Like tomotoes and garlic, onion is sharp in taste and pungent in aroma. It is also, like garlic, abhorred by some people due to its nauseating and lasting bad smell. It is an essential ingredient for chutneys, salads, meat and vegetable preparations. It is rubefacient, (stimulant but not irritant), stimulant, pungent, expectorant, diuretic.
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CORIANDER (LEAFS AND SEEDS) (DHANIA)
It is such a widely used green leafy vegetable, used (as peppermint is used) in various preparations, vegetarian or non-vegetarian, chutneys, medicines, as an aromatic agent, in salads etc. It is an essential household leafy vegetable. Its seeds are used jn spices and in green form for aforesaid uses. It is a flavouring agent. It has medicinal uses and applications due to its having pungent taste and aromatic oil. 840 % water forms its major constituent. It has mulcilage-3%; fixed oil-13%; Ash;fannin 5%, Volatile oil-1%.
It is not only a flavouring agent but is also preventive of excessive tliirst; quenches thirst; is stimulant, carminative, stomachic, relieves griping pain, is germicidal, antipyretic and tranquilizer. Its green leaves and seeds are freely used in curries.
Indigestion: Strain juice of coriander (5 ml. per dose) and add cardamom (Uaichi), and cumin seed (Jeera), also add some table salt (5 ml. dose), if taken after meals will remove indigestion. Further, if coriander extract (juice) is mixed with equal quantity of onioji-juice, adding a pinch of black salt (to taste) to it. Take 5 ml of the mixture after meals to get rid of gas formation, eructations, and general digestive disturbances.
Sneezing: Those who have tendency to sneezing quite often, should smell fresh leaves of coriander. A drop or two of the extract thereof, in each nostril, may be tried. Some persons may be sensitive to nasal drops of coriander. Such persons may only smell fresh green leaves.
Headache, vomiting, nausea and giddiness: Add some sugar or honey to extracted liquid of coriander, (5 ml) which will abort said complaints.
Eye-Sight: 5 ml or/1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) of liquid/paste mixed with equal quantity of Emblic ‘Myrobalans’ (Amla) 2-3 times a day (5 ml) can improve eye-sight and may also even help in retarding further decline of eye-sight.
Impotence and Night Discharge: It has been admitted and also advised by experts that too much use of coriander may lead to occasional or permanent impotency but its 3 ml extract mixed with sugar candy or honey in equal quantity will help in controlling abuse of night-pollution (discharge), one dose must be taken, an hour before retiring to bed as the last tiling at night.
Nasal Bleeding (Epistaxis): Smell the juices of fresh leaves and also apply coriander paste in forehead to get relief.
Alopecia (Baldness): Massage head and scalp slowly with coriander juice to help growth of fresh hair. But one has to use it *br some time regularly to derive desired result.
In addition to the above-mentioned curative values of coriander, in the from of juice from fresh green leaves or powder of seeds, it is also useful in Insomnia (sleeplessness or lack of refresliing sleep), Excessive menstrual bleeding, painful micturition, piles, malaria, heat stroke, insect bites, gastralgia,, pain in throat (gargle with juice of its heated liquid mixed with hot water but never in pure form); diarrhoea, dysentry etc.
It is claimed as chutney/juice of (mixture of juices) onion, pomegranate, coriander, peppermint, and lemon, adding some salt to taste, will provide relief in most of the digestive disturbance. This recipe, in the form of paste, can form part of one’s regular diet. In most Indian homes, chutney of dhania and pudina is almost a regular feature, especially of the dinner, and more so in summer days. It provides relief in many a digestive problem, provided it is not overloaded with pungent condiments.
PEPPERMINT (PUDINA)
It is one of the essential ingredients used in medicines and salads— both as a medicine and vegetable. It’s oil is used in various medicinal preparations. It is pungent, aromatic, green, giving a cool taste after use. It is also used for flavouring salads, desserts, candy, desserts, chewing gums, sweets and in confectionery. It is also used in pain balms in the form of menthol. It is digestive, removes flatulence, abdominal pain, sour eructations and helps in regulating functioning of bowels.
Medicinal & other uses: Take out juice of peppermint, mix it with onion juice; add some dry pomegranate seeds, salt, lemon juice may also be added to taste. Take 5-10 ml if there is any digestive problem. Those who have sensitive throat and stomatitis may find it a bit more irritating and pungent. It helps to ward off ill effects of heat/ sun stroke. Above mentioned preparation is equally efficacious here also.
Prepare a chutney (Jelly) of peppermint, adding raw onions (after removing skin etc.), equal amount of coriander, salt, some drops of lemon juice. This preparation can be stored in the fridge also for future use. If its leaves (raw) are crashed and its smell is inhaled it will clear nasal blockade and also facilitate process of breathing. Some people extract the juice of peppermint, mix it with luke-warm water-thus using it for gargling. This device can also be used for quelling bad odour from the mouth.
As we are primarily dealing with uses of juices, medicinal uses of’ method are being conspicuously avoided. But its multiple therapeutic uses are many and cannot be denied.
Beet is dark red in colour, with long bunch of green leaves. Its tender leaves are used in salad, but main portion is obtained and used in salads and for juicing purposes. It resembles turnip (shalgam) in shape but its content is not so watery but when juiced out, it gives sufficient extract for use. It should not be used in summer months, as it can disturb sleep and also raise blood pressure. In winter season, it keeps the body warmed up and provides sufficient heat to ward off cold and its effects. It is an excellent tonic for nervous system. Juice of red-beet helps to emulsify and dissolve brain tumours in the body.
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It is rightly called -A Poor man’s Apple’ because its nutritive value is-not inferior to apple. It is a rejuvenator of body, producer of fresh blood, an excellent cleansing agent, provides glow and redness to skin, an excellent tonic for the eyes and liver. Carrot maintains proper equilibrium between alkaline and acidic balance in the body. It is preferably used as a root but those who suffer from wounds or dysentry, should use its soup or juice.
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Radish is available during all the year round. It is round shaped, white and light brown and grows underneath earth. Its leaves are long and green which are also used in looking and salad. It has pungent taste and smell and that is why some people hesitate to use it, forgetting its utility in curing diseases, making tasty vegetables, juices, salads.
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TURNIP (SHALGAM)
It is also a root vegetable akin to beet-root in shape and form. In appearance it is fully white or indigo coloured on the top. It falls within family of radish carrot, beet-root. In taste it is sweet (though in moderation) with slight pungent taste also, is watery, easily available and easy to digest, is rich in vitamins, minerals, fats etc.
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CUCUMBER (KHEERA OR KAKARI)
It is a creeping plant. Its food value is almost nil. But, as it grows in summer months, it has plenty of water content and, thus, its water is used to quench thirst. It is generally used in raw form, in. salads and rarely in cooked vegetable form. It is a boon in summer days. Excess use of cucumber can inflate stomach, cause excessive urination and also vomiting (especially if there is cholera as a result of its excessive use). Hence, it should be used, in moderately reasonable quantity to quench thirst, for free flow of urine, to ward off ill-effects of heat.
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TRICHOSANT CUCUMBERINA (PARVAL)
It is used as a cooked vegetable, in juice form and is anti feberile. It improves digestion, removes colic pain, is stomachic. Its juice from leaves being emetic, should always be taken with coriander. Its root has strong purgative qualities. Its juice, if applied over head, can cure baldness (alopecia) which is not of hereditary origin. It is a heart tonic and subsides fever also. Its chemical properties consist of glycoside, tannis, saponin hydrocarbons, sterols. Principally, it affects stomach and head.
CHEBULIC MYROBALAN (HARAR, HARITAKI)
It is also known as Tenninalia Chebula. It is one of the three major constituents of ‘TRIPHALA’ the other two being Amla and Bahera. It is claimed, and perhaps quite rightly so, that triphala tones up all organs of body and activates their functions and is profusely used for treating stomach disorders, liver complications, for improving eye-sight, regulating bowels. Its efficacious effects vary and depend upon the liquid source, with which it is taken.
Ilaritaki (C. Myrobalan) will keep a person free from all diseases, if one bites a piece of it after meals and chews and swallows its juice.Synonyms of C. Myrobalan are Vijaya, Avaya, Rohini, Putana, Jeevanti, Amrita, Ketaki. Its medicinal values are par excellence. If one chews a piece of it in the morning, he will not have complaints like skin eruptions, disorders of vocal chords asthma, acidity, wounds, gall-stones, colitis, weak and defective vision.
It induces and promotes appetite, if chewed with black salt. If its boiled water is taken, it will remove constipation, if taken, after grinding, will purify blood; if taken with other food items it will improve vitality, sexual power and thinking power, sharpen intellect. All the three basic causatives of physical disorders (Kapha, vata and Pitta) will be kept under balanced control if it is taken after being fried in ghee (clarified butter). It is a preventive of bilious disorders, stomach disorders, cough, cold, acidity if it is taken after two principal meals.
There is an old saying in Sanskrit which reads “One’s mother may get annoyed, though even for a while, but a harar will never get annoyed or prove ineffective”, (that is, it will always benefit its user who uses it, at whichever time whatsoever); hence its all-round efficacy. Mr J.F. Dastur spells out curative powers of C. Myrobalan like tliis. ‘Chebulic Myrobalan is a mild, safe and efficacious laxative, astringent, stomachic, tonic, an alterative; the pulp of the fruit is given in piles, chronic diarrhoea, dysentry, costiveness, flatulence, asthma, urinary disorders, vomiting, hiccup, intestinal Worms, ascites, enlarged liver and spleen.
Caution: Pregnant women must not lake it, as it may cause abortion of faetus.
Uses of C. Myrobalan in different seasons:
During Winter: To be taken alongwith ground pepper or pepper longum.
During Spring: It should be taken with honey. During Autumn: It should be taken with sugar-candy. During Dewy Season: To be taken with ginger (or ginger juice) During Rainy Season: It should be taken with rock salt Medicinal
Uses:
In Eye-Troubles: Extract juices of C. Myrobalan and E. Myrobalan (Amlaki, Amla) to keep general health of eyes, to improve vision. If C. Myrobalan is soaked in water, after removing its stone, mashed and strained and the juice, so obtained, should prove a boon, if eyes are washed simply or still better, with the help of eye-bath cups.
Gail-Stones: To melt and dissolve the stones in the gall-bladder, take regularly the juice of both the Myrobalans.
Acidity: Juice of C Myrobalan, if taken after both principal meals, will neutralize acidic contents. To derive a miraculous benefit, its juice should be mixed with E. Myrobalan.
Piles: Before retiring to bed take a piece of C. Myrobalan.
Asthma: Chewing a piece of C. Myrobalan at bed time, will minimize chance of an asthmatic attack, and also prove use in cutting down paroxysms of asthma.
POTATOES (ALU)
Potato is known as ‘King of Vegetables’ as no dining table’s menu is complete without it. It is widely grown, and frequently used by all classes of people in various food preparation but not used as a raw vegetable. It is the richest source of carbohydrates and thus full of energy to assist the body to carry out various functions. In the northern region, ‘Alu ka paratha’ is a very famous item.
Potato is served in vegetables, is mashed, cooked and also ground. It is also used to thicken the cooked vegetables and sauces, alone or in combination with other vegetables. It is liked by all age groups due to its abundant pulp content, since old persons and young kids also eat it. Potato is also rich in amino acids, iron, protein, Vitamin ‘C, nicotinic acid and amino acids, besides plenty of carbohydrates. Due to its rich content of carbohydrates, it should not be eaten by diabetics, heart patients, patients having high blood pressure and the obese (fat persons), the rheumatic persons, gouty ones and those having joint pains etc. Potato is not so useful in a raw form because, except for two or three therapeutic uses, it is always used in a cooked form.
It is said that rheumatic pains can be relieved by application of juice of raw potato. Crushed contents of potato can also be externally applied on wounds or sore organs or else the affected organ(s) may be bandaged after applying crushed potato. For those who burn their organs, due to any Reason/cause, should apply crushed potato on the burnt site, to get instant relief. As is well known, Germans consume, at least 1kg of potatoes in their diet daily, because they require to replenish their energy which they lose while working hard. Intake of potatoes must commensurate with amount of (hard) labour put in.
SPINACH (PALAK-KA-SAAG)
Spinach is used in winter in northern parts of our country, especially Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan. It has high content of iron, besides moderate presence of vitamins, AB,C E and K Spinach is frequently used in various soups, in cooked vegetable form, in mixed-vegetables, or in juice forms. Its fresh leaves contain Phosphorus, Calcium, Iron and Vitamin ‘C.
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