Spice Rack Remedies! A Case for Ginger

Hello my dear Aalayam family!

I am back! And I promise the next few posts are going to be scintillating! I know you guys might have been expecting the Karmasuthra brand showcase and much awaited home tour (Yes!! it's a two post series) of the force behind Karmasuthra - Divya Thomas!

Well, you won't have to wait long. While we here at Aalayam are busy (and having a gala time) cranking out the upcoming two-post series, we thought we'd sneak in a quickie post! 

Here we are again, talking about house hold spices and their curative properties. You might fondly recall the cases made for Cardamom and Coriander and the gastronomic journeys we took with them! Today, let's put our hands together for Ginger in ....

Spice Rack Remedies!
What our kitchen counter might hold, to cure what ails us.

Ginger is one of the ancient, revered medicines of India and Asia. Popular medical journals say that Ginger's ability to combat a variety of diseases and conditions is due in part to its impact on excessive inflammation, which is a significant underlying cause of many illnesses.

Ginger is particularly useful in treating chronic inflammation because it partially inhibits two important enzymes that play a role in inflammation gone awry -- cyclooxygenase (COX) and 5-lipoxygenase (LOX). A 2010 study found that people who consumed two grams of Ginger daily for 11 days experienced about a 25 percent drop in exercise-induced muscle pain! All the more reason to eat curry before hitting the gym! Right?

Deemed as a super-food, Ginger helps combat nausea, and helps relieve stomach cramps and indigestion.  Scientists believe that through various processes in the digestive tract, including blocking serotonin receptors in the small intestine - Ginger can help keep us from throwing up. This is thought to be because of the spice’s high levels of gingerol; a powerful component that gives it its natural zingy flavor.

So, reach for that ginger tea, or just chew on a piece of candied ginger when you get a case of the tums or the gags! Trust me, it works.

Ginger’s current name comes from the Middle English "gingivere", but this spice dates back over 3000 years to the Sanskrit word "srngaveram", meaning “horn root,” based on its appearance. Indians and Chinese are believed to have produced ginger as a tonic root for over 5000 years to treat many ailments, and this plant is now cultivated throughout the humid tropics, with India being the largest producer. 

A popular food blog Food Matters quotes the following and I am happy to pass some juicy tips along!

Terrific Benefits of Ginger:

1. Haven’t been feeling hungry? Eat fresh ginger just before lunch to stoke a dull appetite and fire up the digestive juices.

2. Ginger clears the ‘microcirculatory channels’ of the body, including the pesky sinuses that tend to flare up from time to time.

3. Can’t stop the toot-a-thon? Gas—oops—guess what?! Ginger helps reduce flatulence!

4. Just had surgery? Chewing ginger post-operation can help overcome nausea.

5. Stir up some ginger tea to get rid of throat and nose congestion. And when there’s a nip in the air, the warming benefits of this tasty tea are even greater!

6. Bedroom blues? Try adding a gingery punch to a bowl of soup. (Psst...the Ayurvedic texts credit ginger with aphrodisiac properties) 

Fantastic right? I hope you enjoyed this post. Finally, I leave you with my favorite recipe for Ginger Fried Rice. Do try it and let me know how it turns out!! CANNOT go wrong with Ginger folks!

Love,
Supriya

P.S. Aalayam is proud to present the India Circus tray (remember The Grand Aalayam Giveaway, winner Preety!?) lovingly put to use to serve a scrumptious home cooked meal.  Preety is a food blogger, owns and writes in Preety's Kitchen. We love what she serves up!! 

Spice Rack Remedies! A Case for Coriander

Dear Aalayam family!

Onward we go..humbled by your love, support and reassurance - We are on the anvil of our 50th post!! Deepa and I take a moment to say THANK YOU!!  We love the creative process that goes on in our minds and through our inkwells to bring gorgeous and much loved features for Aalayam, and YOU are a huge part of it! So THANK YOU!  

What is any momentous event without some food eh? So, in continuation of the popular series of house hold spices and their curative properties, we introduce the Quintessential Coriander in....

Spice Rack Remedies! 
What our kitchen counter might hold, to cure what ails us.

Coriander seeds reign supreme in Indian households, used as the primary spice to flavor curries and stews. Photo courtesy - Sripriya Murthy Photography - Facebook.

Coriander (known as cilantro in its herb form) is a powerful bacteria fighter. The oil from coriander seeds destroys dangerous cells by damaging their membranes and interfering with cellular respiration. This process is effective in wiping out strains of E.coli and salmonella. Coriander, like many spices, contains antioxidants, which can delay or prevent the spoilage of food seasoned with this spice. Coriander has also been used as a folk medicine for the relief of anxiety and insomnia. 

My personal recipe book full of handwritten treasures from around my family!

Coriander seeds are used in traditional Indian medicine as a diuretic by boiling equal amounts of coriander seeds and cumin seeds, then cooling and consuming the resulting liquid. In holistic and traditional medicine, it is used as a carminative and as a digestive aid (Now, as a mommy who has given her daughters Woodwards Gripe Water for many a tummy ache situation, I can vouch for that!). Does that ring a bell? Most of Amma's family recipes had coriander, no wonder our tummies are so healthy and strong! Don't you think?

Coriander seeds were found, in a study on rats, to have a significant lowering of levels of total cholesterol and triglycerides, and increasing levels of high-density lipoprotein. This effect appeared to be caused by increasing synthesis of bile by the liver and increasing the breakdown of cholesterol into other compounds.

It is no wonder that, most of us who have been consuming coriander in Rasams, Sambars, Puliyogare, Curry and other delectable Indian dishes find the curative properties of coriander familiar and oddly reassuring! And when combined with the "hot"  pain killing, blood pressure reducing and blood circulation boosting properties of the Indian Red Chili, they very well might lead the way as the spicy dynamic duo of disease fighting!

Red Chillies with curative capsacin are a staple spice combination with  coriander . Photo courtesy - Sripriya Murthy Photography - Facebook.

Now, lets prepare something comforting and familiar with these spices shall we? And make coriander the star of the show? How many of you know of and have enjoyed the tangy confluence of sweet and spice, lending itself to decorate many a South-Indian platter - Puliyogare? 

Puliyogare ( puḷi "sour" + ogara "rice" is a South Indian rice preparation served during festive occasions  served in temples in abundant quantities in organic cups and plates made of dried leaf! Puliyogare is also known as puḷihora ("sour rice" in Telugu) or pulinja in Tamil, and tamarind rice in English.

Turning the pages of my recipe book...with handwritten recipes from my Amma and Nana.

Puliyogare is traditionally made using cooked rice mixed with tamarind juice, peanuts, coriander, coconut, red chili, curry leaves, jaggery, pepper, mustard seeds, fenugreek, turmeric, asafoetida, urad dal, and cumin. It is a staple during festivals such as Ganesha Chaturthi and Diwali or any other ceremonious occasion. 

Wonderful recipes for Puliyogare and Puliyogare Gojju (the zesty sauce to be mixed with rice for instant gratification!) can be found dime a dozen on the internet! So, I encourage you to try your own version today!!

Black Pepper seeds add that serious smoky bite to most South Indian dishes. Photo courtesy - Sripriya Murthy Photography - Facebook.

Puliyogare is particularly known to be a specialty of the Iyengars community, and some of the best Puliyogare is made using my Amma's recipe for it! 

As I sit leafing through the recipe book, remembering fondly the lunch boxes with Karnataka style and Andhra style Puliyogare...."peppering" in my school and college days with fond memories..my friends vying for "Dabba swap" whenever I had Puliyogare for lunch.....I sigh..as I strive to ensure that the joys of  these traditional menu items may not be lost with my generation..Hope my kids find my recipe book valuable one day..that captures the hand-written love passed on from one generation to another...

The Classic Puliyogare - a mouthwatering must in a South Indian meal!

I remember the day when my best buddy and I had copious amounts of Puliyogare with glasses of wine to accompany our Sex and the City marathon on TV! Wow - what a combination and what fun!!

Do you have any fond food stories like this that make you smile? Memories so intertwined with your taste buds that whenever you eat a certain dish, positive associations come flooding back? Hope this spicy story was a good read for you! It definitely was a comforting walk down the memory lane for me!

Love,
Supriya

Spice Rack Remedies! A Case for Cardamom

Cardamom -  the exotic spice reigns supreme in Indian cuisine. Photo Credits: Sripriya Murthy Photography (Facebook)

I love having people over for dinner. When I was in business school, I would have my American friends over for Bollywood movie night and Indian dinners after every big assignment or exam! The joy of dressing up the house, planning the dinner, bringing out the pretty dishes, silverware and colorful tableware, cooking the special dishes for Friday or Saturday night, that we could have as leftovers all weekend! Priceless. And of course, the delight of entertaining and discussing the intellectual bent of Indian movies. Ever present!

My dining table stands dressed up with red tulips - for my dinner guests! In the foreground is an exotic tribal  dancer statue, which has got nothing to do with Cardamom!!

Now it's no different, whenever I have people over, whether it is for brunch, high-tea or dinner, I end up cooking Indian food. No brainer, you would think, considering my heritage and zeal for Indian cuisine, but its more than an unwavering passion for a confluence of spices from the sub-continent of my origin..It's a strong desire to communicate to my world, the magic of Indian spices, to share with my friends, the culinary and curative traits that these usual suspects possess. Cumin, Coriander, Fennel, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Ginger, Turmeric, Saffron..the list goes on! A smorgasbord of flavors, textures and wanton aromas that form the foundation of Indian cooking. 

This was the impetus to the new series featured on Aalayam - 

Spice Rack Remedies! 
What our kitchen counter might hold, to cure what ails us.

Cardamom  skin and seeds can be used to flavor beverages, sweet and savory dishes. Photo Credits: Sripriya Murthy Photography (Facebook)

Since time immemorial, humans have used spices to better their food, and their bodies. Our grandmothers knew which spices would settle  an upset stomach, relieve inflammation and even something that got rid of intestinal worms! Now a spate of studies has finally proved that whether you've got achy muscles, a cold that just won't quit, or a case of the blues, reaching for a natural healer, may just be what the doctor ordered! 

This week's feature is about Cardamom. Native to India, Nepal and Bhutan, these three-sided spice pods with a thin, tough papery outer cover and tiny deep-brown to black seeds arranged in vertical rows have been a staple for sweet and savory dishes popular in Indian cuisine. Also known as "elaichi" or "ellaki", this dynamite pod, reigns supreme in all spice-aware households. 

Whether it is to lace a cup of steaming hot Masala Chai, or to add the flavored grounding to a kheer or pudding, Cardamom does not fail to deliver. 

Masala Chai (Tea Latte) prepared by boiling cardamom, ginger and tea leaves with milk. Perfect to soothe anything from an upset stomach to everyday frazzled nerves! The welcome drink for my dinner guests.

This exotic spice contains many plants derived chemical compounds that are known to possess anti-oxidant, disease preventing and health promoting properties. The spicy pods contain many essential volatile oils. The therapeutic properties of cardamom-oil have found application in many traditional medicines as antiseptic, antispasmodic, carminative, digestive, diuretic, expectorant, stimulant and tonic. 

My guests are then serenaded with pista kesar (pistachio and saffron) lassi (yogurt based drink) laced with cardamom. Alongside is a zesty mixture of trail mix!

Cardamom is a good source of minerals like potassium, calcium, and magnesium. 100 g pods contain 1119 mg of this electrolyte. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps control heart rate and blood pressure. Copper is required in the production of red blood cells. Additionally, this spice is also an excellent source of iron and manganese. 100 g pods contain 13.97 mg or 175% of daily-required levels of iron. Iron is required for red blood cell formation and cellular metabolism. Manganese is a co-factor for the enzyme, superoxide dismutase, which is a very powerful free radical scavenger. 

Further, these aromatic pods are rich in many vital vitamins, including riboflavin, niacin and Vitamin-C, essential for optimum health. 

Cheesy Bakarwade Bites and Besani Khandvi accompany the chai. I decided to keep the dinner menu simple, serving traditional appetizers as main courses, in a move to cut prep time and calories! My guests are loving it!

Now if that is not a good enough case for cardamom, I wonder what is! :) Stay  tuned for more spicy adventures from my kitchen...straight to your palate!

I am now going back to my party, my friends are calling me because they want me to demystify the lyrics of the popular Bollywood song (Fevicol se) pertaining to a strong adhesive brand!

Love,
Supriya

My Favorite Andhra Delicacies!

Andhra Pradesh, India's fourth largest state, is located in the south eastern coast of India and is the leading producer of red chilies and rice. Not surprising that Andhra cuisine is heavily influenced by these ingredients. Crushed Red Pepper forms a staple cash-crop of Andhra Pradesh, grown in the lush green fields and sprawling acres, exported all over the world to add a hot and spicy taste that is a wonderful accent to stir fries, pizzas and pasta dishes.

Red Chilies and Rice are the staple exports of Andhra Pradesh. Photography credits "Sripriya Murthy Photography - Facebook"

Notice the artistic curvature of the design below? The symmetry and the sanguine melody of the script? Wondering if this is part of the new-age symbolism representing an abstract concept? Well, it's not. This is the beautiful script, the written "lipi" of the Telugu language - the official language of  Andhra Pradesh. 

Andhra cuisine is known for its tangy, spicy and flavorful medley of coriander, chilli, fenugreek, cumin, tamarind, jaggery and sesame. The cuisine varieties change because of the diverse topology of native Andhra Pradhesh, ranging from Hyderabadi Nawabi Biryanis, Uttarandhra or Kalinga region coastal delicacies to Rayalaseema or Telangana meat and jowar specialties. 

I grew up in a Andhra vegetarian household where pappu (dal/lentil based soup) and kurralu (curries), spiced pickles like avakai, maagai, gongura and dosavakai, pachadi (chutney/raita like saucy condiments) and podi (lentil based powdered condiment) served with a large scoop of biyam (plain white rice) were the norm at mealtimes. 

Tomato Pappu and Mixed Vegetable Pulusu - Photography credits "Sripriya Murthy Photography - Facebook"

The order of a meal is to start with modati mudda (first bite) with an appetizer of an ooragaya (spiced pickle) followed by a pappu, which is prepared with "soft" vegetables like tomato, gourds, raw mango or cucumber squash,  eaten plain, or with a pickle accompanying it. Lentil forms the main source of protein for vegetarians and my twin daughters swear by "Pappanna" or rice and lentil pappu to make a satisfying meal.  This is followed by a couple of kuras (curry/main dishes) and pulusu (stew) or sambar (thick or runny (based on your preference) lentil and vegetable soup with heavy tamarind and jaggery flavors) which add flourish to a proper sit-down Andhra meal.

Featured below are two of my favorite kuras - Gutthivankai Kura (Stuffed Eggplant Curry) and Kakarakai Kura (Stuffed Bitter Gourd Curry). Ah! The culinary journeys our families (my maternal, paternal and my married ones) have been through to enjoy these kuras!  

Gutthivankai Kura or Stuffed Eggplant Curry - Photography credits "Sripriya Murthy Photography - Facebook"

Small amounts of Neyi ghee add a hyperbolic grounding to steaming rice accompanying these pappus and kuras. 

Kakarkai Kura  or Stuffed Bitter Gourd Curry- Photography credits: Vijay Jagannath

In case you were wondering about the chef whose signature dishes the ones featured are - its my Dad! I am still living in the finger-licking reminiscence of my parents' recent visit to our home...

Mirchi Bajji or Chilli Fritters topped with Ginger Chutney

Mirchi Bajji is another Andhra dish to write home about. I remember our Tirupati visits being peppered by Mirchi Bajji stops. Bajjis made out of onions, gourds (especially beerakai) and Anaheim peppers punctuate the palette of Andhra cuisine with tangy, crispy, melty deliciousness. 

Perugu (yogurt) or Majjiga (buttermilk) for the final course where Perugu (yogurt) is added to rice and consumed as a satisfying palette cleanser. 

Peruganna with Avakai - Yogurt Rice with Pickle

This is making me hungry for my own weekend special feast - an elaborate Andhra meal, an ode to my childhood, an excuse to call my Dad and Mom to discuss recipes and share pictures of gorgeous looking comfort food. But, before I go! The final rendition of the traditional vegetarian Andhra meal - paan (Areca nut on Betel Leaf). A colorful (don't worry, the stains fade in about an hour!), breath freshening digestive curtain call to a splendid gastronomic show!

Betel and Arecanut "Paan" arrangement - Photography credits: Vijay Jagannath

I hope this feature post has given you as much joy as the well-loved dishes it features have to me, my friends, cousins, husband and kids over the years! 

In case you are interested in the generational recipes for these favorite dishes, please write to me at aalayaminspiration@gmail.com.

I promise, I will consult with my Dad before I make the recipe official!! And, here's a song for all the Telugu cuisine and movie fans from the movie "Mithunam". This song describes the apt and foodie way to enjoy the various Andhra delicacies!! Enjoy!!

Love,

Supriya