Monday 30 March 2015

Chinese long beans, home cultivation

 

 

The other day I posted about growing ladies finger organically at home in Magical present, my blog. I have mentioned I put a sturdy plastic net to protect those plants, hope you all remember. Well, this net is now serving as Trellis support for my Chinese long bean plants!

I bought seeds of Chinese long beans/yard long beans/asparagus bean/pea bean/achingapayar/sitaw /butong from a local vendor at the market. It was an impulsive buy; normally I go for high yield variety from reputed seed suppliers only. Moreover, the guy told me this is bush variety and will not need support since it is not a climbing vine. Anyway, the two seeds I planted sprouted quickly and stems began elongating day-by-day. I was confused about what to do because I have very limited outdoor space at home being in a metro city so I do not go for any climbers. I bought it from the vendor only because he told me this is a bush variety. Well, it wasn't! I watered it too daily when I go there to water ladies fingers. The plant began clutching to the plastic net that I kept for protecting my ladies finger plants. I was about to pluck away these two but decided to keep it there anyway. As days went by these two began growing vigorously entwining the net crisscross. I was in a dilemma again. A week ago, that is after almost 45 days since planting seeds these two began flowering. The flowers were colored bluish-white. Two days ago I noticed bean sprouting from these buds and today I found it has elongated to about 15 cm! I do not know if it will reach a yard or so, but I will have to pluck those to cook, maybe after a few days, otherwise it will become fibrous.

The potting mixture was the same I used for planting ladies finger. Good quality organic soil, cow dung powder, vermicompost, cocopeat and a handful of neem cake powder. I was so excited to see these beans coolly dangling from the stems. It was totally unexpected! I read online it will take at least 60 days for it to fruit and will need a lot of space for a climber like this. Nothing like that here, it occupies only a limited space and seems happy growing crisscross, up and down.

Pesticide usage and other harmful cultivation practices are big problems here. It has become almost impossible to find pesticide-free items. Our State has assumed the status of a consumer over a period of time depending on the neighboring States for almost everything including vegetables. Being a small State, the availability of land for cultivation has become less. Labour has become costly with limited manpower. Certified organic products are expensive. There is widespread coverage in the media in Kerala about the harmful health problems associated with a toxic pesticide, fertilizer, and hormonal use. The Incidence of serious diseases like cancer is on the rise like never before. This has prompted people to grow whatever possible in their homes even if it is very limited in quantity. Organic vegetable gardens have become popular here. There are training classes on organic cultivation; agencies are supplying seeds and other planting materials. People are sharing their experiences online and through other forums. Organic vegetable farming movement in Kerala has picked up in a big way.

Urban farming in Kerala is challenging, but things are possible. That is my experience 😊

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Saturday 28 March 2015

Chinese potato (Koorkka)



Chinese potato is a common edible tuberous crop in India. It is very popular among people over here. This yummy tuber is known as 'Koorkka' in Malayalam, our mother tongue.

Chinese potato/country potato / Hausa potato is cultivated in Africa, India and many parts of Asia. The botanical name is Plectranthus rotundifolius  / Solenostemon rotundifolius.

The crop looks smaller than potatoes and comes in bizarre shapes and sizes. It has a dark brown skin that can be scraped off easily. The sweet taste and unique aroma is undoubtedly the plus point of this cool tuber that makes it stand out among the innumerable edible roots and tubers available for culinary use.

The above dish is called 'mezhukkupuratty' (a dish that is a little oily) that is made of Koorkka. The cut pieces of Koorkka mixed with vegetable masala powder, a little red chilli powder, water, and salt is sauteed with a little oil in a saucepan. That's it... Yummy dish😊

Well, this is my recipe :), nothing elaborate. No claims this is an authentic Keralite mezhukkupuratti (Upperi) recipe for which there are plenty of culinary sites and blogs online😊, if interested, readers may kindly browse.

Koorkka is a rich source of Calcium and Iron.

Note: Please read the DISCLAIMER attached to this blog.

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Friday 20 March 2015

Don't worry, be happy...International day of happiness

March 20 has been recognized as the International day of happiness by the UN.

Happiness is a fundamental right and pursuing it is serious business. Happiness for all human beings on this planet and let us all try to make each other happy.

These photos were taken in Dubai during the Dubai shopping festival some years ago. It was wonderful, festive season over there and the weather was cool! These drummers were awesome; we all felt thrilled. People were dancing and even they invited many to join them drumming on stage. You don't need any special training for playing those drums, they will tell you what to do and we are in sync with them! So simple!

During the height of frenzy, a guy would shout with the microphone in hand 'forget the past, be happy, live in the present'

Well, not so easy to forget all the bitterness of the past but why can't we give it a try, at the least?

You are all familiar with the Burj Al Arab, the iconic structure on the Jumeirah beach in Dubai. I never tire taking pictures of this magnificent artistic structure! I have blogged a lot about this awesome hotel. What a beautiful building!

I have a happiness group on my Google plus page; ' Find happiness here', kindly join πŸ˜Š

Live happily, spread happiness πŸ˜Š

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Tuesday 17 March 2015

Greenery, everywhere...!


 Arecanut trees against the backdrop of setting Sun...

 Coconut tree...

 Beautiful yellow flowers...


 Wonderful white flowers...

 Green pepper!

 This is Chinese chilli (Kanthari mulaku, in Malayalam ), a very hot chilli variety...

 Green pepper...

 A cute rose flower...

 Tomato cultivation...

Plantain, a fruit, and a plant...
A common sight in most of the households in Kerala, especially in the villages.

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Tuesday 10 March 2015

Camphor Tulsi (Karpoorathulasi, kapoor tulsi, camphor basil) and other common varieties of this divine plant in India

Camphor Tulsi
Camphor tulsi/Karpoorathulasi/Camphor basil is a rare variety of Basil. Rub the leaves of this divine plant, the fragrance resembles camphor!

Tulsi (Thulasi, basil), as you all know, is a holy plant worshiped in India. All Hindu households will have a Tulsithara, a raised structure in front of the house facing the main door where this holy plant will be grown. Some use a special clay pot as the container to grow Tulsi where space is limited.  Nowadays people have started growing Tulsi, somehow or other, in pots and containers in small apartments as well.

Thulasi leaves and flowers are used in Hindu rituals of worship of Gods and Goddesses. This holy plant is considered sacred in Hinduism. It is a divine plant.

There are three varieties of Tulsi (Holy basil) popular in India.
  • Krishna Tulsi - the leaves and stem are purple in color, the aroma of the leaves is mesmerizing. 
  • Rama Tulsi - the leaves are green. 
  • Shyama Tulsi - the leaves are long and narrow.
Krishna and Rama are the varieties commonly grown in houses in India. Other varieties, if present are said to be auspicious. I have here Krishna, Rama, Camphor and Lemon varieties. Trying to get Shyama tulsi, God willing will get it as well asap.

There is a lot of confusion regarding the nomenclature of this species and the local names in India. I tried my best online, but I feel there is no consensus regarding the classification, local names, and varieties. Hope someone knowledgeable will enlighten us sooner or later. So I have used the common names that I am familiar with in this post.

Lemon Tulsi
Tulsi has innumerable medicinal uses as well. It has been claimed to be having anti-diabetic, carminative, immunity boosting, anti-cancer properties and the like. Some varieties have culinary uses as well, like Thai basil.

Camphor Tulsi/Karpoora thulasi is a water-loving plant. You miss it to water one day, hmmm...it will collapse if it is growing in a pot!

Rama Tulsi
We worship this divine plant. May God bless you all.

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