Stir-fry Watercress(Halim Shak) & Radish Green (mulo shak)

Wonderful Watercress…Mother Nature’s idea
for the perfect natural multi-vitamin, body cleansing detoxicant, and curative powerhouse...an ancient green traced back to Persians, Greeks, and Romans....a powerful antioxidant....this green weed/aquatic plant carries a peppery and mild tangy flavour.
Watercress is a better source of vitamins C, B1, B6, K, E, Iron, Calcium, Magnesium, Manganese, Zinc, and Potassium than Apples, Broccoli, and Tomatoes…It is a true SUPER-VEGGIE!
By weight, Watercress has more calcium than milk, more vitamin C than an orange and more absorbable Iron than Spinach (spinach is loaded with Oxlactic/Oxalic acid, which blocks the natural absorption of iron)
For more information on Watercress visit this and this link.
watercress is claimed to be of assistence with :
cancer relief and cure, blood purifier, skin clarifier, kidney problems, kidney stones, infections, infertility and many more...

Pic. Source : www.watercress.com

Nomenclature
Botanical: Lepidum sativum
English: Cress, Watercress
Sanskrit: Chandrasura
Hindi: Chansaur, Jal-Kumbhi
Bengali: Halim; (Jal) Halim-saak
Gujarati: Asaliya
Marathi : Ali
Tamil: Ativerai
Telegu : Adiyaalu
(sorry, friends....before I've reffered watercress in bengali as Kolmi saak, which is wrong, after lots of research, I've found out from some right source, that It is known as halim shak, I've updated all the names)

Now to the recipe.....I like to cook watercress this simple way without much spices..............


Ingredients :
Watercress : 1 or 2 bunch
Eggplant/bringal : 1/2 cup (cubed)
Dry red chilli : 1(break in half)
Black cumin seed/kalonji : 1 tsp.
Turmeric powder : 2 tsp.
Green chilli : 1 (chopped)
Oil : 2 tblsp.
Salt to taste

Method :

• Wash watercress bunch under running tap. Drain and then chop in small pieces.
• Heat oil in a pan, when oil is hot almost smoking, add dry red chilli and kalonji seeds. When chilli turns brown, add green chillies and chopped up watercress and eggplant. Stir, at this time, watercress will release little amount of water. Let the water evaporate, then add salt and turmeric, mix well.
  
• Stir for -3 minutes , then add 1/3 cup water to cook. Cover the pan and in medium flame let it cook. When water dries up, add salt to taste. Stir fry for 1-2 minutes. You are done.

Serve hot with plain rice...once you taste it, you'll fall in love with this green vege.

Stir-fry radish green(mulo shak bhaja)

Radish green is also a good source of Iron and taste great. I make radish green in the same manner as watercress. Use the green part of radish(chopped), some chopped radish, bringal/eggplant and spices are same as above recipe. Also cook in the same manner. Taste great with white rice.

Amaranth, another superfood, loaded with minerals and vitamins..for recipe and to know the health benefits of amaranth, click here.
All these green, totally nutritious recipes are going to a great event SWC : Cooking with Green started by Lakshmi of Taste of mysore and this time hosted by Sowmya of Creative saga