WHAT IS AJWAIN? HEALTH BENEFITS OF AJWAIN: AJWAIN TISANE RECIPE: HOW TO MAKE NAMAK PARAY

AJWAIN, TRACHYSPRMUM AMMI BISHOP’S WEED

Ajwain is known in English as Bishop’s weed, although this may not be the correct name for this herb, as it also has discrepancies in its Latin name. The herb we use at home in Pakistan is Trachyspermum ammi, but there is a Trachyspermum copticum and Carum copticum. It is used for culinary purposes just like thyme, which is why we gave thyme that name in Urdu. However we stand corrected. Ajwain contains thymol, so is an anti-fungicide and also has antibacterial properties. It is believed to have originated in Iran and the Eastern Mediterranean.

Every household on the subcontinent probably has ajwain and its seeds, as it they are used in medicine as well as cooking. The seeds are carminative and classed as a spice. As a medicine it is used for a multitude of purposes, but if you dry fry the seeds and wrap them in cloth and put them near to you while you sleep they will clear nasal congestion if you have a cold. The plant is used for indigestion, diarrhoea, dyspepsia, dysentery, cholera, flatulence. The seeds are eaten with betel leaves to relieve dyspepsia, spasmodic disorders and flatulence. For colic take 3 grams of the following ingredients with warm water: 20gr Ajwain, 10 gr dried ginger and 5 gr black salt ground together.

The smoke from burning seeds is said to cure migraine, and ‘cigarettes’ made from ajwain seeds are used for respiratory disorders including bronchial asthma by villagers on the subcontinent. The seeds are also used in poultices with herbs to relieve asthma and arthritis.

The fresh herb is rubbed on warts to get rid of them. The boiled seeds cleanse the eyes and cure deafness it is said.

Another remedy is for earache: put ½ tsp seeds in 30 ml milk and heat this until the essence of the seeds starts to permeate the milk. Filter the milk and put it in the ear a drop at a time.

Ajwain is believed to have been known to the ancient Greeks and Romans and Dioscorides may have been describing ajwain when he mentioned “Ethiopian or Royal cumin”. It seems this plant has always been the subject of some confusion!
The sap from the plant is collected by traditional healers or hakims and dried and sold in a type of crystalline form. You need just 1 crystal to a cup of boiling water and add honey to taste in order to keep illness at bay during autumn and winter. It is said to cure colds and coughs too. It tastes fine once you get over the initial smell, so don't be put off. It seems to work too!

To make a tisane with ajwain you need ¼ tsp fresh ginger root finely grated, ¼ tsp ground green cardamom seeds, ¼ tsp powdered cinnamon and ¼ tsp ajwain seeds. Mix the ground spices together and pour a cup of boiling water over the mixture. Leave this to steep for 5 minutes then strain and drink. This helps the body generally and is good if you have a cold.

The Dangs, a tribe from Southern Gujarat in India, mix ajwain seeds with imli (tamarind) seeds and fry them in ghee with gur (jaggery) and preserve the mixture. They say that it increases the male sperm count cures premature ejaculation and increases the libido of both sexes.

Another belief from subcontinental folklore is that the ajwain seeds should be soaked in lemon juice and dried seven times before being eaten in order to cure impotence and erectile dysfunctions. As ajwain contains calcium, iron, phosphorous, carotene, thiamine and riboflavin, there’s no denying that it is a health-giving plant.





NAMAK PARAY

Ingredients

250 gr plain flour

1 tsp ajwain

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp oil or ghee

oil for frying



Method

Heat ½ cup water but don’t boil it, then mix the oil or ghee with it.

Mix all the other ingredients together and make a paste with the water. Leave the doughy mixture to stand for 1 hour.

You now need to roll out the dough until it is very thin and cut it into 3 inch length pieces (about ½ to 1 inch wide).

Heat the oil and fry them until they are brown pat dry on absorbent paper and eat while still warm.

Eat as a snack like crisps.

These have Taste and are a Treat.

PERSIMMON( AMLOK OR JAPANI PHAL IN URDU) HISTORY AND USES: SPICY PERSIMMON FRUIT SALAD RECIPE

PERSIMMON, (JAPANI PHAL or AMLOK in URDU) DIOSPYROS KAKI

Persimmon is known by many names including, Sharon fruit, Japani Phal or fruit in Urdu, and is Diospyros kaki in Latin. However there are different types of Diospyros, including one that bears a black fruit. The one we have in Pakistan is slightly different to the ones I’ve had in Europe. It’s the same vivid orange colour, but has more water in it - it’s squishier and so is unsuitable for export, which is sad, because it’s a sweet fruit, not like others which are more astringent in taste. The Pakistani variety (Diospyrus lotus) doesn’t leave you with a dry tangy after-taste.

Persimmons originated in the Far East, in China, Japan and Korea and the leaves form the persimmon tree have been used in tisanes for centuries. You can make a tisane from the fresh or dried leaves, and it has a lot more vitamin C in it than green tea (3.5-20.5 times as much in fact). The tea has been used for thousands of years to generally help the body. 

It is rich in fibre and the phenolic content of the leaves is now known to increase the metabolism and removes lipids (fat) from the body through faeces. Because of this action it can help in weight loss.

As with all orange fruit, persimmons are high in beta-carotene and this fruit is an excellent source of iron, so suitable for preventing anaemia. Just 100 grams of the fruit every day improves cardio-vascular health and lowers the risk of lung cancer in smokers. Persimmons also contain ascorbic acid, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin and calcium and have a high carbohydrate and protein content. They are packed full with substances the body needs for its health.

Persimmons have a high iodine content and regular consumption helps improve the thyroid gland’s functioning. Eating persimmons has many health benefits, but you should try to avoid eating the skin as when ingested the bezoars can react badly in the stomach. People who have had surgery for stomach ulcers shouldn’t eat the skins of the fruit (D Bennarroch 1993).

 In Hazira in North Pakistan it is believed that a surfeit of the fruit eaten with the skin on it caused a small bowel obstruction in 15 children one winter when the fruit was in abundance on the trees.

However, as long as you abstain from eating the skin, the fruit can be really beneficial according to recent medical studies. Persimmons can help to prevent cancer because they are high in vitamin A and the compounds shiboul and betulinic acid which have anti-cancer properties. The phytochemicals known as proanthocyandins are also present in the fruit and these may protect cells against oxidative damage to the skin associated with aging. It has been recommended that you use the fresh skin on your face as a skin toner as it brightens the complexion. It seems that daily applications may also smooth wrinkles, or stop them appearing.

They are so good for you that you have to try them if you haven’t eaten them before go out and buy some, as winter is the best time to find them. You can make ice cream or smoothies with them and try this recipe below.



SPICY PERSIMMON FRUIT SALAD

Ingredients

4 persimmon, peeled and chopped

1 large apple, peeled and chopped

2 bananas, chopped

1 bunch grapes, halved

2 green cardamom pods, seeds removed and husks discarded

5 or 6 cloves

¼ tsp finely grated nutmeg

1 tsp powdered cinnamon

1 small pot yoghurt

Chopped pistachios to garnish



Method

Grind the cardamom seeds with the cloves and a ½ inch piece of cinnamon stick if you prefer this to already ground cinnamon.

Put fruit in a bowl and mix the spices into the yoghurt.

Pour the yoghurt mixture over the fruit and stir. Garnish with chopped pistachio nuts.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

TRIBULUS TERRESTRIS/ PUNCTURE VINE/ LAND CALTROPS: AN AMAZING MEDICAL WEED

TRIBULUS TERRESTRIS, PUNCTURE VINE, LAND CALTROPS

Tribulus terrestris is known by a number of names and is an annoying weed, a shrub that is usually low lying and spreads as ground cover. It is native to southern Europe, Asia and grows in Australia and the US. It contains a substance called Protodioscin and clinical studies have shown that it increases male and female libido and improves sperm count and allegedly cures impotence and erectile dysfunctions. When you read the medical literature this sounds amazing, until you read further, and the studies that claim it is an aphrodisiac and a libido booster have been carried out by those connected to the drug companies which manufacture capsules and pills made with puncture vine extract.

However it has been used for centuries in India and China to cure impotence and erectile dysfunctions and to boost libido in both males and females. It has been suggested that it can help in cases of PMT/PMS and in the female menopause. It has also been used to increase sperm count and boost fertility in both males and females.

In India it is used as a uro-genital tonic and it is said to help cure cystitis, get rid of kidney stones. On the subcontinent it is used to staunch the flow of blood from a wound, strengthen the kidneys, and treat gout and impotence. It’s also a mild diuretic and apparently good for the prostate gland.

In the mid-1990s it hit the headlines when Eastern European athletes said they had taken it to help their performance. The leaves contain steroidal saponins, and these increase the male hormone, testosterone in the body. Whether or not it actually does work as a steroid or testosterone booster has not been proved in Western clinical trials, although studies undertaken by drug companies show that it does indeed boost testosterone and helps build muscles (including of course the penis).

You can’t eat it, but spare a thought for the weed the next time the burrs get in your dog or cat’s paws. It might be good for something after all!

WHAT IS CHAKOTARA? POMELO, SHADDOCK, CITRUS GRANDIS/MAXIMA: CHAKOTARA FRUIT SALAD RECIPE

CHAKOTARA, POMELO, SHADDOCK, CITRUS GRANDIS/MAXIMA

Chakotara is the Urdu names for the pomelo or shaddock, it might also be known as The Forbidden Fruit according to some writers. The botany world seems undecided about the Latin name for this fruit, but it’s either Citrus Maxima or Citrus grandis. It is called shaddock after a captain of the same name who took the seeds from Malaysia to the West Indies in the 17th century where it now flourishes.

Pomelo is believed to be the ancestor of the grapefruit, and it is like a grapefruit, except that it’s sweeter. Its flesh ranges from a pale yellow to a ruby red and when I first had it I was surprised to find red flesh in a yellowy-green skin. Apparently it is known for its thick skin, and the fact that one fruit can grow to 10 kg in weight, and be up to 30cms in diameter. That is why it’s called Citrus maxima and grandis, because it’s the biggest of all the citrus fruits.

The seeds of the fruit are made into grapefruit oil which is antimicrobial and antioxidant in nature. The oil can be used for cleaning purposes and will remove fungus and clean kitchen surfaces well. It can also be used safely on pets with skin problems and will eradicate fleas etc. It can also be used as an insecticide for garden plants quite safely.

In North Vietnam the flowers are gathered and used in perfume and a decoction of the leaves, flowers and rind is used in the Philippines and South East Asia as a sedative and to help in cases of epilepsy and convulsive coughing.

In Pakistan and India it is used to relieve coughs, fevers and stomach disorders, as the juice is a mild laxative which will cure constipation problems. It is alkaline in nature and so is useful in the digestive system as it rids it of unnecessary acids without getting rid of the bacteria we need in our guts. It is also used in genitor-urinary disorders, so may help cystitis sufferers. The crushed leaves are sometimes added to bath water for their aroma.

The oil from the seeds can also help wounds heal and scars will virtually disappear if it is used on them.

Along with pineapple juice the juice of sweet lemons and sweet oranges, it can help in arthritis by dissolving deposits around the joints.

Like all citrus fruits it has lots of vitamin C which helps the body produce collagen, a substance which is present in the connective skin tissues of the body. This is believed to prevent skin ageing and can help smooth wrinkles. It also has a high calcium content and calcium is necessary for healthy bones. It has an antioxidising effect on the eye lens and this helps stop cataracts forming.

A high Vitamin C content in a nutrient–rich diet is able to improve cognition functions in the elderly too. Perhaps best of all, citrus fruits are “happy” fruits as they are high in folate, which is important to the production of serotonin, which gives rise to a better mood and frame of mind. So with this in mind, try our Citrus Fruit Salad.





CITRUS FRUIT SALAD

Ingredients

1 pomelo, peeled and cut into segments, flesh only

1 sweet orange, peeled and cut into segments, flesh only

1 grapefruit, peeled and cut into segments, flesh only

1 head of lettuce, shredded

½ bunch spring onions finely chopped

1 small cucumber, peeled and finely sliced

1 handful of borage leaves, torn or lavender flowers, fresh

1 small pot natural yoghurt



Method

Put lettuce into a serving bowl and arrange the fruit, cucumber and spring onions over it.

Mix the borage leaves or lavender flowers in the yoghurt and pour over the salad.

Put in fridge for ½ hour and serve chilled.

This has Taste and is a Treat.