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