WHAT IS GOND KATIRA? TRAGACANTH GUM: BENEFITS AND USES OF TRAGACANTH GUM: HOW TO MAKE GOND KATIRA DRINK


TRAGACANTH GUM, GOND KATIRA, ASTRALAGUS GUMMIFER LABILL
Tragacanth gum comes from a thorny shrub which is native to western Asia, Iraq, Iran and the Middle East. It is a tree gum like myrrh, frankincense and balm of Gilead, and can be used, along with the stems of the plant as incense. It comes from a number of Astragalus species, but the one which produces the best quality gum is Astragalus gummifer or gummifera. The gum exudes naturally from the roots of the plant and from incisions made in the stem. 
This is collected and when dried forms crystals of flakes or may be formed into blocks. The plant is a member of the pea family of plants, Fabaceae, and produces pods like other members of the Leguminoseae family such as carob trees.
  The shrub is pollinated by bees and butterflies and is a useful nitrogen-fixing plant. You may think you have never eaten gum Tragacanth, but the odds are that you have as it is a food additive known in the food industry as E 413. It is used as a thickening agent in sauces, ice cream and confectionary, and is also used in the cosmetics industry. It helps bind other ingredients together.
  It is also used in the textile industry to thicken dyes for fabric, to make glue, for water colours and to produce the gloss in ink, among other uses including the manufacture of paper.
  Externally the gum has been used in traditional medicine for dressing burns, and it is now believed that it might have anti-tumour properties, and could stimulate the immune system.
  Here in Pakistan it is sold for use in cooling drinks, in crystal form, so to me it looks like mastica, another tree product. It is also said to help if you are constipated.
  You have to soak a very small piece of the gum in a glass of water and it will swell and turn to a jelly-like substance which is transparent, so that the glass looks as though it is full of chunks of ice. Leave it to soak until it is very swollen (a couple of hours seems to do the trick) and then drink it with water, ice and lemon juice. 
This drink is as good as those which include tukh malanga (basil seeds) or sugar cane juice for cooling the body temperature in the heat of summer.
 
 
Gond Katira Drink
1 small piece of gond katira, or Tragacanth gum, soaked in water overnight
1 tbsp juice of fresh lemon, optional
1 glass water
1 tbsp sugar
ice
 
Method
When the crystals have swollen and turned gelatinous take one or two small fragments and mix in cold water with the sugar and lemon juice if using and add ice.
Drink while cool.
This has Taste and is a Treat.

86 comments:

  1. gr8 information thanks

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for sharing...very informative

    ReplyDelete
  3. Enjoyed reading your post. I do have a cooking tip to share. When cooking meat of any kind if one prepares a meat masala with onion ginger garlic and spices at the start then holding the tomatoes (whether whole or pureed) back instead of adding them after the spices allows the meat to cook to a more tender consistency. Simply add the tomatoes when the meat has been nearly cooked.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Is Gond Katira weight and fat increasing herb because now a days I am taking foods weight reducing, thanks

    ReplyDelete
  5. If you drink it in milk, then this will be added calories and yes, you might put on weight. However if you take it in lemon juice, then obviously this will mean less calorie consumption.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thanks for sharing that.Why not re-post this comment on our tomatoes post? We can't move comments.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Can it be effective in acid reflux problems or hav sperm in urine a

      Delete
  7. Glad you all liked this article.Thank you for your feedback.

    ReplyDelete
  8. is it good for pregnant women?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "No significant toxic or teratogenic effects were produced by oral administration of Tragacanth Gum to pregnant mice." This is the final report on the safety of gum Tragacanth. However there is little evidence to support its use in pregnancy. use it in moderation and you should be OK.

      Delete
  9. Can it swell in sugary water?

    ReplyDelete
  10. Yes, and you can use it in milk or fruit juice, as it will take on the flavour of the liquid. However as it is a gum and has some impurities, we recommend soaking it in water first and then removing the "dust" and then putting it into another liquid to continue swelling.

    ReplyDelete
  11. So for how much time i soak it in water to remove impurities nd then in desised liquid?

    ReplyDelete
  12. Half an hour is enough for the removal of impurities and then put it in another liquid and whisk it in and drink it. If you want to you can soak it in the other liquid for 5-10 minutes.
    Crush it into smaller pieces before the initial soaking.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Very very useful information

    ReplyDelete
  14. its good for liver to i hard

    ReplyDelete
  15. can i mix this gum with sugar and corn syrup to make a pliable dough which can be used to decorate cakes?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We don't think this would work as you would have a sticky mess on the cake.

      Delete
    2. It is used in "fondant" or "sugar paste", which is what Anonymous was likely referring to. I makes it moldable when wet, and hard/supportive when dry.

      Most people (bakers, bloggers) will usually refer to it as tragacanth gum in this respect instead of katira though.

      Delete
  16. is this good for backache?

    ReplyDelete
  17. does it help in breast development of females?

    ReplyDelete
  18. Probably not. Try exercises.

    ReplyDelete
  19. does it help with fertility problems!

    ReplyDelete
  20. No why would ıt? It ıs used as a food addıtıve.

    ReplyDelete
  21. is this the same katira that can be used as a hair gel?

    ReplyDelete
  22. also good for healing skin infection ...apply the gelatinous form on the infected area and cover with cotton overnight, everyday for one week.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Kond katira is very good to take in hot summer days. Best is to grind it with hand and souk this poweder in water overnight. When you want to suse it, you can add sugar and milk and can add any syrup such as ROh Afza or Jame Shireen. it is best drink for thirsty throats.

    Sarfraz, Rawalpindi

    ReplyDelete
  24. Is gond katira helpful in piles and constipation

    ReplyDelete
  25. will you Please tell is gond katria is gud for men ?
    i mean if we are suffering in any type of sexual weakness deises ?

    ReplyDelete
  26. Thanks for the information. My mother used to give us when we were children 50 years ago. Today I brought it for my child. I will be trying first time so looked in google to find out how to use it. Tuk Malanga is another thing I wanted but could not get it anywhere near my house in Delhi.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Please advise as to how it is good for body- in what sense apart from tasty drinks.Does it have any side effects?
    s k mittal

    ReplyDelete
  28. Is it true that katira causes impotency, because asaram sevadar blame on him

    ReplyDelete
  29. It can cause impotency in Male..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. who told you that ? it helps in fertility !

      Delete
  30. is it useful for all muscles repairing???

    ReplyDelete
  31. is it helpful in repairing muscles?

    ReplyDelete
  32. is it good for knee pain?

    ReplyDelete
  33. I heard mixing tuk malanga and gond katira together will help my scortum to cool as I have very big problem of leaking I cant confirm it but it happens in any kind of sexual desire so pls reply will it be help me to cool down as I did all the test for spermohtorreah pls reaply

    ReplyDelete
  34. I heard mixing tuk malanga and gond katira together will help my scortum to cool as I have very big problem of leaking I cant confirm it but it happens in any kind of sexual desire so pls reply will it be help me to cool down as I did all the test for spermohtorreah pls reaply

    ReplyDelete
  35. I have heard from someone that this herb is best to reduce the sexual desire for men? it keeps u cool and make serum/sperm thick?please tell me in detail??????

    ReplyDelete
  36. men can have this....

    ReplyDelete
  37. In which stores we can find this gond Katira in Andhra Pradesh

    ReplyDelete
  38. Tuk Malanga is tulsi seed which you can get easily from shop or tulsi plant.

    ReplyDelete
  39. Can i give this to my son (2years)

    ReplyDelete
  40. sir can u tell me is good for faty liver plz Thks

    ReplyDelete
  41. Is it create importency in male

    ReplyDelete
  42. hey panky ! i did not read anything like this? have u any link of regarding that it can cause impotency in Male in male?

    ReplyDelete
  43. is it helpful in constipation??? does it have any side effects like acne or any other.. please reply

    ReplyDelete
  44. IS GOND KATIRA GOOD FOR REBUILDING BONES AFTER LEG FRACTURE SURGERY FOR MEN, PLEASE E-MAIL AT:
    minaaunty@hotmail.com. God bless you for an honest response.

    ReplyDelete
  45. Do you have material safety data sheet for tragacanth gum (msds).

    ReplyDelete
  46. kiya yeh acidity aur uric acid mein be kam kare ga keh nahi.

    ReplyDelete
  47. Does help in acidity

    ReplyDelete
  48. does it help to unblock the fallopian tubes??

    ReplyDelete
  49. Is it helpful to lose weight

    ReplyDelete
  50. i hv develped hcv .is it helpful for me.

    ReplyDelete
  51. Can this be taken by a person whose sugar levels are around 140 plus

    ReplyDelete
  52. Can Gond Katira help to stop nosebleeds?

    ReplyDelete
  53. is it good for preventing blood from nose during winter, if it is mixed in milk and consumed after soaking overnight

    ReplyDelete
  54. Hey i did put in water but instead of getting swell it mix in water and become lyk honey wats wrong ........

    ReplyDelete
  55. Does it help in constipation?

    ReplyDelete
  56. Joro k darad ma use kr skty han?

    ReplyDelete
  57. Can it be given to a patient suffering from pneumonia

    ReplyDelete
  58. Can it be given to a patient suffering from pneumonia

    ReplyDelete
  59. Can we gond katira to 1.5yr old baby in summers. He is having loose motions. Plz help asap

    ReplyDelete
  60. Can you please provide the calorie information of Gond Katira ? is its intake provide extra fat etc....

    ReplyDelete
  61. is this the same katira that can be used as a hair gel?

    ReplyDelete
  62. hi does this medcinal herb help mail function sopurtand heart deciese & diybect kindly sugest thank you

    ReplyDelete
  63. Can you please tell me what are benefits specially for men in gond katira

    ReplyDelete
  64. It's consumption elongates the size.

    ReplyDelete
  65. hello , i want to ask Is gond katira Good for sexual power in men or not ? because one of my friend use it regularly he is suffering from sexual weakness but still he does not feel good.

    ReplyDelete
  66. Is it safe to have it after soaking it overnight? Some sites say it can block the intestines and has selenium in high amount sometimes . But I guess blocking the intestine would be with un soaked ones , just a guess.

    ReplyDelete
  67. I heard that it is useful for gas and acidity..is it true?

    ReplyDelete
  68. I heard that it is useful for gas and acidity..is it true?

    ReplyDelete
  69. Does it help the hair to grow longer?

    ReplyDelete
  70. Diabetic patient can take gond katira?and can it be taken by people having high thyroid levels?

    ReplyDelete
  71. Is it ok for diabetic patient?

    ReplyDelete
  72. FOR KNEE PAIN ETC :TAKE ONE PC OF KATIRA GUM SOAK IT IN WATER OVER NIGHT . IN A CUP OF MILK PUT TWO BADAM TWO PISTA HALF WALNUT AND ONE DRY KHAJUR AND POWDER IT . PUT THIS POWDER IN BOILING HOT WATER AND FILTERED KATIRA GUM AND HAVE THIS MIXTURE IN THE MORNING FASTING. THIS MIXTURE IS BEST FOR KNEE PAIN. WITHIN FIVE DAYS YOU WILL BE BLESSED WITH KNEE PAIN.

    ReplyDelete
  73. Can we soak it in larger amount and preserve it for later use?

    ReplyDelete
  74. Can we soak it in larger amount and preserve it for later use?

    ReplyDelete
  75. it is helpful to ur wifwe when she want to take revenge on you,,,it leads man to impotence by blocking sperms and mission bandh ho jatha

    ReplyDelete
  76. gond katira in sanskrit, is gand ka kaam kum karna

    ReplyDelete
  77. Consuming it with milk can cause weight gain???

    ReplyDelete
  78. We are urgently in need of kidney donors in Kokilaben Hospital India for the sum of $500,000,00, (3 CRORE INDIA RUPEES) All donors are to reply via Email only: hospitalcarecenter@gmail.com or Email: kokilabendhirubhaihospital@gmail.com
    WhatsApp +91 7795833215

    ReplyDelete
  79. Is gone katira taste khatta?
    How can I use to make energy bars as thikening agent

    ReplyDelete