stem will it grow or do we need the seedsReply
Thank you for liking my website and for visiting regularly. I have already answered the question in the comments above. You have to plant it with the root, then it will grow well and spread as it is a creeper.
Reply
Hi Padhu,
I tried your recipe and liked it a lot! I hadn't even seen or tried Vallarai before but a friend introduced me to it. Now, I am looking for seeds so that I can grow it myself. Any idea where I can get them?
LaxmiReply
Thanks a lot for liking my recipe. You have to plant a vallarai plant with root. I have no idea about vallarai seeds.
Reply
Thanks a lot
Reply
According to my grand mother Vallarai should not be eaten with Tamarind to preserve its medicinal properties. In the traditional recipe taught by her, I use coconut, black pepper and salt for the thuvaiyal.
Reply
Hi Padhu,Inspired by your home grown vallari, i too grew up a pot for vallari in my flat balcony…Today I made this vallari dish from the home grown vallarai .. It came out really well.. thank u so much for the recipe and potting ideas.. Hats Off to you…
Reply
Hi padhu…thanks for all ur wonderful recipes…I have a query…I heared from a chef that if we add tamarind to vallarai keeta all its medical benefit will reduce is that true??
Reply
Just a small bit of tamarind does not reduce its medicinal values. You can skip tamarind if you do not prefer. Actually we add tamarind, shallots etc to reduce the bitterness of the vallarai.
Reply
- mlavgv
can we add tomato or aamchur instead of tamarind??
Reply
You can add aamchur powder.
Reply
Instead of tamarind you can add narthangai vathal or squeeze lemon ….
Reply
Lemon juice will not suit.I have not tried adding vathal. You are going to add just a bit of tamarind which is not going to harm.
Reply
Can we take amchur powder as a substitute for tamarind
Reply
You can if you want.
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Mam , i am in usa. Can i use vallarai keerai powder from nattu marundhukadai to prepare thugayal?
Reply
Try making podi with it. For thuvaiyal, you need fresh ones. You can grow it easily in a pot if you have just a small plant with root. It spreads.
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Hi Padhu, any idea why u should not use the stem? Thanks
Reply
Valarai chutney has come out a little bitter even after the addition of tamarind and pudhina…is this normal and how can this be fixed
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- Unknown
the tovaiyal and kootu both are awesome!!!!!!
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- Unknown
Can v use garlic ?
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If you like you can. No hard and fast rules.
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- senthilkumar
Hi, madam,thanks for your receipe, it came out well. Please note tamarind need not to be added with vallarai according to siddha procedure add pepper.
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- Ramesh B
Thanks for the useful recipe. What is the kind of kadai you use for this?
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- Anne
Very nice
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- Velappan V.
Hello Padhu, your Website has lots of recipes. Thanks for sharing everything to us. One quick question, where do I get Vallarai Keerai Seeds in US?
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