Lemon - A perennial ingredient

Lemons have been the perennial ingredient of Indian homes for ages. Lemon holds within the first ten places in cultivation in India. It has been used greatly for both commercial as well as domestic purposes. It has been widely used because of its high content of Vit C. It can grow well in different types of soils as well as in sub-tropical climate. It is grown using the seedlings, "T" budding planting material and people who do not have enough open space around the house can choose the Bonsai citrus variety that can be grown indoors. Growing indoor Bonsai varieties is entirely a different art. The season recommended to plant lemon is between June and August.

Culinary Purpose

Next to salt, chilli and pepper, lemon is the widely used culinary ingredient in Indian cooking. Lemon when added to the dishes brings about a tangy flavor and greatly intermingles with the taste buds. It is not necessary that you need to refrigerate the lemons which generally thickens the skin. Lemons stay fresh and juicy when they are stored at room temperature. To extract a good amount of juice from a single lemon you can roll it over the kitchen counter which releases juices interlocked in the flesh of the lemon. A medium sized lemon typically gives you 3 tbspns of lemon juice.

Non-vegetarians widely use lemon to marinate the meat as the juice helps in softening connecting fleshy tissues in meat. This enables the easy cutting of meat but it is suggested that you do not indulge in too much marinating which might make the meat hard to cut. The citrus acid in the fruit helps to maintain the white color of potatoes and other root vegetables.

Health benefits of lemon

There are plenty of benefits to mention. One average lemon can yield a whole lot of health benefits. 

• Helps in weight loss when the juice is taken in a glass of warm water in empty stomach in the mornings
• Acts as detoxifying agent
• Removes bad odour from mouth and aids toothache
• Purifies blood and cures constipation
• Fights throat infection and when gargled with water in equal ratio helps in eliminating throat infections
• Helps in curing acidity instead of just alleviating the symptoms
• Contains calcium which strengthens the bone, teeth and the nerves
• Contains phosphorous which helps in assimilating protein consumed in forms of tough meats.
• Can be used as a beauty agent for skin revitalizing due to its dermatological properties
• Regulates blood pressure with the help of its potassium content
• Cleanses cholesterol
• Alleviates back pain
• Assists liver function

 And the list goes on.

Healthy Lemon Recipes

Though there are a number of healthy recipes that you can make using lemons, I chose to highlight two here which are easy to prepare and offer major health benefits.

 

Recipe 1: Morning Cleanser

1. Add half a lemon juice in one cup of hot water 
2. Relax and drink

 Recipe 2: Lemon Detoxifier

1.  Boil a glass of water 
2. Add 2 teaspoons of honey of good quality to the boiling water till it dissolves 
3. Remove from the flame and add half a lemon juice and allow it to brew for five minutes
4. Relax and drink

Herb Garden – Mint and Coriander

It is not that you will find ageless Indian herbs only on mountains and forests. You can also grow them in your home garden. There are some herbs that can be grown conveniently around your home. They not only add colors to your garden but add flavor to your foods as well. You can spice up your soups and day to day dishes with these invaluable herbs that offer superior medical and health benefits to your family.

To set up an herb garden you first would need to device a proper plan. This includes the kind of herbs that you would like to grow and the space you can offer to grow them hassle free. You have to make a list of herbs that you wish to grow in your garden. You can buy minimum sized mud pots from nursery gardens found in your locale. It is better you grow them in mud pots which are transferable if you want to grow perennial herbs. You can get the seeds from the nurseries or shops that sell fertilizers.

Mint

Mint Plant

One easy to grow and a widely used herb would be mint. Mint can grow fast and you can use fresh leaves from your herb garden to garnish your dishes. You can just take a mint stalk and tuck it in a mud pot and you will be delighted to see a plush mint plant within a month. You can borrow a fresh stalk from somebody who grow mint plants or get it from a nursery. Just pluck away the leaves at the bottom of the stalk and leave only two to three leaves at the top while you tuck it into the mud pot. Just tuck a considerable portion of stalk into the mud. Likewise tuck two or more stalks as all stalks may not survive. The stalk has to form some roots to grow further. Forget not to water them daily, allow enough sunlight and you can nourish them with some fertilizers. If you take good care you can see the stalks growing otherwise you might see them withering out. You can reap your effort within a month or so.

Coriander

Coriander Plant

Coriander conveniently grows both indoor and outdoor. It has a nice fragrance and serves as a flavoring ingredient in south indian, north indian and even in various other western cuisines. You can sow the coriander seeds from your kitchen container in your herb garden. A minimum of one inch hole is required to sow a seed. You can leave about 3 inches of gap in between sown seeds. Sprinkle water and keep the pot in a half-shade. Allow the seeds to germinate. All you need to have a bunch of lush coriander leaves is patience. It might germinate within three days or even weeks to germinate. The germination totally depends on your soil conditions as well as the climatic conditions. Once you observe the germination allow enough sunlight for the plants to grow fast. It requires at least 4 to 8 hours of sunlight. Do not allow too much of water to stagnate around your coriander plants. Enjoy growing coriander in your herb garden which add enticing flavor to your garden as well as your dishes.

More would come in the subsequent blogs.

Mookirattai (Boerhavia diffusa)

Mookirattai – As per its name, this invaluable herb even differs in its medicinal qualities. Its botanical name is Boerhavia diffusa. This herbal plant spreads as a creeper widely on the ground. This herb is also called as Mookurattai, Moocharaicharanai and Sattaranai. Its roots have the medicinal quality, which you can clean, dry and grind them to powder. This powder (chooranam) is used for treating certain medical conditions. The powder obtained from its roots and dry flakes of the root can be used for treating various medical ailments independently.

Mookirattai is believed to offer longevity. One can also retain his or her youth having this herb regularly.  The herb is capable of enhancing your eyesight. It set rights your urinary system. Diuretics that you might take for your urinal problems are not good for the kidneys in the long run. They also greatly reduce your potassium level in the blood. Mookirattai is the natural diuretics, which doesn’t yield any adverse effects on your system and generates essential potassium.

Mookirattai is also considered for treating certain skin disorders like leprosy. It improves your digestion to a great extent. Actually it can be used as a mild laxative to facilitate evacuation of the bowels. The leaves of the herbal creeper can be cooked and taken in a curry or chutney form.  It avoids constipation and gives a glow to your body. This herb is widely used in Siddha practice. Let us see some of its common recipes.

Mookirattai

To cure Mugavaadham 

Mookirattai powder from the dry root flakes 20gm, Maavilanga stem flakes 20gm, Vellai Charanai root powder 20gm – Mix all these in 250ml of water and soak it overnight. The next day morning, boil the mixture till it reduces to 50ml, allow it to cool and extract the decoction. If you take this decoction adding 60ml of Nandukal Parpam in empty stomach daily after brushing for about 60 to 90 days, you can get relieved from Mugavadham.

To enhance eyesight

You can have Mookirattai root powder both in the morning and evening mixing it with honey. It strengthens your weakened eyesight and cures night blindness. It was also used for treating glaucoma in ancient times.

To cure jaundice

Take one handful of Mookirattai root, Bermuda grass (Arugampul) and Keezhanelli and add 10 numbers of grounded black pepper. Grind them together and boil the mixture in half a liter of water till it reduces to quarter liter. Allow it to cool and extract the decoction. If you take this decoction both morning and evening, you will get relieved from jaundice, inflammation, anemia and water swelling.

To cure cold, cough and asthma

Take a handful of Mookirattai root and Arugampul and add 10 numbers of grounded black pepper to them. Boil all the ingredients in half a liter of water till it reduces to quarter liter. Allow it to cool and extract the decoction. Take the decoction three times a day. This relieves your cold cough, asthma as well as keezhvaadham and wheezing. It eases your chest from congestion as well as the deficiency in the heart function.

The above are the home remedies, which you can simply practice at home. For chronic ailments you can contact a Siddha practitioner to get the correct form of dosage and cure.