Saturday, December 24, 2011
Friday, December 23, 2011
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Get-together
Get-together...Invitation
HARITHA ASSOCIATION FOR LEARNING FROM ENVIRONMENT (HALE)
Haritha Ecological Institute, P.B.:NO.:26, B.C.M.Road, Harithapuri, Palvancha-507115, Khammam Dt., A.P.
Phone at: 08744-255060, E-mail at: harithavaranam@gmail.com, See at: harithaassociation.blogspot.com
HARITHA ASSOCIATION GET-TOGETHER
Dates: (26,27)-01-2012
Venue: Haritha Ecological Institute,Palvancha
(RSVP to 9397382796)
Agenda
1. Membership of Haritha Association
2. Strengthening of Haritha Ecological Institute
Our Vision
Only by integrating our educational policy with productive activities, the goals of "education for all" would be achieved; holistic and scientific education would become a reality. It is only through such an education policy that true and lasting solutions to societal, community and individual problems can be found. Combining the education even at school level with scientific research for sustainable development at the societal, community, and individual levels can only be achieved by relying on renewable and local resources of materials and energy.
The above can alone provide the right attitudes and values including the ones for inquisitiveness, creativity and innovation to make research at all levels, including the higher (university) level more productive, successful and meaningful to the society.
Our Mission
To develop educational curriculum at all levels, starting at primary school education level which is related to productive activities as experiments in the 'field laboratory', which is the place of work itself.
To show a Model School where this is implemented
To build a Resource and Training Center for scaling up the above practices in the main stream school education using the latest ICT (Information and Communication Technology).
Monday, August 8, 2011
To National level Meet/INSPIRE Science Fair
This is a simple and exciting experiment which is selected district level to State level and State level to National level.Manisha and Jyotsna as Haritha team will participate in National level Meet at Delhi on 14th and15th of August.This program(INSPIRE) is supported and organized by Department of Science and Technology(DST) of MHRD ,Government of India.
About INSPIRE(Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research) :
The basic objectives of INSPIRE is to communicate to the children/youth of the country the excitement of creative pursuit of Science at an early age and thus build the required critical human resource pool for strengthening and expanding the Science and Technology.
And for the attraction of talent to Science.
INSPIRE - Award:
* DST sanctioned INSPIRE awards in respect of 29282 students from 16488 Schools from 23 districts of Andhrapradesh.
*DST sanctioned awards for 1118 students from 559 schools from Khammam district.
*Under the scheme a one time award of Rs. 5000/- is given to the students,who would utilize the amount for making a science project.
*From Andhrapradesh 55 experiments are selected to National level meet.
*From Khammam district 4 experiments are selected to National level meet.
Let take a look on our simple and exciting experiment/project.....
Title of the Project
MORE LEAFY VEGETABLES
Name of the INSPIRE Awarder
K. Manisha, VII class
Teacher Guide
P. Jyotsna
School
Haritha Ecological Institute,
Palvancha, Khammam Dt., A.P.
INDEX
S. No. Page. No.
1. Introduction……………………………………………... 3
2. Bottle gourd leaves curry……………………………. 5
3. Cucumber leaves curry……………………………….. 7
4. Crayan bean leaves curry…………………………….. 9
5. Brinjal leaves curry…………………………………… 11
6. Field bean chapathi…………………………………… 13
7. Tender Mango leaves Ravva laddu……………… 15
8. Colocasia leaves bajjeelu……………………………. 17
9. Cow pea leaves gaarelu………………………………. 19
10. Powder of Lakuch, Jambu and Guava leaves ..21
11. Field bean leaves curry……………………………… 23
12. Case Study……………………………………………..... 25
13. Conclusion……………………………………………..... 27
MORE LEAFY VEGETABLES
Introduction
National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) of Hyderabad stated in some of their reports that leaves of some vegetables like bottle gourd are also edible.
Further, their data on the nutrients suggests that bottle gourd leaves have much more nutrient content than those in bottle gourd vegetable. But leaves of bottle gourd are not normally eaten.
If leaves of such vegetables can be proven to be edible, then it provides means to enhance food diversity and security. The farm income would also increase.
So, at our school (Haritha Ecological Institute) we have been trying to find if the leaves of several vegetables, pulses, roots/tubers, fruits etc. are edible. Through our experiments in cooking, we found that several such leaves such as those of bottle gourd that are not normally eaten can be used to make tasty dishes.
In fact a rich variety of leaves that are ignored by most are traditionally cooked by a few communities, including those in the tribal regions. For example, leaves of drumstick plant or Colocasia are consumed in some parts of South India, but are largely ignored. This is in spite of the available literature that drum stick plant leaves are like multi vitamin capsules.
This is a preliminary report documenting the preparation of these dishes with leaves of several common vegetables, pulses, roots/tubers, fruits etc. the leaves of which are not commonly eaten thus far:
1. Bottle gourd leaves
2. Cucumber leaves
3. Crayan bean leaves
4. Brinjal leaves
5. Field bean leaves
6. Mango leaves
7. Colocasia leaves
8. Cow pea leaves
9. Lakuch leaves
10. Jambu leaves
11. Guava leaves
12. Grape leaves
Bottle gourd leaves Curry
Required Ingredients
1. Bottle gourd leaves – 250gms.
2. Green chilly – 4
3. Onion – ½ piece
4. Red chilly – 5
5. Garlic – 5 pieces
6. Tomato – 1
7. Spices powder – ½ spn
8. Ginger,Garlic paste – ½ spn
9. Oil – 4 tbspn
10. Salt – sufficient
11. Turmeric powder – 1 pinch
12. Water – ¼ cup
13. Mustered leaves – ¼ bundle
14. Curry leaves – 2
15. Spices – ½ spn
Method of preparation
Heat one teaspoon of oil in a wide pan. Add all the popu ingredients and red chillies toast them till the seeds start to splutter. Mix onion pieces, green chillies,curry leaves and paste of ginger&garlic and toast upto 5 minutes with lid closed. After that mix clean and cut Bottle gourd leaves and toast upto 5 minutes. Add tomato pieces, garlic pieces, sprinkle salt and add chilli powder cover with a lid and cook for about 10 minutes. Sprinkle mustered seeds powder. Lastly add mustered leaves.
Serve with rice or chapathi or dosa.
Cucumber leaves Curry
Required Ingredients
1.Tender Cucumber leaves-250gms.
2.Oil-3spn
3.Mustered seeds-1/2 spn
4. Red chilli-3
5. Green chilli-3
6.Curry leaves-2
7. Onion-1/2 piece
8. Tomato-1
9. Salt- Sufficient
10. Garlic-4
11.Ginger,Garlic paste-1/2 spn
12. Mustered seeds powder-1/4 spn
13. Chilli powder-1/4 spn
14. Turmeric powder – 2 pinches
15.Mustered leaves- ½ bundle
Method of Preparation:
Heat oil in a big saucepan, toast mustard seeds, red chillies for about 2 minutes and add curry leaves. Add onion pieces, green chillies and paste ginger and garlic. Fry untill pieces become brown for about 5 minutes.
Add clean pieces of cucumber leaves and cook for about 8 minutes.
When they are little bit softened, add tomato pieces, onion pieces, red chilli powder, salt, turmeric powder and cover with a lid. Add powdered dalia (pappulu),and mustered leaves, cover and cook for about 10 minutes.
Serve hot with chapatis or rice.
Crayan bean leaves Curry
Required Ingredients
1.Tender Crayanbean leaves-250gms.
2.Oil-4 Tbspn
3. Spices – ½ spn
4. Green chilli-4
5. Red chilli-4
6. Tomato-1
7. Curry leaves – 2
8. Onion -1/2 piece
9. Mustered seeds powder – ¼ spn
10. Salt – sufficient
11. Chilli powder – ½ spn
12. Turmeric powder – 2 pinches
13. Garlic – 4
14. Ginger,Garlic paste – ¼ spn
15. Mustered leaves- ¼ bundle
16. Ground nuts – 25 gr
Method of preparation
Put pan on the stove
Pour 4 table spoons of oil after the oil gets hot, add spices, dry chillies and then chopped onions, green chillies, garlic paste, curry leaves paste Stir slightly with big spoon and add the pieces tender leaves (of crayan bean ) and cook for about 10 minutes. Then add garlic, tomato pieces, turmeric powder, chilli powder, salt, coriander seeds poder and stir with wooden spoon. Cover the pan and cook for 10 minutes.
Brinjal leaves dal Curry
Required Ingredients
* Brinjal leaves—100 gms.
1. Green dal – 150 gms.
2. Tomato – 2
3. Curry leaves – 2
4. Chilli powder – 1 spn
5. Green chilli – 3
6. Garlic – 5
7. Onion – ½ piece
8. Oil – 3 tbspn
9. Spices – ½ spn
10. Water – 1 cup
11. Turmeric powder – ¼ spn
12. Mustered leaves – ¼ bundle
13. Salt – Sufficient
14. Red Chilli – 4
Method of Preparation:
Clean and chop tender brinjal leaves into pieces. Boil greengram dal with sufficient water. When water starts to boil, add brinjal leaves, tomato pieces and pieces of green chillies. After 10 minutes add turmeric, salt, mustered leaves and cook until dal becomes soft.
In another pan heat oil and add spices. Then add red chilli, curry leaves, onion and garlic and cook for about 5minutes. When they turn into brown, mix this with boiled dal and it is ready to be served with rice.
Field Bean Chapaathi
Required Ingredients
1. Mustered leaves – ½ bundle
2. Tender field bean leaves – 100 gr
3. Wheat flour – 200gr
4. Green chilli – 4
5. Tomato – 1
6. Salt – sufficient
7. Oil – sufficient
8. Curry leaves – 2
9. Onion – ¼ piece
10. Curd – 1 spn
Method of Preparation:
Clean and cut field bean leaves, tomato, green chillies and onion into small pieces. Heat oil in a pan, add onion, green chilly, tomato pieces and toast till they turn brown. To this mixture, add pieces of field bean leaves and ¼ spoon salt. Cook this mixture for about 5 minutes. Take one bowl and pour wheat flour, curd and add above mixture. Add some hot water and make paste of chapathi. Make chapathies and bake with a bit of oil.
Tender Mango leaves Ravva laddu
Required Ingredients
1. Tender Mango leaves – 50 gr
2. Ground nuts – 50 gr
3. Gingelly seeds – 50 gr
4. Ghee – 50 gr
5. Almond – 10 gr
6. Cashew nuts – 10 gr
7. Kiss miss -10 gr
8. Sugar – ¼ kg
9. Upma ravva – 50 gr
Method of Preparation
Lightly fry ground nuts, gingelly seeds, upma ravva separately. Heat one table spoon of ghee in another pan, and add tender mango leaves(cut in to pieces) to fry slightly. Add almond nuts , cashew nuts, kismiss.
Mix all the above items except upma ravva, grind them into powder and pour this powder along with upma ravva slowly into previously prepared boiled sugar solution so that this mixture becomes semi solid and is ready for making laddus/balllike things. Take the mixed up semi solid powder into fist and shape them into ball . Finally garnish the laddus with cashew nuts.
Colocasia leaves Bajjeelu
Required Ingredients
1. Colocasia leaves - 5
2. Basan(Redgrams) flour – 150 gms.
3. Jeera – ½ tspn
4. Salt – sufficient
5. Red chilly powder – ½ tspn.
6. Oil – ½ kg
Method of Preparation:
Make paste with a mixture of basan flour, salt, onion pieces, green chilly, jeera and chilly powder. Take this paste on colocasia leaves and roll the same as pipes. Tie the edges with thread. After frying lightly in oil, cut these rounds into three pieces and again fry these pieces in oil. Serve them hot as buggies.
Cow pea leaves Gaarelu
Required Ingredients
1. Cow pea leaves – 150 gms
2. Udad dal – 150gms
3. Green chilli – 4
4. Onion – 1
5. Jeera – ½ spn
6. Salt – sufficient
7. Chilli powder – ¼ spn
8. Oil – sufficient
9. Curry leaves – 2
10. Mustered leaves – ½ bundle
11. Ginger pieces – ½ spn
Method of Preparation:
First soak Udad dal for 30 minutes. Grind this dal say in a mixy. To this add green chilly, onion, jeera, clean pieces of cow pea leaves, ginger pieces, curry leaves and mustered leaves. Grind this mixture once again in a mixy. With this, make gaarelu by frying in oil.
Powder of
Lakuch leaves, Jambu leaves and Guava leaves
Required Ingredients
1. Tender Lakuch leaves – 50 gms.
2. Tender Jambu Leaves – 50 gms.
3. Tender Guava leaves – 50 gms.
4. Gingelly – 2 spn
5. Ground nuts – 50 gms.
6. Garlic – 5 pieces
7. Spices – ¼ spn
8. Mustered seeds powder – ¼ spn
9. Red Chilli – 8
10. Curry leaves – 2
11. Jeera – ¼ spn
12. Oil—2 spn.
Method of Preparation
Heat a bit of oil in a pan, fry spices, red chilly and curry leaves. Make dry fries of tender lakuch leaves, jambu leaves and guava leaves
separately with bit of oil. And also fry ginger and ground nuts separately with oil. Combine all above with garlic and jeera and grind the mixture in a mixy to make powder. Serve with hot rice.
Field Bean leaves Curry
Required Ingredients
1. Tender Field Bean Leaves – 150 gms.
2. Curry leaves – 2
3. Mustered leaves – ½ bundle
4. Oil – 4 tbspn
5. Spices – 1spn
6. Chilli powder – 1 spn
7. Tomato – 1
8. Salt – sufficient
9. Turmeric powder – 1 pinch
10. Ginger,Garlic paste – ½ spn
11. Spices powder – ½ spn
12. Garlic – 4 pieces
13. Onion – ½ piece
14. Green chilli – 4
15. Red chilli – 4
16. Water – 1 cup
Method of Preparation
Heat oil in a pan, add spices, red chilly. When they turn brown add onion, green chilly and for toast about 5 minutes. After that add paste of ginger and garlic, curry leaves and cook for up to 5minutes. Add pieces of field bean leaves and heat for about 10 minutes after covering with a lid.
Then add tomato, garlic, chilly powder, turmeric and powdered dalia and cook for about 10 minutes. Finally add mustered leaves and the curry is ready.
And some more….
1. Biscuits with Grape leaves
2. Laddus with Guava leaves
3. Snacks with Colocasia leaves
Case Study
Nutrients in bottle gourd and leaves of bottle gourd:
(All the values are per 100 gms. of edible portion)
Ref.: Pages: 48&51,Nutritive Value of Indian Foods, Published by NIN
|
| Moisture (gms.) | Protein (gms.) | Fat (gms.) | Minerals (gms.) | Carbo Hydrates (gms.) | Fibre (gms.) | Energy K cal. | Calcium (mg.) | Phospharus (mg.) | Iron (mg.) |
| Bottle gourd | 96.1 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 2.5 | 0.6 | 12 | 20 | 10 | 0.46 |
| Bottle gourd leaves | 87.9 | 2.3 | 0.7 | 1.7 | 6.1 | 1.3 | 39 | 80 | 59 | ---- |
From the above table, we note that there are more nutrients in bottle gourd leaves than there are in bottle gourd vegetable:
1. Proteins in leaves at 2.3 gms. are nearly ten times more than 0.2 gms.. in bottle gourd itself. Proteins are vital for health and more so for the growth of children.
2. In bottle gourd fat is 0.1gms. but in leaves it is seven times more at 0.7gms. Fat is essential as a partial source of energy to body.
3. Likewise, carbohydrates in bottle gourd are 2.5grms. while those in leaves are 6.1gms.
4. Carbohydrates are necessary for energy and growth.
5. In bottle gourd the total energy is 12 k.cal. but in leaves it is more than three times at 39 k.cal.
6. In bottle gourd calcium is 20 mg., but in leaves it is 60mg, nearly three times. Calcium is necessary for growth of bones. So it is necessary, specially for children.
7. In bottle gourd, phosphorous is 10mg but in leaves it is 59 mg, almost six times higher.
Apart from the nutrients, even the fibre content is also very large in the leaves(1.3gms..) compared to that in the vegetable(0.6gms.).
We know that fibre is very important in digestion.
Conclusion
We normally do not eat leaves of vegetables like brinjal, cucumber, bottle gourd etc. But NIN reports indicated that some such leaves are edible and published the nutrients of a few of such leaves. Leaves of bottle gourd actually seem to have more nutrients than the vegetable itself.
At our Haritha School, we experimented with several such ‘normally not used’ leaves of the vegetables and successfully made many delicious dishes from the leaves. Through this work we hope to encourage addition of leaves of vegetables in our diet. We would like to conduct more experiments in inventing different varieties of tasty dishes with leaves of more vegetables, the leaves that we do not normally eat.
There is also a need to systematically study the nutrient content in such leaves.
Thus a systematic exploration of leaves of all vegetables in schools can be important in value addition to vegetable crops for farmers.
This can substantially increase our food supply. Further farmers can get better and more stable incomes from vegetable gardens.
Jaihind