STAR ANISE: STAR ANISE STIR FRIED RICE RECIPE

star anise

STAR ANISE (ILLICIUM VERUM)


Star anise originated in China and Vietnam, and is still mainly grown there and in Japan. Japanese star anise caused a scare back in 2006 when the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning about drinking teas and tisanes made with Japanese star anise. This was after reports of people suffering from vomiting, jitteriness, rapid eye movement, and even seizures after drinking a tea or tisane made with it. It’s virtually impossible to tell the difference between Japanese and Chinese star anise just by looking at it, so unless you are certain the star anise you have is Chinese, don’t drink a tisane made with it; put it on your skin instead as it’s good for skin diseases.

Star anise is so called because of its stellate shape; it’s a very attractive spice with a pungent aroma so is good in pot pourris. It is actually the fruit of a tree which in Japan is an ornamental tree, and often planted on tombs and in temples. This fruit is picked before it is ripe and dried. The powdered bark of the tree is used for incense. The oil is used in the West in alcoholic drinks such as anisette. It has a strong liquorice-like taste and is stronger than anise, or aniseed.

It doesn’t grow on the Indian subcontinent, but is used there, particularly in Bengali cuisine. You have probably encountered it if you use Chinese Five Spice powder as it is one of the ingredients. Other ingredients include ground fennel seeds, cinnamon, cloves, and Szechwan peppercorns; powdered dried orange peel may also be included.

It has been used in traditional medicine for centuries to treat infant colic and rheumatism, and is also used to treat headaches, coughs, chills, bronchitis, digestive problems and flatulence. People also use it as a stimulant when they need energy. Small amounts of seeds from the dried star-shaped fruit are chewed to freshen the breath. The fatty oil can be found in some soaps.

In modern medicine, the shikimic acid contained in the fruit is extracted and used as the base of the drug Tamiflu which was made to fight avian flu (H5N1). Once again, modern medical research has found that the traditional use for a spice is effective. To make the drug the pharmaceutical giant Roche uses star anise only from four of China’s provinces.

In folklore, one star of star anise is put under a pillow to banish nightmares, and it is also said that if you do this you will dream of someone who is far away. It is carried around whole for good luck and burnt to aid clairvoyant powers and psychic awareness.

It’s also good to cook with and here’s a recipe for a quick stir fry dish using it.





STAR ANISE STIR-FRIED RICE
Ingredients
250 gr rice, cleaned, washed and soaked for 15 mins (or leftover cooked rice)
water

oil

1 onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
½ inch piece of ginger root, finely chopped
1 head broccoli cut into florets
1 carrot cut into thin strips
1 tomato peeled and finely chopped
assorted vegetables either fresh or frozen, cooked
2 tbsps soy sauce (dark)
¼ tsp paprika pepper
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp Chinese chilli paste

Method
Cook the rice and drain it well, or use leftover rice.
Fry the onion, garlic, ginger for a few mins then lower the heat and add the vegetables and rice.
Stir well and add all the other ingredients.
Cook for about 5 mins, and serve.
You can eat this cold as a salad too if you keep it in the fridge overnight.
Break an egg or two into the rice mixture and stir continuously until the egg is cooked for egg fried rice.
This has Taste and is a Treat.

INDIAN ALMOND or DESI BADEM: RECIPE MACKEREL with GREEN BEANS and ALMONDS

THE INDIAN ALMOND TREE (TERMINALIA CATAPPA) OR DESI BADEM
The Indian Almond tree, or Desi Badem in Urdu, is not a relative of the almond tree you probably know, Prunus dulcis,(sweet almond tree) which is related to the peach tree, so please don’t try any of the remedies below with the almond tree in your garden. They won’t work. The Indian Almond (Terminalia catappa) is also known as the Sea Almond, because it has a high tolerance of salt, or the Tropical Almond. Actually it is related to Terminalia arjuna or arjuna and Terminalia chebula or hareer. It is believed to have originated in south western Asia, but it grows in South East Asia too, as well as in parts of South America. The nuts, which like other almonds are the seeds of the tree, are edible, and can be eaten raw, whereas the ones we know have to be treated before eating. In South America, the oil from the seeds is used in cooking, but on the subcontinent it is mainly used in medicine, and is sometimes used as hair oil.
The sap from the leaves has been used to treat skin diseases, ranging from mild itching and rashes, to leprosy. The leaves can be boiled and made into a mushy paste which is put on rheumatic joints to help ease the pain. The sap or gum from the tree is good to treat dysentery and to get rid of intestinal parasites. Because the leaves and seeds are rich in tannin, they have been used in South East Asia to produce dark dyes, for centuries.
Nigerian and Indian medical researchers have been investigating the medical properties of this plant, and have discovered that the traditional medical practitioners were right about its uses. They now believe that the seeds and leaves have properties which could help in the treatment of HIV, they have anti-clastogenic properties, which means they can prevent chromosomes breaking. They are also astringent and can help staunch the flow of blood from a wound. They also have antioxidant properties and there are hopes that they can help in the treatment of diseases associated with diabetes, as they assist the liver and pancreas to function properly and protect the liver from acute damage. Eating the kernel or ‘almond’ will, say medical practitioners, help men with sexual dysfunctional problems, such as premature ejaculation, or impotence.
Traditionally the leaves have been used to relieve headaches, and are said to be refreshing. Like the Neem tree, the Kikar tree and the banyan, this tree is important for medicine, and you can eat the ‘nuts’.
The recipe below however is for almonds (Prunus dulcis) which are readily available wherever you are.



MACKEREL WITH GREEN BEANS AND ALMONDS
Ingredients
4 mackerel, cleaned
1 glass white wine
500gr green beans, topped, tailed and sliced length ways
75 gr blanched almonds, roughly chopped
1 tbsp oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method
Preheat oven to a medium heat. Put silver foil on a baking tray and the sliced beans and almonds, in a layer, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle with oil (olive is best) and cook for 10 mins.
Now add the fish, on top of the beans and almonds and pour the white wine over them. Cover with another tight fitting piece of foil and cook for a further 45 mins.
Serve hot.
This has Taste and is a Treat.

JAGGERY OR GUR: GUR WALAY CHAWAL: JAGGERY RICE RECIPE

GUR OR JAGGERY IS MADE FROM SUGAR CANE

Gur or Jaggery is called panela in Mexico and South America. It is made from boiling sugar cane juice, although the process of obtaining gur from sugar cane juice is more complex than just boiling the juice. It contains the minerals magnesium and potassium and is also rich in iron. It has been known in India for thousands of years, and in the Sushruta Sanhita medical text from 2500 years ago, it says that it purifies the blood, prevents rheumatism and is good for the digestion. It is also good to eat if you have a cough.

Modern medical research does not yet have evidence to support these beliefs, but a study conducted in France showed that eating gur can protect the lungs from silicosis, which is caused by dust or smoke in the environment, so it’s good for traffic police to eat gur, for example.
In India, people will eat a few pieces of gur for luck when starting a new venture, as they believe that doing this will bring them luck, especially in business.
Gur can also be made from the date palm, coconut palm and sago palm, but in India and Pakistan it is made only from sugar cane. It is sold in hard, solid blocks and in lumps with the consistency of dough.
It can be used to make a good nut brittle, either with peanuts or other nuts as a praline, or with sesame seeds.



GUR WALAY CHARWAL (RICE WITH GUR)

Ingredients

225 gr basmati rice (cleaned and soaked for 30 mins)

2½ glasses water
200gr gur, broken into small pieces
¼ cup oil or ghee
1 tsp fennel seeds
8 green cardamom seeds (from 1 or 2 pods), crushed
4 cloves
100gr blanched almonds, chopped
50gr unsalted pistachios, chopped
40 gr sultanas
1 tsp fresh lemon juice


Method
Put water and gur in a pan and boil for 2 mins. Strain.
Heat oil and add cardamoms seeds, fennel seeds and cloves, stirring constantly for a few seconds. Add rice and syrup. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer.
Add nuts, sultanas and lemon juice, stir once cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook for approx. 30 mins or until the syrup has been completely absorbed.
Serve hot with natural yoghurt if you like it.
This is a traditional recipe and there are some variations. When you add the nuts, you can also add ½ cup of grated carrots, OR channa dhal which has already been boiled. However we prefer the plain one given.
This has Taste and is a Treat.

SUGAR CANE JUICE: RICE PUDDING WITH SUGAR CANE JUICE RECIPE

SUGAR CANE JUICE

Sugar cane juice is a very refreshing drink and can be bought on almost every street corner in the Punjab area of Pakistan. It is available throughout the subcontinent, but seems to be especially popular here. The juice is rich in vitamin C is said to be good to ward off colds and flu, and it can relieve a sore throat. It can rehydrate the body quickly too after you have been out in the sun for a long time. It really does cool you down. It is a diuretic too so keeps the kidneys functioning well. There are also claims that it helps fight prostate and breast cancers. It also gives you an energy boost because of its glucose content.

If used externally, sugar cane juice helps to heal wounds, and it is believed now that it might stimulate the immune system, although tests are still being carried out by medical researchers.

While sugar is known to cause tooth decay, it is thought that the compounds in sugar cane juice protect teeth from the decay caused by white sugar.

In traditional medicines on the subcontinent, the juice and roots are thought to have many healing properties. It is believed that these can be use to treat urinary tract disorders, such as cystitis, so the juice can be used like cranberry juice, to help sufferers from this disorder. Medicines derived from the roots and stem are also used to treat such varied ailments as bronchitis, anaemia (the juice is rich in iron), heart conditions, coughs and constipation. Some practitioners believe that blood pressure can be lowered, and sufferers of jaundice can be aided in the recovery stage with extracts of these two components of the sugar cane.

In folk remedies, the juice mixed with ginger is used to stop hiccups, and a plaster made from equal amounts of sugar and yellow soap is put on boils to get rid of them. Unrefined, raw sugar is said to be good to put on carbuncles.

Sugar is also used with water and lemon juice as a depilatory. Make a paste using hot water, and smooth onto the skin. Place a layer of cloth over the paste and tear it off quickly to remove unwanted hair-apparently you become immune to the pain, after some time. It’s also used in some soaps to exfoliate the skin, but so far there’s no medical evidence that shows it is good for the skin. Some medical trials have found that the juice can help fight prostate and breast cancer, but these trials are not conclusive.

One good, refreshing drink is to mix a litre of sugar cane juice with a chopped green chilli,1/2 an inch of finely chopped root ginger 8 mint leaves, and lime juice from a big lime. Blend all the ingredients together well and then blend again by the glass full. Serve in tall glasses with lots of ice. This is guaranteed to take your body temperature down on hot days.

RICE PUDDING WITH SUGAR CANE JUICE

Ingredients
1 glass broken basmati rice
5 glasses of sugar cane juice
3 green cardamoms
4 cloves
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
25 gr almonds, crushed
25 gr pistachios, crushed
25 gr desiccated coconut
25 gr sultanas, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes


Method
Clean and wash the rice. Leave it to soak for 30 mins.
Pour the sugar cane juice in a pan with the cloves and green cardamoms and bring to the boil. Then add the rice, lemon juice and sultanas, and simmer over a low heat for about 30 mins or until most of the juice has been soaked up and the rice can be moulded. You should stir all the while so that the rice does not burn at the bottom of the pan.
Remove from the heat; allow to cool a little before turning it out into a serving bowl. Garnish with the nuts and coconut and put in the fridge until needed.
Serve chilled with natural yoghurt.
This has Taste and is a Treat.