Cumin

                                                     Cumin  

                                          

Cumin (mostly known as Jeera) is a spice made from the seeds of the cuminum cyminum plant. It is native to Asia, Europe and Africa but used widely in cooking in India from ancient ages. Mostly it is available as wholeseeds but ground form is also available in the market easily. I have seen from my childhood, my mom roasting the cumin seeds and then grinding the dry seeds. I do the same thing and while roasting my house is filled with beautiful aroma. Normally in India people use both whole or grounded cumin in almost every dish. It has some amazing medicinal properties too. It promotes digestion, contains beneficial plant compounds, is a rich source of iron, may improve blood cholesterol and even promotes weight loss and fat reduction. It even works as a great acid neutralizer and relieves stomach pain. I will share a very easy drink which you can make everyday and a very common Indian dish. You will need 1teaspoon of cumin seeds, 2glasses of water and 1teaspoon of honey(optional). In a sauce pan, add water and cumin seeds and bring it to boil. Put the flame on medium or low and allow the seeds to be absorbed into the water. Let it boil for 5minutes. Switch off the flame, strain it in a glass. Add honey and stir well. Consume the drink on an empty stomach or after meals both are fine.

Jeera Aloo

Jeera aloo, one of the simplest, easy and quick recipe, yet delicious can be easily made at home. You can have it with  plain roti or even the combination of dal, chawal(boiled rice) and jeera aloo is a perfect comfort food.
 Ingredients for jeera aloo
5 medium size boiled potatoes(cubed)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 green chilies chopped
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
salt as required
1/4 cup of chopped coriander leaves
1 teaspoon lemon juice(optional)
Procedure- In a sauce pan , heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, let the oil become hot.Add cumin seeds and wait till they crackle in the hot oil. Then add green chilies and stir well. Add the potato cubes followed by turmeric powder, salt and mix well. Saute the potatoes for 3 minutes. Now add chopped coriander. Switch off the flame, add lemon juice and serve hot.
This is all about another amazing Indian spice, for more information about Indian spices keep reading, I will be back with another wonderful Indian spice with its medicinal properties and some easy recipes.

Indian Spices

Indian Spices

India is a vast country which is famous for its food and its taste all over the world. Great taste, delicious aroma, unique color of the food which comes from different spices are the reason which makes it so popular. These spices are used for thousands of years in every Indian house. Indian spices are known as the world’s best and the most popular spices because of its taste, appealing aroma and above all its medicinal value. Indian spices are used to cure ailments from ancient age. Due to such a huge range of spices like turmeric, cumin, coriander, black pepper, red chili, fenugreek etc., the taste of Indian food is so great.

People make powder, paste or even whole to use these spices in various forms in their food.

Roast, raw or paste whatever way you add, it always gives a unique flavor and aroma. In this blog I will mention about Indian spices used for their medicinal properties and how to use them. Let’s start with Turmeric which we use it in almost every dish.

Turmeric- Turmeric is the spice which gives our food it’s yellow color and contains compounds with medicinal properties. These compounds are called curcuminoids, the most important of which is curcumin. It has anti-inflammatory effects and is a very strong antioxidant. Curcumin has become the 21^stcentury wonder botanical because of its potential to treat and heal several ailments. Ayurvedic medicine, a traditional Indian system of treatment, recommends turmeric for a variety of health conditions.  It helps to prevent various inflammatory diseases, cardiovascular disease, metabolic diseases and even arthritis. It modulates pain, regulates immune system, suppresses inflammation.

Mainly the root of turmeric is used  widely to make medicine. It is also used to treat headaches, cold, lung infections, bronchitis, fever and depression. Warm turmeric water on an empty stomach helps the body to burn excess flab, improves digestion and metabolism.

Today I will share a very easy and healthy beverage for cough, cold and congestion. We call it Haldi Doodh or turmeric milk.

You will need- 1 fresh turmeric root or ¼ teaspoon of ground turmeric or 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder.

1/8 teaspoon of ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon of ground cardamom(optional)

¼ teaspoon of ground ginger

1 cup milk

¼ teaspoon of honey or to taste.

First mix turmeric, black pepper, cardamom and ginger in a bowl. Boil milk in a separate vessel. When the milk is boiled whisk 1 teaspoon of the above mixture and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add honey and your healthy turmeric milk is ready.

I generally serve this medicinal ayurvedic drink to my son when the seasons are about to change. This helps to build the immune system and fights cold or cough.

Turmeric is also used as a face mask for glowing skin. It’s a natural beauty product for your skin which exfoliates and improves skin texture. It helps to reduce pigmentation and even out the skin tone. Take 2 tablespoons of all purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric paste, few drops of honey and 3 tablespoons of milk. Make a paste of all these ingredients, apply it on your face and leave it for 20 minutes. Rinse off with cold water and apply moisturizer after that.

So that’s all about this amazing product Turmeric. In my next blog I will share another Indian spice with its medicinal properties and an easy healthy recipe with it. Keep reading.