FENUGREEK (METHI) HISTORY, TEA and RECIPE

FENUGREEK (METHI)
Fenugreek was used by the ancient Egyptians in their embalming process, and in the Eber medical papyrus fenugreek is listed as one of the ingredients used to treat burns. Hippocrates, the father of medicine, thought it a valuable soothing herb, while Dioscorides used it in treating inflammation of the genitals. Now it is used as a tea to promote milk flow for breast-feeding mothers, and research has shown that it may inhibit liver cancer growth, and help in the treatment of diabetes. French researchers also believe it is a good aid to digestion.
The flowers and seeds are used for medicinal purposes, and the leaves are grown in Europe and parts of North Africa for animal feed. It has a long history of being used in this way, as its Latin name, foenum graecum means Greek Hay. However in Pakistan, in the northern Punjab region, the fresh leaves are cooked as saag, sometimes on their own but more often with spinach. They are rich in vitamins, minerals and protein. The leaves are more often used dried (kasuri methi), and added to sauces and other savoury dishes. Often they are dried at home for use later in the year. The young shoots can be eaten raw with watercress as a salad.
Traditionally, fenugreek has been used to promote weight gain in anorexics, to lower blood sugar and cholesterol levels, and soothe gastric disorders. The oil from the seeds is used as a skin softener, and the powdered seeds, when added to yoghurt are used as a hair conditioner in India.
To make fenugreek tea, steep the seeds in boiling water for 5-10 minutes, then boil for another 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and cover, and leave for a further 10 – 15 minutes. Strain and use 2 or 3 times a day, hot or cold. You need 1 teaspoon seeds per cup of water. It’s a soothing drink for stomach problems, and it calms the nerves. It’s also good for lactation.
You may think that you haven’t tasted fenugreek, but the likelihood is that you have. It’s one of the ground spices normally used in curry powder- that particular smell it has is noticeable and it is used as a substitute for maple syrup, and even for vanilla!
The seeds are fairly easy to come by in Britain, but you’ll probably have to go to an Asian food shop to buy the dry leaves, (kasuri methi) or buy them online. The recipe calls for dried methi (kasuri methi).



FRIED METHI CHILLIES
Ingredients
250gr green chillies (about 3 inches long)
2 medium potatoes
2 eggs
1 cup plain flour
2 tbsps dried fenugreek leaves
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tsp thyme
salt and pepper to taste
oil for frying


Method
Boil potatoes, still in their skins. When cool remove skins and mash to a puree with 1½ tbsp dried fenugreek leaves (methi), cumin seeds and seasonings.
Mix together the flour, 1/2 tbsp methi, thyme and 1tbsp salt on a plate and beat the eggs in a bowl.
Slit the peppers from top to bottom, leaving the stem intact, and remove the seeds.
Stuff the peppers with the potato mixture, then dip them one at a time, in the beaten egg, then roll them in the flour mixture, coating them evenly. Repeat the process once.
Heat the oil in a pan and fry the stuffed peppers for 4-5mins over a low heat.
Serve alone or with dips as an appetizer.
This has Taste and is a Treat.

DILL WITH A DOLMADES RECIPE

DILL
Dill is sometimes confused with fennel leaves, but they are different. Dill has a milder flavour, although it still tastes of aniseed. It’s good with fish, shellfish, vegetables and in yoghurt dips. You can use the leaves and the seeds, although these are not interchangeable. You should add dill leaves at the end of the cooking process to preserve the flavour.
Dill is native to the Mediterranean and western Asia, although it now grows almost everywhere. It was mentioned in ancient Egyptian medical texts written around 3,000 BC. The ancient Greeks believed it was a sign of wealth, and for the Romans it was lucky. In mediaeval times it was believed to have magical properties, and if you drank a tea made from dill leaves and other herbs, people believed that it would rid you of any curse or evil. People burnt dill leaves to calm a thunderstorm, and used it with wine and other herbs in love potions. They hung the dried seed heads in homes, over doorways and babies’ cradles to protect themselves from evil. If you give a witch dill tea, it will take away her power to harm you or so it was believed. Dill symbolized love and protection.
Dill calms the digestive system and contains vitamin C as well as being rich in minerals, particularly calcium. To relieve indigestion, you should bruise 13 gr dill seeds, and steep them in a cup of boiling water. Leave them to infuse for about 20 mins, then strain the liquid and take a tbsp of it. Its name comes from Old Norse, dylla, meaning to soothe.
In recipes, one measure of dried dill is equal to 3 of fresh dill leaves. Culpeper made use of this herb and thought that it ‘strengthens the brain’- brain food, like fennel seeds. Dill seed is good in salad dressings but the leaves are excellent in sauces.


DOLMADES WITH EGG AND LEMON SAUCE
Ingredients
250 gr minced beef
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
½ cup cooked rice
1 small head white cabbage
4 egg yolks
½ cup lemon juice
small bunch dill leaves, finely shredded
250 cl water or chicken stock (see recipe for Bay leaves),hot
oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper


Method
Steam the cabbage leaves until they are soft and pliable.
Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the onions and garlic until the onions are translucent, then add the meat and stir occasionally until it is cooked through. Remove from the heat and mix in the cooked rice.
Taking a leaf at a time, stuff the cabbage leaves and roll them up, making secure parcels of them. Use wooden cocktail sticks to secure them if you have to.
Put the egg yolks into a bowl and whisk them with a fork, then VERY slowly add the lemon juice, until it has all been mixed with the egg yolks. Gradually stir in the hot stock or water. Add the shredded dill leaves and seasonings.
Arrange the stuffed cabbage leaves in an oven proof dish and pour the sauce over them. Cook in a preheated medium oven for 30 mins.
Serve with a salad, alone or with a side dish of vegetables.
This has Taste and is a Treat.

Fennel Leaves, Fennel Stalks, Fennel Seeds and Florentine Fennel Bulb also misri:Recipes for: Misri with Fennel Seeds; Fennel Bulb

FENNEL

Fennel leaves, fennel stalk, fennel root, fennel seeds and the Florentine fennel bulb can all be used in cooking and in other ways too. It’s a very versatile herb and was one of the nine sacred herbs of the Anglo-Saxons, which were;-mugwort, plantain, watercress, betony, chamomile, crab apple, chervil, thyme and fennel. It has also been used, in Britain, to keep evil away on Midsummer’s Eve, or the summer solstice, and was hung over doorways with other herbs at this time of year.

It originated in the Mediterranean region and western Asia, but is naturalized in Britain and cultivated all over the world. Italians love it and use the peeled stalks, ’cartucci’ in salads. The edible bulb is called Florentine fennel, and is good either eaten raw in salads or cooked. This has an aniseed flavour and is rich in vitamin C and the mineral potassium.

Pliny wrote that snakes ate the plant and rubbed their eyes on it to help improve their eyesight after they had sloughed their skin. It was used as eyewash, and even modern herbalists recommend its use for pink eye or conjunctivitis. The Romans thought it was efficacious as a treatment for snake bites, and Culpeper agreed with them. He also wrote that it was an antidote for food poisoning after eating the wrong kind of wild mushrooms

The ancient Greeks believed that fennel tea would help reduce weight and some modern herbalists still believe it helps with weight loss. This is because it accelerates the digestion of fatty foods.You should boil ½ tsp fennel seeds (sanf) with one cup of water for 10 to 15 mins, and then cover the pot and leave to cool. Then strain it and drink it. Take a cup of tea three times a day, but you shouldn’t take any more than that, and if you’re pregnant, don’t drink it. This tea will soothe a sore throat and cough, and will relieve stomach pains and cramps. We don’t know about weight loss, as in Pakistan, people chew the seeds to improve their appetite! In Mediaeval England it was used as an appetite suppressor during days of fasting, e.g. Lent.

It features in Greek mythology too, as Prometheus is reported to have brought back fire, which he stole from the god Hephaestus Roman (equivalent Vulcan), to humanity hidden in a stalk of fennel, which was used as kindling. Also the fennel stalk, topped with a fir cone was the thyrsus used by acolytes of Dionysus (Roman equivalent Bacchus).

It is also used to keep fleas away from stables and kennels.

Below is a recipe for the bulb and the seeds. You can use the feathery leaves as a garnish and also with fish recipes. It really is a versatile plant.

LIVER AND FENNEL CASSEROLE

Ingredients

300 gr liver, cleaned and cut into 1 inch cubes

1 large onion, sliced

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 fennel bulb, roughly chopped

1 tsp thyme

½ tsp paprika

1 glass red wine (white will do)

2 glasses water

oil

salt and pepper to taste

Method

Heat the oil and fry the onion, garlic, fennel and liver for 5 mins. Add the red wine and stir to remove residue from pan. Add the water, thyme, paprika and seasonings and bring to the boil. Stir well and cover the pot.

Put it in a preheated medium oven and cook for 45 mins.

Serve with mashed potatoes.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

FENNEL SEED AND MISRI APPETISER

Ingredients

200 gr fennel seeds

50 gr almonds, roughly chopped

50 gr pistachio nuts chopped

50 gr walnuts, roughly chopped

10 green cardamom seeds, removed from the pods and crushed

150 gr rock candy sugar (misri)

50 gr sultanas

100 gr butter

Method

Melt the butter in a pan and add the fennel seeds. Fry for about a minute, then when they are cold, grind the fennel seeds. Now mix all the ingredients together including the butter.

Store in a jar in a cool place and have a few spoonfuls each morning, as this will help the body and aid memory. It won’t spoil, which is why this recipe is for a large amount.

You can serve it with drinks of any kind.

MISRI

This is a sugar which was made in Persia and the Indian subcontinent in the 9th century. It is sugar which has been heated to a high temperature and allowed to form into crystals. Apparently we call it rock candy or jaggery. Basically it’s large sugar crystals, you can make it yourself from ordinary sugar and water. But it takes 7 days for the crystals to grow.You can find it in Asian shops and specialist stores.

ALOE VERA in COOKERY and MEDICINE

ALOE VERA
I’d seen it many times before I realized that the rather ugly (I thought) spiky plant was aloe vera, which I knew was used in various lotions and creams as well as shampoos, as a beauty treatment. You can see the picture so some of you will understand what I mean.
This unprepossessing plant has been used for centuries to heal wounds (Dioscorides) and Pliny the Elder wrote that it was used to heal leprosy sores. It was the world’s first anti-perspirants too.
It’s known in different cultures by other names; it is known as the ‘lily of the desert’ in Arabia, where it originated and the ‘silent healer’ by Hindus, who believe it came from the Garden of Eden. The ancient Egyptians depicted the plant in stone carvings 6,000 years ago and called it the ‘plant of immortality’. It was entombed with the pharaohs for use in the after life, and later used for embalming when mixed with myrrh. Alexander the Great took over the island of Socotra, which produced a lot of aloe vera plants.
It was believed to ward off evil, and placed over doorways, to protect the inhabitants from witches and their spells. The Egyptians also found another use for it; they made scrolls with it.
It was in the subcontinent by 600 BC and now grows here in abundance. Nearly every house has a plant on the roof or in the courtyard. It also grows in North Africa, South America, the Caribbean and the Mediterranean.
It can be used for all skin problems, and the efficacious substance is a clear gel that is found in the leaves. It can be used as a laxative when digested, but you must be careful not to take too much. Modern medical research has shown that it lowers cholesterol levels and is helpful to sufferers of type 11 diabetes, as it can help lower blood glucose levels.
What is also good about it is that it can be used in cooking. It has the effect of tenderizing meat when cooked with it. We give you a recipe using it below.


ALOE VERA AND LAMB STEW
Ingredients
1 kilo lamb on the bone (shoulder) and cut into small pieces with bone
1 medium onion, chopped
3 tomatoes, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped finely
1 inch piece of ginger root, finely chopped
1 inch piece of aloe vera with the green outer skin removed
6 green chillies, finely chopped
½ handful shredded fresh mint
½ handful shredded coriander leaves
6 cloves
10 black peppercorns
2 green cardamom pods
1 black cardamom pod
1 cinnamon stick 2 inches, split in half
1 tbsp garam masala (see recipes)
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 cup oil
salt and pepper to taste


Method
Put the meat, green and black cardamoms, black peppercorns and cinnamon sticks into a pan and cover with 2 glasses of water. Bring it to the boil and simmer steadily until all the water has evaporated.
Pour the oil into another pan and fry the onions, garlic, aloe vera and ginger for 5 mins. Add the tomatoes and green chillies, stir and cook for a further 2 mins. Now add the garam masala, cumin seeds, turmeric, seasonings and the meat from the other pan. Cook over a low heat for 5 mins, Add 2 glasses of water with the lemon juice stir and cook over a low heat until half the water remains. Remove the pan from the heat.
Garnish with the fresh herbs, cover and leave to stand for 5 mins.
Serve with rice or breads of your choice.
This has Taste and is a Treat.

What is KARELLA? A BITTER GOURD or BITTER MELON

KARELLA or BITTER GOURD or BITTER MELON
Is it a cucumber? I asked naively, only to be told that it wasn’t. Well, what is it then? I really wanted to know the name of this vegetable in English, so that I knew a bit about what to expect from it. No one knew, and in the end I had to look it up on the net- to find the answer under someone else’s plaintive plea ‘What is Karella?’ What indeed! Luckily 2 people had answered the question, giving one of its names each. Ok, so now I know what it’s called. I’d eaten it by then, of course, and knew all about this bitter taste. Personally, I like it, but I could understand if you didn’t. It has a particularly bitter taste, unlike anything else I’ve eaten, and is one of those food items that is an acquired taste.
It would be good if you could acquire it, though, as recent medical studies have borne out the claims of traditional medical practitioners of the subcontinent; it helps diabetes sufferers. Although research is still continuing there are hopes that this bitter little vegetable will “probably” delay or “perhaps” prevent cancer, and studies are being conducted into it could help in the treatment of HIV.
In traditional medicine,(it grows in East Africa, Asia the Caribbean and South America) it is used to relieve fatigue, and the Chinese use it to quench their thirst.
You prepare this strange beast by slicing it in half lengthwise to remove its seeds, These can be dried, then ground to a powder and used to flavour Pakora (see recipe) and other dishes. Alternatively the oil from the seeds is good to put on wounds. Some people boil one whole and then drink the cooking water to lower blood pressure. (You boil one for about an hour.)
There’s a National Bitter Melon Council in the States- a fledgling organization at the present time, and you can find these in Asian shops in the UK. However, if their healing properties are proven, they will undoubtedly be stocked in the big supermarket chains.


TASTY TRADITIONAL KARELLA

Ingredients
1 kilo karella
½ kilo minced meat
4 onions chopped
4 tomatoes peeled and chopped
1 inch ginger finely chopped
4 cloves garlic finely chopped
6 green chillies, finely chopped
½ handful mint leaves, shredded
½ handful coriander leaves, shredded
1 cup natural yoghurt
1 cup oil
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp garam masala (see recipes)
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tbsp ground pomegranate seeds
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste


Method
Scrape the knobbly bits off the skin of the karella, so that it’s completely smooth. Cut the karella into 1 inch rounds and remove seeds with your thumb, by pushing them out, or a teaspoon.
Now rub all the pieces all over with salt inside and out, but take care not to break the circles of karella. Leave for 15-20 mins until all the bitter juices have come out. Wash them with cold water to remove salt and remaining juices. Dry on absorbent paper.
Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the karella pieces for 5 mins. Remove the karella and put them in a bowl. Add the onions to the oil, and fry for 5 mins then remove and put in the same pan as the karella.
Now fry the garlic and ginger for 2 mins. Add the tomatoes and minced meat, the spices and the ground pomegranate seeds, plus seasonings. Don’t add too much salt as the karella is a little salty. Cook this mixture for 15 mins.
Pour the yoghurt into the pan with the minced meat, and stir it well so that it is mixed throughout the meat.
Add the karella and onions to the pan along with the green chillies and cook over a low heat for 5 min.
Remove from the heat and add the fresh mint and coriander leaves. Allow to stand for 5 mins then serve with chapattis, naan, pitta or other breads and a salad.
This has Taste and is a Treat.

SPICY HERBAL TEA or TISANE

As the beverage described here is not made with tea leaves, we’ll call it a tisane, as opposed to other descriptions of teas which use tea leaves.
Tisanes have been used by probably every culture and in all civilizations for centuries. They are well documented by both Culpeper and John Gerard, and many others.
It’s useful to keep the ingredients for this tisane in a store cupboard and to take them with you when you travel, especially if you have children. It can be made and administered easily and will help until you can get medical treatment from your doctor.
This recipe will help when you have cold, flu, or sore throat symptoms; it will bring down your temperature and help you to relax. It also helps alleviate stomach pains and cramps.
The recipe below will make two cups of the tisane.



Spicy Tisane
Ingredients
1 tsp dried ground ginger root
2 green cardamom pods
1 inch piece of cinnamon stick, crumbled
sugar to taste
1 tsp lemon juice

Method
Pour 2 and a half cups of water into a pan and add the spices. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and bring to the boil again. Do this twice, or three times. With a ladle scoop up the liquid and pour it back into the pan several times to allow air to pass through the liquid and mix the spices well into the water. Turn the heat right down and cover the pan. Allow it to simmer for 2-3 mins. Strain the liquid into the cups and add the lemon juice and sugar to taste.
You should drink this hot, don’t allow it to cool too much or it will be less effective. It will induce perspiration, so wrap up warm .Preferably drink it in bed as it works immediately.
This has Taste and is a Treat(ment).

What is Pastitsio and how do you make it?

Pastitsio is a traditional Greek dish, which is less well known than moussaka, which is common to both Greek and Turkish cuisines. If you’ve sampled this in a Greek taverna, it was not what pastitsio really is. It takes about an hour to prepare and then there’s the cooking time, so make sure you have plenty of time to make it. Chill out while it’s in the oven with a glass of wine! It’s a good dish for weekends as it’s really tasty and a real treat, and well worth the effort you have to put in to making it.

PASTITSIO
Ingredients
500 gr minced beef, or lamb
2 large onions, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 tbsp dried thyme
½ inch piece of cinnamon ground to a fine powder
5 fl oz natural yoghurt
250 gr cheddar cheese, grated
½ ltr milk
50 gr butter
40 gr plain flour
1/8 tsp grated nutmeg
300 gr macaroni, cooked
cooking oil

Method
Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the onions and garlic over a high heat until they start to sweat, then turn down the heat and stir until transparent and almost brown. Put in the minced meat and cook until brown.
Add the tomato puree to soak up some of the oil, and stir. Then stir in the cinnamon, thyme and seasonings and cook for a further 5 mins and cook for a further 5 mins
Remove from the heat while you make the cheese sauce. Melt the butter in a pan and remove from the heat. Add the flour and stir so that it forms a smooth paste. Then add a little milk and stir into the paste. Add some more and stir while putting it back over a low heat. Continue adding the milk a little at a time and stirring well so that the sauce doesn’t go lumpy. (If it does, put it in a blender and blend till smooth.) Bring it to the boil and stir for 5 mins. Then remove the pan from the heat and add the yoghurt and cheese. Put back on a low heat but do not let the sauce boil. Keep stirring.
Put half the cooked macaroni into a greased ovenproof dish and cover with half the.
In a greased ovenproof dish, put half the cooked macaroni and mix with a third of the cheese sauce. Stir it in well. Now add the minced meat mixture, then the rest of the macaroni. Cover with the sauce and top with grated cheese.
Bake in a preheated medium oven for 30 -45 mins, until the cheese golden brown.
This has Taste and is a Treat.