CUMMIN

This is a cumin (known as jeera) plant at my garden.This is yet another important spice in Indian cooking.The flower are yellow and is beautiful. The seeds are used as whole or powedered. I have also used the leaves in salads and also in curries and it does taste good. This is a very easy to grow. Just soak the seed in water for about 1 hr and sow into the soil, simple as that........

Below are some useful information from http://www.ayurhelp.com/plants/Cumin-jeera.htm

According to ayurveda jeera exhibits the following medicinal properties :

• It reduces superficial inflammation and pain.
• Apart from kindling appetite, it digests food and normalizes vata in digestive system.
• Reduces pain experienced during indigestion, flatulence or heaviness of stomach .
• It purifies blood
• Cumin seeds act on female reproductive system by reducing inflammation of uterus.
• It is eulogized for its galactogog properties. (Increases milk production in lactating mothers).
• As it normalizes vata and kapha it acts as an aphrodesiac.
• It is a skin friendly herb and reduces itching.

Home remedies using jeera

• A fine paste of cumin seeds (cumin seeds ground with water), when applied on boils or aching body parts gives relief from pain.
• Water boiled with ground jeera has to be given regularly to lactating mothers. This increases breast milk and reduces inflammation of uterus.
• Boil ground jeera in water and allow it to cool down. Add a pinch of cardamom to filtered jeera water. Gargling with this flavored water helps to keep the mouth fresh, heals mouth ulcers and eliminates foul smell.
• Roast jeera without oil till it warm. Grind this to a fine powder along with rock salt. Massage gums with this powder. This helps to prevent bleeding from gums and strengthens them.
• Boil a tea spoon of jeera in a glass of water, allow it to cool. Consuming this water frequently relieves indigestion and flatulence.
• Consuming powdered jeera with honey reduces colic pain and reduces diarrhea caused due to indigestion.
• A tea prepared by boiling cumin seeds and a small piece of fresh ginger help to give relief in common cold.
• Mix a spoon of ground roasted cumin seeds ,½ spoon of fresh ginger juice and a pinch of salt in a glass of butter milk. Frequent consumption of this butter milk helps to relieve piles and sooths inflamed intestine.
• Patients suffering from irritable bowel syndrome can use pomegranate juice mixed with roasted and ground jeera powder. This helps to reduce frequency of stools and sooths colon.

Precaution has to be taken while roasting cumin seeds .Cumin seeds have to be roasted in low heat till it becomes warm and should be taken off from stove when it is sufficiently warm to touch. This precaution helps to prevent the escape of volatile compounds of jeera.

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KEERAI

Amma was a good cook and still is. When we, the children, were growing up, we did not bother much about the nutrition value in the food that we consume. The verdict were always based on our taste bud, it was either nice or not NICE.....But now, when I am a mother, I make sure my children gets all the nutrition, although some of the dishes does not taste that nice..... and this reminds me the cycle that my mother went through,and the cycle that all mothers goes through....MOTHERHOOD

There are many Keerai,green leafs out there, that is consumed, especially known to th Indian community that has medicinal properties.

Some that I have managed to gather from my reading in the net are.............

Vallarai good for improving memory power, it is also a nerve tonic and good for getting rid of ulcer, dysentery and pimples. Can cook into chutney, into sambar or boil as a drink...


Vendaya Keerai (greens of fenugreek) supposed to cool the body and is good for diabetics. Has iron content and fibre. Stir fry with dal,into sambar,into dosai or chapati or idli

Thoodhuvalai Keerai removes congestion due to cold; good for Asthma and improves brain capacity. Makes a wonderful chutney..

Manathakkali Keerai – has lot of vitamins in it. Is good for mouth & stomach ulcers. I love this keerai.....I like the aroma after cooking... Cooked once every 2 days, when my husband had his gastric issues lately...

Ponnanganni Keerai – Improves eye sight, good for improving complexion, reduces flabbiness. It is good for Piles complaints. Cook with dhal or with other keerai...

Arugampul – One of Nature’s gift to mankind; the juice controls Cholesterol; purifies blood;. I have tried cooking this yet or tyring the juice....However I have planted this at home.

Modakkathan (Cardios Permum Halica Cabum) – It is good for Arthritis, and nervous weakness; it is also a laxative. Can make a rasam out of this..

Pudhina or mint, which contains vitamin A heals ulcers and is good for digestion.
Wonderful as chutney, and drink (just got a recipe from a friend) and I throw this into almost all of my curries...

Murungaikkerai or the green leaves of drumsticks improves blood supply, energy level and purifies blood. It is a laxative too. This needs no introduction. Cook the keerai with the Vallai Poo, or coconut or into Thani Saar

Araikkeerai (Amaranths) which contains vitamin A is again a nerve tonic. This can be stir fried by itself or add with other keerai as Keerai Kaadaiyal with Pullichai Keerai(Gongura).. this is my all time favourite...

Thiruvatchi leaves help reduce kidney problems. I have never used this keerai...will need find out more information about this..

And the list goes on..... There are many blogs with detailed picture (I can't post here from their blog, that is 'stealing') and recipes. Spend sometime going through these blogs and cook these Keerai for your loving family...I have planted of them in my garden, so you can try doing that also....

Let's go green with Keerai.....

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TULASI

Ocimum tenuiflorum (also known as Ocimum sanctum, or Holy basil in English, and Tulasi in Sanskrit), is a well known aromatic plant in the family Lamiaceae. Apart from its culinary uses, for which it is known across the world, it is also used as a medicinal plant, and has an important role within many traditions of Hinduism, wherein devotees perform worship involving Tulasi plants or leaves. Native to India, it is a short lived perennial herb or small shrub, often grown as an annual. The foliage is green or purple, strongly scented. Leaves have petioles, and are ovate, up to 5cm long, usually somewhat toothed. Flowers are white, tinged purple, borne in racemes.
Its close cousin, the Thai Basil, Ocimum basilicum L., is sometimes wrongly called Holy Basil in shops and on the internet, but they can be distinguished by their very different aroma and flavour. Holy Basil is slightly hairy, whereas Thai Basil is smooth and hairless; Holy Basil does not have the strong aniseed or licorice smell of Thai Basil[1]; and Holy Basil has a spicy flavor sometimes compared to cloves.[2]

Known as Tulasi (alternate spelling Tulsi) in India it is an important symbol in many Hindu religious traditions which link the plant with the Goddess figure described in the Puranas. The name "Tulasi" in Sanskrit means "the incomparable one"[3]. The Tulasi plant is known in India in two forms - dark or Shyama (Krishna) Tulasi and light or Rama Tulasi. The former possesses greater medicinal value and is commonly used for worship.
Tulasi has also been used for thousands of years as a prime herb in Ayurvedic treatment, for its diverse healing properties. It is mentioned by Charaka in the Charaka Samhita, the central teaching of Ayurvedic medicine, and in the Rigveda. Tulasi is considered to be an adaptogen, balancing different processes in the body, and helpful for adapting to stress. [4] Marked by its strong aroma and astringent taste, it is regarded as a kind of "elixir of life" and believed to promote longevity.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Fenugreek

Indians uses lots of spices and herbs. The different colour, shapes and smell and their effect on the food that we cook. I for one have only now, started to try to understand the importance and the implication of these herbs and spices. As the first attempt, I have choosen fenugreek.....

Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) is a plant in the Family Fabaceae. It is commonly known as menthya (Kannada), Venthayam (Tamil), menthulu (Telugu) or Methi (Bangla, Hindi, Marathi). Fenugreek is used both as a herb (the leaves) and as a spice (the seed). It is cultivated worldwide as a semi-arid crop. It is frequently used in curry. From Wikipedia

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