WHAT IS BAINGAN? AUBERGINE OR EGGPLANT - HISTORY, USES AND HEALTH BENEFITS: MELITZANA SALATA RECIPE

AUBERGINE, EGG PLANT, BRINJAL, BAINGAN, SOLANUM MELONGENA

The aubergines originated in the Indian subcontinent, Laos, Viet Nam, south west China, Northern Thailand and Myanmar. Wild aubergines plants can still be found in these areas. It began to be used in cookery as a vegetable in Asia by the year 3 AD. It is in fact a fruit, a berry to be exact in botanical terms, like the banana, tomato, chilli pepper and avocado. It is a member of the nightshade family like the potato and tomato, and was once viewed with suspicion because of this family connection as were the potato and the tomato. In the 16^th century it was known as the malus insana or apple of madness. The Italian word melanzana and the Greek melitzana are corruptions of this. In India it is called the king of vegetables, and used in all kinds of dishes including in pickles. It was documented in Sanskrit writings as early as 300 BC and the hypnotic and narcotic properties of the plant were described. In Ayurvedic medicine the white varieties of aubergines are and have been used for diabetes and the roots for asthma.

  Their English and French name, aubergines is believed to have come from a corruption of the Arabic word, al-badhinan or the Persian, badanjan or baadangan. The Urdu word for aubergines, baingan would also seem to have the same origins. They were mentioned in the “Atlas of Plants in Southern China” written during the Jin Dynasty in China (265-316 AD) which was a practical handbook of agriculture. They reached Japan around the 8^th century AD and Abu Ibn Sina (known in the West as Avicenna 980-1037) wrote about them. He advocated salting them and only using them when ripe and cooked for ear problems and treatment of excessive bile production. Otherwise they had a bad reputation and were thought to be the cause of many ailments.

Aubergine Flower

  By the 7th and 8^th centuries AD they had spread to Europe so were unknown to the ancient Greeks and Romans. In the Middle Ages they were thought to have aphrodisiac properties. They had been introduced into Africa sometime before their arrival in Europe and scarlet varieties are now grown there. In fact aubergines can be a variety of colours, ranging from white through to jade green and dark purple, and range in size and shape to mini aubergines smaller than okra through to large ones that we usually buy and they may be egg shaped or round or pear-shaped.

  In Southern India they are used to protect against chicken pox, so if a member of the family has the virus, others eat aubergines (cooked over a flame) with onions, chillies, salt and rice to prevent the disease. In Ayurvedic medicine they are cooked and mashed with garlic and asafoetida (heng) or devil’s dung, for flatulence and to get rid of congestion and phlegm.

White Aubergine

   Aubergines are rich in minerals and the purple skin contains many phenolic flavonoids such as anthocyanins which help fight against cancer, aging, inflammation and neurological diseases it is believed. They contain vitamins A, C, E and K, amino acids including arginine (tipped as the natural Viagra) and the minerals potassium, sodium, phosphorous, selenium, iron, copper, calcium, magnesium, manganese, and zinc. They also contain beta-carotene. Thus they have potent antioxidant properties. Omega-3 and -6 fatty acids are also present in them. They also contain a phytonutrients in their skin – nasunin an antioxidant which in lab animals has protected the lipids (fats) in brain cell membranes. Aubergines also contain the phenolic compound chlorogenic acid which scientists think may have anti-cancer, anti-microbial, anti-cholesterol and anti-viral properties. Juice from aubergines has been found in tests to reduce cholesterol in the arteries and the aorta and so may be able to reduce the risk of heart disease. However more tests are needed before this is proved.

  Below is a recipe for a Greek appetizer, an aubergines dip that is good served with crusty fresh bread. You can add grated carrots or tomatoes to this dish if you like.

MELITZANA SALATA

Ingredients

2 medium sized aubergines

4 garlic cloves, crushed to a paste

juice of 2 lemons

a few sprigs of parsley, chopped

a handful of coriander leaves, snipped

1 tbsp natural yoghurt

1 tbsp olive oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 350˚F and prick each aubergines 4 or 5 times with a fork to prevent them exploding, and place them on a greased baking sheet. Place in the oven and cook for 45 minutes.

Allow them to cool slightly so that you can easily handle them. You can scoop out the flesh and put it in a blender with all the other ingredients. A little skin won’t matter.

When thoroughly blended chill for a few hours.

This dip will keep for up to 3 days in the fridge.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

PEAS OR MATAR - HISTORY, USES AND HEALTH BENEFITS: TUNA SALAD AND PEAS RECIPE

PEAS, MATAR IN URDU, PISUM SATIVUM

The garden pea is one of the oldest species of food plant that has been cultivated, and is thought to have originated in western Asia and North Africa. The Latin word pisum derives from the Greek, pisos or pison which translated as pise in Anglo-Saxon and then became pease. By the 1600s this had become pea as pease was believed erroneously to have been a plural form. It is believed that there were three main centres of pea development; Afghanistan and Pakistan, the Near East and Ethiopia. Wild peas thought to be descendants of the original pea plants still grow in Iran, Afghanistan and Ethiopia. From these regions they moved to the Mediterranean and the Far East.

  The first evidence we have so far is that wild peas were used around 9759BC, as traces of them have been found in the so-called “Spirit Cave” on the borders of Myanmar and Thailand. Excavations in Jarmo, in north-western Iraq have also found traces of wild peas dating from between 7000 and 6000 BC. Swiss Bronze Age villages show that peas were being consumed there around 3000 BC and we know that in 500 BC the Greeks and Romans were cultivating them. These may have come from Switzerland or via the trade routes in Asia. In Athens street vendors were selling soup made from dried peas.

  In 25 BC Apicius included nine recipes for peas in his cookery book, but at the time peas were dried and then eaten; they were not eaten fresh. Apicius gives recipes for dried peas with vegetables and with meats, so they must have been used in much the same ways as we use them today.

  By the 7^th century AD peas were being cultivated in China, and were called “hu tou” or “foreign legumes”, but there is a legend dating from earlier times which says that the Emperor Shu Nung, known as the Father of Agriculture in China, who lived 5000 years ago discovered peas. A Norse legend tells how Thor was angry with mortals and sent dragons to foul up the water supplies. The clumsy beasts dropped peas on fertile land and they grew which of course further angered Thor, so people dedicated the pea to him and only ate them on Thor’s Day or Thursday.

  Peas were dried and stored for use in winter months and were not eaten fresh for centuries. The marrowfat pea is the starchy one that is still usually dried and eaten in soups, and served as mushy peas along with mashed potatoes and sausages in some parts of London. (This dish is known as Liquor and Mash.) It wasn’t until late in the 17^th century that eating fresh peas became fashionable, but as with all fashionable things served as delicacies, fresh peas were food for the rich as they were expensive. The poorer classes continued to eat dried peas. In the 1800s and later, dried peas were an important staple for European peasants.

  Although we think of peas as vegetables they are a legume, as they grow in pods, some of which are edible, such as the mange tout or snow pea and the snap pea. These frequently appear in stir-fried dishes. Some snap peas need to have the vein removed from their pods before cooking.

  By the 14^th century the Italians had bred tiny peas they called piselli novelli (new peas) and when Catherine De Medici married Henri II of France she took these new mini-peas with her. The French adored them and called the petit pois (little peas), the name by which they are still known. By the 1560s peas were a traditional dish eaten at Lent throughout most of Europe. And in the time of King James I (1566-1625) London street sellers were selling “Hot grey peas and a suck of bacon.” (Marrowfat peas are still traditionally cooked with a ham bone.)

  James Campbell of the Campbell Soup Company canned peas first in the 1870s and they were one of the first vegetables to be frozen also in the 1920s and 30s.Clarence Birdseye was the first to freeze peas. Freezing peas actually locks in the nutrients and frozen ones are packed full of goodness, only comparable to freshly picked and shelled peas straight from the garden or allotment. Bags of frozen peas are good to put on black eyes and swellings too.

  To cook fresh peas you should barely cover them in water, then bring them to the boil, cover with a lid and simmer for 3 minutes. Don’t discard the water as it will contain vitamin C so use it as a base for gravy or stock.

  Apart from vitamin C peas contain proteins, sugar and starch, phytonutrients, one a polyphenol, coumestrol, which is thought to protect against stomach cancer. One study has also found that this might reduce the risks of prostate cancer. Coumestrol is believed to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Peas also contain some unique (or so it is currently thought) saponins, pisumsaponins 1 and II and pisomosides A and B along with other phytonutrients such as caffeic and ferulic acids. These may be beneficial to people who suffer from Type-2 diabetes. Peas also contain the flavonoids catechin and epicatechin. Although they are low in fat they contain the Omega-3 fatty acid in the form of alpha-linoleic acid (ALA) as well as beta-carotene, Vitamin E which supports the immune system and bone-building vitamin C and manganese. They also contain other minerals such as potassium, copper, magnesium, zinc and B- complex vitamins. They are good for the bones and protect the heart too. Peas help the body to reduce its blood cholesterol levels and may protect against appendicitis.

  Research is being undertaken currently and will hopefully reach its conclusions in 2013 in the University of Saskatchewan in Canada, to discover whether a diet of legumes (including peas) and aerobics exercise can help women suffering from Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. In 2009, another Canadian study found that the proteins extracted from garden peas may reduce blood pressure and benefit those suffering from Chronic Kidney Disorder.

  You may have wondered about the etiquette of pea eating; you should spear peas on the prongs of your fork and then load more onto the back of it as they will then be kept in place by the peas on the prongs. Here is an Ode to Peas, the author is not known:

   “I eat my peas with honey.

    I’ve done it all my life.

    It makes the peas taste funny,

    But it keeps them on my knife.”

 Peas feature in the 16^th century sex manual, “The Perfumed Garden” written by Sheikh Nefzaoui who recommended them to be boiled with onion and cinnamon and used as an effective aphrodisiac. However peas contain oestrogenic chemicals which may decrease male fertility.

  In the 19^th and early 20^th century, London fogs were called “pea-soupers” because of their density and the green tinge they had. However the grey soup of those early street vendors was quite like fog, I imagine.

  Peas have come into the English language in similes, “as alike as two peas in a pod” meaning things or people are identical; “just like shelling peas” meaning that something is extremely easy to do. (Easy-peasy reflects the same concept too.) There is also the Hans Christian Andersen tale of “The Princess and The Pea” which featured the dried variety of pea, and Edward Lear’s poem, “The Owl and The Pussycat” who “went to sea in a beautiful pea-green boat.”

  In Pakistan, peas are traditionally eaten with keema (minced or ground meat) and potatoes, but here is a recipe for peas in a salad. Cook the peas as explained above.

TUNA SALAD AND PEAS

Ingredients

1 tin tuna drained and flaked

2 spring onions

50 gr shelled peas, cooked

2 tomatoes, roughly chopped

mayonnaise

Method

 Mix all the ingredients together and serve on a bed of whole Cos lettuce leaves garnished with slices of cucumber, unpeeled, and sliced radishes or mooli.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

LETTUCE OR SALAD PATA - HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES: HOT LETTUCE SIDE DISH RECIPE

LETTUCE, LACTUCA SATIVA, SALAD PATA IN URDU

Lettuce is a common salad ingredient, and the most popular seems to be the iceberg lettuce, which has least nutrients of the lettuces. To get the most health benefits from a lettuce you should choose dark green ones such as the Cos or Romaine lettuce or the oak leaf lettuces. There is the wild lettuce too, Lactuca virosa which has a bitter taste, but which has the most sap which can be used in medicine. The sap has opium-like qualities and is a sedative. It has been used in children’s cough medicines and is traditionally used to calm people who are irascible and of nervous dispositions.

Cos/Romaine

  If you are a fan of Beatrix Potter, you may remember her book, “The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies” published in 1909 in which Peter Rabbit’s children stuff themselves with lettuce and fall asleep in Mr. McGregor’s garden and end up in a sack. Of course, all is well in the end, but Peter and his offspring got a nasty shock. Beatrix wrote “It is said that eating too much lettuce is soporific.” Certainly the ancient Greeks and Romans thought so, and the Greeks fulminated as to whether it should be served at the beginning of a meal, because it aided digestion, or at the end, because it would induce sleep. The Romans served lettuce at the end of their meals in the form of lettuce soup. Galen believed that it cured insomnia.

   In Rome lettuce was regarded as a wonder cure and Augustus Caesar set up an altar for it and set up a statue in honour of it and the physician who prescribed it, as he believed it cured him of a dangerous illness.

  Cos lettuce appears to have got its name from the Greek island of Kos which is close to Turkey, and it is generally believed that this type of lettuce was first grown on Kos.

  Egyptians featured lettuce in the wall paintings of pharaohs’ tombs and believed that it was a symbol of male virility, perhaps because when it bolts as it produces seeds; it can reach heights of over 6 feet and looks like a phallus. Egyptians cultivated lettuce for the seeds from which they produced oil, rather than for culinary purposes. On the contrary in Ayurvedic medicine lettuce is used to dampen the libido.

   The Latin name Lactuca means containing milk and is a reference to the milky sap which lettuce produce when cut. This is where the cancer fighting flavonoids are, so you should not cut or tear lettuce leaves to serve them but put them whole in salads.

  The sap is a soothing lotion for skin irritation and sunburn and is a herbal remedy for depression. It contains magnesium, chrome and folic acids and lettuces on the whole are rich in vitamins A, C, K and some B-complex vitamins as well as minerals which include calcium, iron, potassium and manganese. Amino acids and Omega-3 and -6 fatty acids are also present as is the carotenoid zeaxanthin which helps prevent age-related macular degeneration. Like carrots and whinberries lettuces are good for the eyesight. They are members of the Asteraceae or daisy family which includes chamomile, yarrow and sunflowers. Wild lettuce turns its leaves in the direction of the sun as sunflowers turn their heads.

red oak leaf lettuce

  Lettuce has been cultivated for more than 2,500 years, and the Romans had around 80 varieties, and they helped to spread the lettuce around the world. It is thought that the wild lettuce, a precursor of the one we have today, Lactuca serriola probably originated in the Mediterranean region, from where it spread throughout Europe and temperate Asia. It is further believed that the first people to use it as food were the ancient Persians.

  Lettuce has diuretic properties and has been traditionally used to cool the temperature in fevers. It has also been used as a blood purifier and to aid digestion. In Ayurvedic medicine it is prescribed for peptic ulcers as are asparagus, broccoli and alfalfa sprouts.

  Gerard the 16^th century English herbalist wrote about the sap; “it procures sleep, assuages pain, moves the courses in women and is drunk against the stingings of scorpions and biting spiders.”

   Whatever type of lettuce you buy has nutrients in it, but so try the darker ones, as they will do you the most good.

Cos/Romaine

HOT LETTUCE SIDE DISH

Ingredients

½ head dark green lettuce

225 gr fresh peas

4-6 spring onions, finely chopped

½ handful snipped mint leaves

½ tsp sugar

¼ pint chicken or vegetable stock

1 oz butter

1 tbsp olive oil

Method

Melt the butter with the olive oil then lightly fry the spring onions for 3-4 minutes.

Add the lettuce and swish around the pan until it is wilted.

Add the shelled peas, mint and chicken stock and bring to a boil then simmer until the peas are tender.

Adjust seasoning and serve.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

SAUSAGE TREE - TRADITIONAL MEDICAL USES AND ROLE IN MODERN MEDICINE

THE SAUSAGE TREE, KIGELIA AFRICANA, KIGELIA PINNATA

Kigelia Africana or Kigelia pinnata is one of a kind and the only Kigelia plant. It gets its name from the Mozambican name for the tree, Kigeli-keia, and the English name is because of the shape and size of its fruit. 

These are not your breakfast type of sausage, but more of a German wurst, or Italian Mortadella or salami. In fact the German name Leberwurst (liver sausage) for this tree reflects this. It is a member of the Bignoniaceae family of trumpet-creeper plants as is the jacaranda, another species which is unique.

  It is native to Sub-Saharan Africa and particularly likes woodland areas along streams and river banks and savannah. Its flowers have an unpleasant smell which may be why it attracts fruit bats, as they are normally drawn towards white flowers, but the Sausage tree flowers are maroon or dark red. Hawk moths along with the bats help to pollinate the flowers which also attract birds as they are full of nectar. Hungry antelope and deer species eat the fallen flowers, and it is said that baboons and porcupines among other animals feast on the fruit which is toxic for humans. Despite this it is used in traditional medicine, especially the dried seeds and leaves and the pulp when removed from the seeds is said to help give women firm breasts.

  The powdered leaves are used for their wound healing and cleansing properties and it is used for STDs, malaria and a whole range of diseases including gynaecological ones. In fact it may be the African equivalent of the Neem tree that grows in the Indian subcontinent.

  The fruit hangs down, suspended on twig-like ‘strings’ and it looks rather as though someone has played an elaborate April Fool’s joke, tying German sausages to the branches. However it is a real tree and does have these amazing fruit. They can probably give you concussion if you unwittingly take shelter from the sun under its shade. On average they weigh around 3 kilos but a large one could weigh as much as 9 kilos. They can be 30-60 centimetres long and have a diameter of around10 centimetres. If you try to eat one you will get blisters on your skin and in your mouth and will be violently ill.

  The roasted fruit is used to flavour beer and to assist in the fermentation process, and in times of scarcity, apparently the seeds are roasted and eaten.

  They have many traditional uses as the fruit has anti-microbial properties so the powdered fruit is used for skin problems such as acne, and for dressing wounds, and in water it is used as disinfectant. On a dressing the powder is applied to eczema and slices of the fruit are used to make breasts firm. Beauty products are now available which utilize extracts from Kigelia Africana, and these have been advertised as halting the aging process of the skin, although this has not been confirmed in clinical trials by those who do not have a vested interest in the beauty industry.

  What seems to have been proved is that the extracts have anti-inflammatory properties and so are useful in after-sun lotions, and for soothing irritated skin. It is also believed, according to researchers at the University of Karachi’s Research Institute of Chemistry, that the extracts from the seeds have potent antioxidant effects. Currently research in on-going into the properties of the Sausage Tree, and researchers who have undertaken a review of the research so far (conducted in 2009) concluded “there is an enormous scope for the future research of Kigelia Africana considering the many medicinal properties it carries” and the fact that it is used for so many purposes traditionally. The researchers end with this call to action “more research work should focus on anti-cancer properties” as it seems that the extracts from this tree may inhibit melanoma.

Olatunji and Olubunmi who carries out the review were also concerned about sustainability and doubtless had in mind what tends to happen to plant species when Westerners decide they are useful either as cosmetics, food supplements or in pharmaceuticals. The Himalayan Yew is one species which is under threat because it is valuable to the pharmaceutical industry and Devil’s Claw is similarly endangered.

  It is said that the roots yield a yellow dye, while the boiled fruits give a red one.  It is used in Botswana and Zimbabwe to make dugout canoes, and the strong wood is used for shelving and to make fruit boxes.

  One of the folk remedies is to wrap a leaf from the Sausage tree around a wart, then bury it so that as the leaf decays so will the wart disappear. This is similar to the belief that you can cut a potato and rub it on a wart then bury the potato. Legend has it that Dr Livingstone saw a Kigelia africana and camped beneath it just before he got to Victoria Falls and carved his name on the trunk. It must not have been the fruit season (December to June) I guess.

  The tree is sacred to some tribes’ people in Kenya and if a person is missing, presumed dead, they will bury one of the fruit of the sausage tree in place of the body of the lost person.
 To see more photos of this tree go to hear.org and see Kim and Forrest Star's  site.
This is a real tree and not an April Fool's joke- it's just an accident that it was posted on 1st April.

WHAT IS KHEERA? CUCUMBER - HISTORY: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF CUCUMBER: TURKISH CUCUMBER AND YOGHURT SOUP RECIPE

CUCUMBER, KHEERA in URDU CUCUMIS SATIVA

When you think “cucumber” you probably think of the long green one that we know in Europe, the one that is grown in greenhouses, but in Pakistan there are different varieties of cucumber, the desi kheera, which is a relatively small, thick yellow cucumber and small green cucumbers which are kheera and look like mini-cucumbers. The seeds and leaves are used for medicinal purposes to cure a variety of ills including jaundice, sore throats general weakness and insomnia, to name but a few uses.

  Cucumbers originated in the Indian subcontinent, and are known to have been cultivated in Western Asia for at least 3,000 years. They were probably introduced into Europe by the Romans and were cultivated in France in the 9^th century, in England in the 14^th (although they had been introduced earlier, but had disappeared, it would seem in the Dark Ages after the fall of the Roman Empire) and were grown in North America by the mid-16^th century. Christopher Columbus apparently took cucumber seeds with him to Haiti in 1494.They are mentioned in the Epic of Gilgamesh as being eaten in the ancient city of Ur, and were cultivated in ancient Thrace which is now parts of Bulgaria and Turkey. The cucumber is part of traditional Greek and Bulgarian and Turkish cuisine, used in desserts and yoghurt-based soups. It is also used in raita in the subcontinent and tzatziki in Greece.

   The Emperor Tiberius insisted on having cucumbers on his table every day in winter and summer and so they were cultivated for him in the first “greenhouses” protected from the cold by frames of oiled cloth at night and taken into direct sunlight on warm winter days. Roman matrons who were barren would wear cucumbers around their waists believing that they would make them fertile. In Roman times they were also carried to births by midwives and thrown away after the baby was born. Clearly this had something to do with the phallic appearance of the cucumber.

   In English we have the phrase “cool as a cucumber” which comes from a poem “A New Song” by John Gay and English poet and dramatist of the early 18^th century. Cucumbers are used for their cooling properties in medicine and can be placed on sunburn to relieve the pain and calm the skin’s redness. They are useful to get rid of puffiness around the eyes- just put a slice on each eye and leave it there for 15 minutes to half an hour while you lie back and relax. This is also a remedy for tired eyes. The cucumber cools the eyes and skin and rehydrates it. Try pulping a cucumber and applying the pulp to your face. It will leave your skin feeling rejuvenated and glowing with health. The pulp can also be applied to burns and scalds and applied to sunburn to reduce the heat.

  Cucumbers are members of the Cucurbitaceae family of plants which include the watermelon, pumpkin, courgettes and gourds such as the ash gourd or petha. Although the English cucumber is sold as seedless it still has a few seeds, and these are considered very beneficial in Ayurvedic medicine and other traditional medicinal practices in the Indian subcontinent.

   Cucumbers contain a lot of water, of course, so are good in warm weather, and cucumber juice is full of nutrients and very refreshing. They contain vitamins A, C, E and some of the B-complex ones as well as minerals such as potassium, iron, manganese, magnesium, molybdenum, phosphorous, calcium, copper, sodium and zinc. They also contain silica which the body needs to strengthen the connective tissues, the muscles, cartilage, tendons and ligaments. Amino acids including arginine are present, and arginine is especially beneficial for the immune system and the heart and circulation. Arginine also boosts nitric oxide in the body which relaxes blood vessels and has the same basic effect as Viagra, so eating cucumbers with the peel on them, can help with erectile dysfunctions. The skin of the cucumber contains silica, potassium, manganese and fibre, so should be eaten and not discarded. The ascorbic acid and caffeic acid contained in cucumbers means that they are good for preventing water retention, and are used for their diuretic properties here in Pakistan. They are also used in the Ayurvedic system of medicine to dispel kidney stones and to stop haemorrhages.

Desi Kheera

  In Pakistan the traditional healers or hakims use the cucumber seeds as coolants in fevers, for their diuretic properties and because they are highly nutritious for general weakness. The leaves are boiled and mixed with cumin seeds then mashed to a pulp and given to relieve throat infections. They may also be dried and powdered, then mixed with gur and given to stop water retention. For sunstroke pieces of cucumber are placed on the head so that the sufferer will breathe moistened air to neutralize the body heat. Pulped cucumbers with seeds are made into a paste to relieve burns and headaches and for skin problems. It is also believed that cucumbers cure insomnia, although I haven’t worked out how. Another recipe is for 1 oz of cucumber seeds and the same of yellow melon seeds, watermelon seeds and raisins (probably sultanas though I think) 2 oz chicory 10 ounces of gur or jaggery and a litre of water. The seeds are boiled then strained and the liquid drunk in ½ -1 oz doses three or four times a day for water retention and to cool the body during fevers.

  To cool down during summer, try this Turkish recipe for cucumber and yoghurt soup or our raita or tzatziki recipes.

TURKISH CUCUMBER AND YOGHURT SOUP

Ingredients

1 large pot natural yoghurt

1 lb cucumbers, grated

2 tbsps fresh dill, snipped into ½ inch pieces

2 tsps distilled white vinegar

1 tbsp olive oil

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

freshly ground black pepper

1 tbsp fresh mint, snipped into small pieces

mint sprigs to decorate each bowl of soup

Method

Put all the ingredients except for the mint in a bowl and whisk so that they are all thoroughly combined.

Chill for at least an hour.

When ready to serve you may have to whisk the soup again as you need to add the freshly snipped mint.

Pour into bowls and garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

  

WHAT IS AARHOO? PEACH - DELICIOUS JUICY FRUIT: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF PEACH: HOW TO MAKE BELLINI COCKTAIL

PEACH, AARHOO, PRUNUS PERSICA

Peaches have the Latin name Prunus because they were thought to resemble a plum and Persica because it was thought that they originated in Persia. However we now know that they originated in China where they have been cultivated for thousands of years and where wild peaches still grow. It is thought that they may have grown along the Chinese trade routes of the ancient world as traders threw away the peach kernels (which like almond kernels contain hydrocyanic acid which is toxic). The English word peach comes from the Old French peche. They were called Malus persica in the ancient world, meaning Persian apples. Peaches are members of the rose family of plants as is the strawberry. They are caller Aarhoo (pronounced aru) in Urdu.

  There are different kinds of peach and the white variety so loved by the Italians is a delicious one to use in desserts. Poached in wine with cinnamon they make very tasty ones.

   The peach was known to the ancient Greek physician, Theophrastus in 329 BC and was in the writings of Confucius. In fact it is sacred to the Taoists and is the symbol of longevity. There is a legend from China which talks of a peach tree which belonged to the gods and which grew fruit once every 3,000 years if someone ate the fruit of this tree they were assured of virility and immortality. The peach is a symbol of longevity in China and gifts of peaches or decorative items with the peach motif on them are highly valued.

   Peaches are high in fibre and can be used as part of a weight loss diet, as they can be eaten as snacks and suppress the appetite. There is now the Saturn variety of peaches which is a flat peach, sometimes referred to as the doughnut peach, which has gained in popularity in Britain since 2004 mainly because it can be eaten without being too messy. The flesh doesn’t cling to the stone, and as it is flat, (rather like the flying saucer shape of the popular imagination) you don’t tend to get juice all over you and have to resort to licking parts of your anatomy. These have not been genetically modified as you might be forgiven for supposing, but have been grown in China since the 19^th century.

  Peaches come in a variety of colours as well as shapes and may have white, yellow, red, pink or orange flesh. They are rich in vitamins A and C and also contain some B-complex ones as well as E and K. As for minerals, they are rich in potassium, and also contain iron, phosphorous, magnesium, calcium, selenium, manganese, copper and zinc. They have anti-microbial and antioxidant properties and may inhibit cancerous growth and reduce the risk of certain cancers, although trials are on-going.

  In the Indian subcontinent peaches and leaves and bark are used for a variety of illnesses including anaemia, asthma, gall bladder and kidney stones, bronchitis, constipation, dry coughs, gastritis, high blood pressure and poor digestion.

  Peach leaf tisane is given to get rid of internal parasites and for coughs including whooping cough and it is also supposed to be good for bronchitis as it has expectorant qualities. To make peach leaf tisane, take 1 oz dried peach leaves to 1 pint boiling water. Pour the water over the leaves and allow to steep for 15 minutes, then strain and drink. Flavour with honey if necessary. A tisane can also be made from ½ oz of dried bark to a pint of boiling water as in the leaf tisane. Peach leaves and flowers can be distilled to make cordials and peach wine can be made from the fruit. The leaves and bark have sedative, expectorant and diuretic qualities. In Italy people used to place a peach leaf on a wart and then bury the leaf. It was believed that as the leaf rotted so the wart would drop off.

   You can make an infusion of peach flowers which was reckoned to be good for jaundice, and which has purgative properties.  The best time to harvest the leaves is early summer, while the bark should be stripped from young trees and then sun-dried, taking it in at night before the dew falls.

   The 16^th century English herbalist John Gerard grew peach trees in his garden, and Culpeper recommended the powdered leaves for staunching blood flow from wounds and to close them. He also suggested using the sap from the cut tree mixed with coltsfoot, sweet wine and saffron for “coughs, hoarseness and loss of voice.” He went on to say that this was also good for the lungs as it “clears and strengthens” them and “relieves those who vomit and spit blood.” Finally he recommends that the bruised kernels should be boiled in vinegar “until they become thick and applied to the head, it marvelously causeth the hair to grow again on any bald place or where it is too thin.”

  The recipe below for the Bellini cocktail is the original one first concocted in Harry’s Bar in Venice by Giuseppe Ciprianti who was inspired so it is said, by Bellini’s art. It’s best with white peaches but any variety will do.

BELLINI COCKTAIL

Ingredients

Serves 2

1 white peach, peeled and blended

½ bottle champagne or sparkling white wine

2 peach balls

Method

Put the peach pulp in a champagne flute and add champagne (originally Italian Prosecco was used).

 Put a melon ball in each flute and let it sink to the bottom.

If you want to add a measure of crème de peche and a dash of peach bitters to each flute this will be closer to the Bellini that you will be served in a cocktail bar.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

  

DEVIL'S CLAW - USEFUL HERB: HOW TO USE DEVIL'S CLAW

DEVIL’S CLAW, HARPAGOPHYTUM PROCUMBENS

Devil’s Claw is a native to the Kalahari Desert so stretches through Namibia, Botswana and South Africa, and also grows in Madagascar. The San tribe of the Kalahari is believed to have been the first to recognize the medicinal properties of Devil’s Claw which is still being investigated by medical researchers in the West because of its analgesic (pain-killing) and anti-inflammatory properties.

  Harpago means grappling hook or iron, in Greek, and phytum is plant, procumbens, meaning prostrate describes the way it spreads across the ground as it is a vine-like plant with red, purple or pink trumpet-shaped flowers. These give way to spiny fruits which then produce dark-brown or black seeds. However it is the thick, fleshy secondary roots which have been subject to investigation which is still ongoing. It is related to the little sesame seed.

  Traditionally in African medicine Devil’s Claw has been used as a virtual cure all for such diverse diseases as fevers, malaria, menstrual cramps, the pains of childbirth, TB and other infectious diseases, hypertension, gout, liver disorders, peptic ulcers and other stomach disorders, to stimulate the appetite, lower cholesterol levels, purify the blood as well as for the relief of pain associated with arthritis and rheumatism. In ointments it is used externally to heal wounds, get rid of ulcers, boils and rashes and it is reportedly also used for insect bites.

   The German Commission E has approved its use for dyspepsia, stimulating appetite and resting degenerative disorders of the muscoskeleton.  It is an active ingredient of ¾ of prescriptions for arthritis and rheumatism and has been over-harvested to the point where it is under threat of extinction. In Namibia there is a sustainable project which was established to harvest the root set up in 1999 and seeds have been deposited in the Kew Gardens Millennium Seed Bank, so that it won’t actually become extinct because of irresponsible harvesting. Unfortunately it, like the Himalayan Yew has been discovered by the West and so the market for Devil’s Claw roots has exploded.

  Because of its anti-inflammatory properties it is being investigated as a possible alternative to the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) which have received such bad press because of their adverse side effects. The active ingredients of the root believed to be responsible for its analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties are the glycosides harpagoside and acteoside. Medical research has shown that inflammation is the key pathological factor in such common diseases as Alzheimer’s, osteoporosis, cardio-vascular diseases, diabetes, dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases, which is why such extensive research is being done on Devil’s Claw. However, although researchers have had good results in vitro and in vivo there is much still to be done before they will say whether or not drugs which contain Devil’s Claw can help with the above-mentioned diseases.

Devil's claw Seeds

  It can be brewed into a tisane and drunk to stimulate the appetite and aid digestion, and this can also be applied to skin problems.

  Hopefully our increasing demand for Devil’s Claw will not lead to its extinction from its natural habitat.

WHAT IS ADWANA? TARBOOZ - WHAT IS TARBOOZ? WATERMELON - HISTORY, HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES: WATERMELON AND FETA SALAD RECIPE

WATERMELON, TARBOOZ IN URDU, CITRULLA LANTANA

Watermelons (Tarbooz in Urdu and Adwana in Punjabi) originated in Africa and were discovered growing wild by the famous explorer, Dr Livingstone. They have sustained the Kalahari Bushmen for centuries, supplying them with much needed liquid and nutrition. They are believed to have been cultivated in many different regions in antiquity, including in the Mediterranean region, North Africa and Sardinia as well as the Indian subcontinent.

  In the 16^th and 17^th centuries they were described by European botanists as having yellow, white as well as pink and red flesh. They are members of the Cucurbitaceae family of plants and so are related to pumpkins, gourds such as the ash gourd, (petha), marrow, courgettes and the yellow melon. Today you can buy seedless melons which have been genetically engineered, but in Asia and Greece, watermelon seeds are dried and roasted either with or without salt, as pumpkin seeds are and eaten as snacks. The seeds may be white, green, black, or speckled, and are as varied as the watermelon (actually a vegetable not a fruit) which comes in different shapes (square and heart-shaped for example) and sizes, from small 3 lb watermelons to those weighing a hefty 90 lbs.

  The Moors took them to Spain during the 13^th century, and they traveled through Europe afterwards. Watermelon seeds were found in the tomb of Tutankhamen and were cultivated in Egypt along the river Nile at least as far back as 2,000 BC.

  A tisane made from the cut seeds will purify the system and help to dissolve kidney gravel and stones. You need a tablespoon of powdered or chopped watermelon seeds to a pint of boiling water. Pour the water over the seeds and allow them to steep for 15 minutes. Strain and drink the tisane.

  Watermelons are not only delicious but incredibly beneficial to our health. The red fleshed ones contain lycopene which has potent antioxidant activity and which protects against cancers and heart disease. It is generally known to be found in tomatoes and red carrots, and is what makes fruit and vegetables red. Tomatoes need to be cooked to release the full properties of lycopene, but that in watermelons doesn’t need to be released in this way. However it is best to store them at room temperature in order to get the most out of their potential health benefits. Watermelons are rich in vitamin C and the mineral potassium and contain amino acids including citrulline which is especially rich in yellow and orange fleshed varieties and which helps in healing wounds and cell division.  A watermelon also contains other vitamins including vitamin A, D, E and K and the B-complex vitamins and is particularly high in B6. As for minerals it apart from potassium it contains calcium, copper, iron, phosphorous, manganese, magnesium, selenium, sodium and zinc.

Golden Watermelon

  Mark Twain, (1835-1910) the US writer and humourist (in “Pudd’n Head Wilson”) has this to say of watermelons, “When one has tasted it, he knows what angels eat. It was not a Southern watermelon that Eve ate, we know it because she repented.” There is a Chinese proverb which says,“Pick up a sesame seed, but lose sight of a watermelon” and a Turkish proverb which aptly points out “Two watermelons cannot be carried under one arm.” One of my favourite books is by Richard Brautigan “In Watermelon Sugar” which shows that the watermelon has not gone unnoticed in popular culture through the ages.

  Research has found that men who combine eating watermelon and drinking green tea, or eating pink grapefruit, strawberries, pommelo, tomatoes and other lycopene rich fruits (apricots, papaya, and guava) help reduce the risk of prostate cancer.

  Citrulline is an amino acid which our bodies use to produce another amino acid, arginine which is used by the urea system to remove ammonia from our bodies. This also helps the cells lining our blood vessels to make nitric oxide which relaxes blood vessels and so lowers high blood pressure. Arginine works on the immune system and benefits the heart and circulation. It is a kind of natural Viagra as it relaxes the blood vessels and so helps reduce problems associated wit erectile dysfunction. In other words watermelon is an aphrodisiac for men. The combination of citrulline-arginine may also prove to be helpful to those who are obese and who have Type 2 diabetes. Research is underway to breed a watermelon in which lycopene is more prevalent in the flesh than the rind as is the case in most varieties of watermelon currently. (The rind can be eaten if pickled.) However it is still more concentrated in watermelons than tomatoes. 

  If you buy a whole watermelon, hit it to see if it is ripe. If it has a hollow sound then it is. You can liquidize watermelons to extract the juice and this is delicious, but my favourite way of eating it is with Feta cheese. This may sound weird, but try the Greek recipe below.

WATERMELON AND FETA SALAD

Ingredients

1 watermelon, cut into cubes or scooped out into balls

4 oz Feta cheese, crumbled or sliced

1 cucumber, peeled and sliced (optional)

Simply put the watermelon on a plate and add crumbled or sliced Feta cheese and a cucumber if you want to. You don’t need salt because of the Feta.

This has Taste and is a Treat

WHAT IS COCONUT? NARIAL - HISTORY: MEDICINAL BENEFITS AND USES OF COCONUT: HOW TO MAKE COCONUT CHUTNEY

COCONUTS, NARIAL IN URDU, COCOS NUCIFERUS

The name coconut comes from the Portuguese, cocos, meaning a grimacing face, such as that on a jack o’ lantern made from a turnip or pumpkin, and makes reference to the monkey face of the coconut, with three eyes or indentations in the shell, and the ‘hair.’ Nuciferus means nut-bearing. It is native to the Pacific region and is and has been widely used throughout South Asia as food and medicine, as well as for religious purposes.  Coconut palms are referred to in Indian writings dating back to the 4^th century BC and were in Tamil literature from the 1^st to 4^th century AD. They feature in the Hindu epics, the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and the Puranas, and are sacred to the god Shiva having three eyes as he is often depicted as having. The coconut was adopted into Aryan rituals later, and so scholars believe that they were introduced into northern India later being they were familiar in the south of the country first. The coconut was known as “sriphala” and the fruit of the gods, so it was forbidden to cut the coconut palms. In India the coconut symbolizes absolute usefulness, selfless service, generosity and prosperity. The trees are believed to be able to grant all wishes. It is used in rituals such as marriage ceremonies, and for temple offerings to various deities, and in ceremonies for installing a household deity. The flesh of the coconut is sanctified in these ceremonies and then, being so blessed by the gods (prasad), shared amongst the guests. In fishing communities in southern India coconuts are thrown into the sea to appease the sea gods so that the fishermen have peaceful trips out to sea.

   All the parts of the coconut palm are used, either in medicine, for food or for making decorative items or those that have a domestic purpose. The midrib of the leaves is used to make brooms, while there is a cottage industry in areas where the trees flourish, plaiting the leaves for thatching for homes and sheds and for basket weaving.

  Palm hearts form the tips of the tree are the heaviest of all palm hearts and can weigh up to 12 kilos. The juice is tapped from the coconut flower stalks and given to people suffering from fevers or diarrhoea and dysentery. The seeds, roots and flowers are made into pastes, infusions and ointments for medicinal purposes to treat a variety of ailments and are used for burns and skin irritations among other things.

  The white meat and water from the nut is used for heart problems, dysentery, fevers, to quench thirst, as a diuretic and for urinary tract infections, and as an aphrodisiac. In Ayurvedic medicine the coconut is used to increase sperm count, and to rehydrate the body. To treat diarrhoea in traditional medicine, the oil from the coconut is mixed with other ingredients and rubbed on the stomach to stop diarrhoea. Oil extracted after boiling coconut milk is antiseptic and soothing and used on burns and ringworm as well as to stop itching. Modern medical research has supported these uses of oil. The oil is also applied to the scalp to encourage hair growth and prevent grey hairs appearing.

   Coconut oil is also used in cosmetics as a moisturizer to prevent signs of ageing and to moisturize the skin. Mixed with sugar it is used to exfoliate the skin and remove dead skin cells, thus rejuvenating the complexion.

  The sweet sap( called ‘toddy’ in India)which the tree exudes from its unopened flowering branches tapped is boiled to make gur or jaggery which in turn is converted to a strong alcoholic beverage.

  Shampoo is made with coconut oil which is boiled with lemon juice to take away the smell of coconut and is then mixed with jasmine water. The roots of the palm are traditionally made into toothpaste and frayed to make toothbrushes, rather like walnut tree bark is used in Pakistan’s Punjab province.

   In the Pacific Islands, the coconut palm is called the “Tree of Life” and is a cure-all. Its parts are used to cure STDs such as gonorrhea, and for a multitude of other diseases including earache, flu, malnutrition, scabies, jaundice, menstrual cramps and irregular periods, to kill lice and internal parasites, , to cure TB and diabetes.

  Modern medical research into the benefits of coconut oil and its other products has been extensive and it is believed that the oil is unique, and currently research is underway to investigate its benefits for HIV sufferers and it anti-inflammatory effects. It is believed that it has potent anti-microbial and anti viral properties and so it may be useful to combat the common cold, herpes, flu and a whole host of other diseases. It would seem that it may indeed warrant the name “The Tree of Life.” It has no harmful effects, and has been found to reduce inflammation, improve insulin secretion and aids digestion and the absorption of nutrients by the body.  

  The coconut meat and water supply the body with energy and boost the immune system.

The meat and water from the nut (which is a seed) contain amino acids, vitamins A, C, D, E, and K as well as a number of B-complex ones. As for minerals it is potassium rich, contains iron, calcium, phosphorous, copper, magnesium, and selenium.

   Here in Pakistan we eat a lot of the dried fruit or copra, and put it in desserts such as Carrot Halva. Coconuts are sold on barrows in the bazaar and so is coconut water to quench one’s thirst on blisteringly hot summer days. They are often accompanied by red carrot sticks, which make an eye-catching contrast to the white meat of the coconut.

   Coconut oil can be used in cooking as well as in medicine, and is also used as a body oil. After the oil has been extracted the coconut ‘cake’ or residue is fed to cattle. Coconut shells are used to make decorative items- you’ve probably seen the monkey figures made from the hollow shells, and they are also burned to get charcoal and to make ladles and other household and decorative items. Coconut wood is used to make wall panels, furniture, windows and doors and decorative items. Virtually nothing of the palm goes to waste.

  If you don’t know how to open a coconut you need a hammer and a long nail and should hammer the nail into one or all of the three indentations or eyes which are the shell’s weakest points. Allow the water to drain out over a bowl before you use the hammer to crack then shell to get at the white meat.

   You can buy desiccated coconut in packets, and reconstitute it to make coconut water, but it isn’t as good as the real thing straight from the shell.

   The recipe below is for a “chutney” which is a coconut sauce, and good with steamed rice cakes, or as an accompaniment to chicken or fish dishes.

COCONUT CHUTNEY

Ingredients

½ coconut, white meat grated

 2 green chillies

½ inch piece of ginger root

1 tsp black mustard seeds

1 tbsps urad daal (yellow lentils)

5-6 curry leaves

2 dried red chillies

salt to taste

2 tbsps oil

Method

Put the coconut meat, ginger and green chillies in a grinder and grind.

Heat the oil in a small pan and when it is hot add the mustard seeds, curry leaves, red chillies and the lentils, Fry until the lentils turn brown and the chillies are very red.

Remove from the heat and add the coconut paste and salt.

Serve.

This has Taste and is a Treat.