“The hard truth about this universe is that we do not realize the immense value in the things lying around us, we are always looking for guidance and we end up taking the wrong guidance which in turn brings in nothing but only regret “- Anonymous
The above saying also applied to the usage of medicinal plants and herbs for the treatment of ailments that have prevailed since the Paleolithic age and continue to showcase their existence, earlier the presence of witches or village doctors made decoctions out of the most common kitchen ingredients to solve problems like gas, bloating indigestion.
Spice in the Indian language known as masala is a derivative of the many products that plants provide us.
A veteran of the dining industry who has been educating people about the essence of Indian food in Sydney explains “ Masala is derived from the Hindi word “Masal” which means to pound, crush or grind, most of the spices were available in dry forms as a by-product of their natural sources which was usually derived from leaves, stems, roots etc.
The world seems to be discovering a new superfood every week but the beauty of Indian cuisine is that the soil across regions in India is varied and depending on the variant of soil available the superfood grows in that particular place magically to suit the demographic choices of the people.
Let us understand this through the means of an example, the higher one travels the colder one feels and the lower one goes the hotter one feels. In the region of northern India, the weather is really cold and the work over there is labour intensive hence the alluvial soil in that region is best favoured for wheat cultivation. Wheat consists of gluten that generated heat from the individual’s body, whereas if one travels south the region is hotter hence the soil is best suited for rice cultivation which has the property of reducing the body temperature.
A few Indian foods and the super properties possessed by them to help an individual combat modern-day ailments.
- GHEE – Ghee also known as clarified butter in the west is known for having short-chain fatty acids that burn stubborn fat, especially around the belly and help a person slim down. Thus ghee is also known as “Liquid Gold”. Ghee is used as tempering along with its mate cumin because cumin consists of compounds that have slightly astringent properties and ghee lubricates the intestinal lining making it easy for food to slide down.
- SUGAR– Sugar has made many enemies in the past, sugar is usually the last in the process of sugar cane extraction and is considered one of the panch amrits in the ancient scriptures it is also used as a scrub to remove dead skin cells and gives a youthful look, sugar being crystalline thus also naturally nourishes the skin.
- ROCK SALT – Rock salt is salt that is derived from the process of sedimentation these rocks usually ease the movements of the bowel and also help release gas that makes the assimilation of food easier into the GI tract.