Traditional Herbal Recipes of Amchis

*Amchi is the in-word for the Saraswats of Uttarkanara and Southkanara regions of coastal Karnataka .
*Use of medicinal plant parts in food items was once a regular tradition of amchis,which is fast getting out of sight and out of mind .The traditional herbal recipes were meant for keeping us fit.
*All food items when taken in proper way and proportion have medicinal properties.There are already books available in bookshops and libraries which give information of the medicinal properties of various vegetables,fruits,grains and condiments .Hence commonly used plant material is not included in this booklet.
*.The plants have multifarious properties and those given here are not exhaustive. ..
*Refer the following books or search Computer sites for further information using regional as well as botanical names: 1. Wealth of India (Raw Material) Vol. I to XII, (CSIR). 2. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants with supplements (CSIR)
*NRIs can try the foreign herbs to in place of Indian fresh plant products in the recipes of Tamblis,virshes,chutneys etc
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BEVERAGES
1 KASHAY ( a medicinal beverage) POWDER FOR DAILY USE:
Roast the following seeds in a kadhai till they are brown:
400 gms Dhania (Kotombari) – enhances blood formation
400 gms Badishep(fennel) – digestive & carminative
200 gms Jire – diuretic, cooling
20 gms Methi – astringent, strengthens glands and joints
Add readymade powders of following Roots / Seeds, 10 gm each.
Pashanbhedi root powder (Saxifraga ligulata) – dissolves / prevents urinary stones.
Poonarnava root powder (Boerhavia diffusa) – diuretic, general curative.
Doodvali / Ananthmool root powder (Hemidismus indicus) – eliminates inflammations and toxins.
Vayvaling / Vidang seed powder (Embelica ribens) – vermicide & expectorant.
Negalmullu / Gokhru (Tribulus terestris) – diuretic, improves flow of the urine.
Store the kashay powder and for making Kashay use 1 teaspoon per cup of water. Serve decoction with sugar & milk to taste. This Kashay which cleanses all the systems of our body,is taken as a beverage .morning and evening either with or without eatables
Following ready made powders can be added in the kashay powder in the proportion of 5gm each in as per your health requirement and tasre:.
i) Balantshep /dill –carminative ii) .Arjun. keeps heart in condition iii).Ashwagandha –improves formation of blood iv)Cardamom whole pods or peels.-- prevents fevers and improves appetite and v) Jyeshthamadhu expectorant and tonoc vi) Sunthi –digestive and expectorant vii).Gulvel –prevents diabetes, viii) .Tulsi leaf powder—versatilein properties ix).Bhadramushti{Nagarmotha) tonic
2--HERBAL TEA: A mixture of following leaves either fresh or dried and powdered is used for making herbal tea Pomegranate / Dalimb (Punica granatum) – astringent and digestant + Mehndi / Madrangi (Lausonia alba) – tonic, activates formation of blood + Jai / Chameli / Jaji (Jasminum grandiflora) – healing, cooling, skin cleansner. Boil ten leaves each or 1/2 spoon dried leaf powder with 1 cup of water + ½ spoon coriander powder + ¼ spoon Jira powder till half the water evaporates. Add ½ cup of milk and sugar to taste.In place of Dhana-jira powder,1/2 spoon Kashay powder , given at no 1 can be used
This Herbal tea is prescribed in convalescence for 40 days. In rainy season and winter it can replace daily morning Kashaya,but without any eatables with it..
Other Herbal teas can be made from these, in fresh or dried from: 1. Taykilo/taggatche/Cassia tora seeds{blood and skin purifier) 2. Mehndi fruits(tonic and cooling) 3. Parijat flowers (relieves sciatica pain)4. Voval or Bakul flowers (relieves dry cough)5. Mixture of fresh Lemongrass, Pudina and ginger(digestive and expectorant) 6. Tulsi leaves with ginger(general curative).7.Linseed/Alshi seed-roasted and powdered (expectorant,general curative)
For Nos. 3, 4, 5 & 6 add lime instead of milk.
VAKDA TAAK/ MEDICINAL MATTHA:
- Grind one of the following fresh leaves, one handful per cup of butter milk with ingredients : i). Manjapatri (Artemisia vulgaris) – vermicide, appetizer ii). .Savsambar – details in Tambli para iii). Pudina / Mint (Mentha spicata) – prevents worms, digestant. I
- Iv)Gulvel /Amritballi leaves –expectorant,prevents diabetes
- ingrediants : Jira ½ spoon + 2 pepper corns + Vovon / Ajwain ½ spoon + Hing +one garlic pod& salt to taste .This ground mixture can even.be taken with curds instead of buttermilk. Paste of Gajaga/sagargota seed kernel (digestant and carminative)can also be used for making the medicinal mattha or curds.
Serve medicinal mattha or curds 1 hour before meals preferably on 1st and 3rd Sundays of every month as an appetizer.
VIRSHEN / HERBAL SOUPS
: Boil / steam one of the following herbal material (quantity moderate) grind, strain and boil the extract with Vatamb / Birund, salt, jaggery, jira & pepper powder Give seasoning of garlic with ghee or add garlic paste to taste. 1. Kajalmavu / Bhringraj / Maka (Eclipta alba)whole plant with roots – cures anemia, improves lever & stomach disorders. 2. Mogri / Mallige leaves (Jasminum sambac) – vermicide, appetizer. 3. Stems of Methi (astringent) / Shepi (carminative) / Bhendi (expectorant). 4. Venti / stems of Patrodya pan used after removing black skin, cut into small pieces used without grinding – improves blood formation and tones up the womb after delivery.
Virshen can also be made from: 1. Narvel leaves(Premna integrifolia) eliminates inflammation, phlegm and fever. Keeps the womb in condition especially as a post natal soup. 2.Chiwar leaves 3. Bhelshe leaves 4. White castor stem with shirkal 5. Gajge leaves 6. Aboli + Gvava+dalimb leaves. 7Jambhul leaves.
Virshen can be consumed preferably on 2nd and 4th Sundays of every month as an appetizer.onr hour before lunch.
-TAMBLIS (Cold Curries):
Fry Jira, green chili and Hing in little Ghee or oil, grind with following leaves, roasted in little ghee, or steamed/boiled and curds / butter milk and half a cup of grated coconut. Add salt to taste and desired quantity of water. Serve with rice.
Leaves used for Tamblis (One or more of the following varieties) Quantity one handful:
1. Tendli leaves, steamed (Cephalandra indica) – astringent for urinary and genital systems, digestive.2. Savsambar / dodda patri (Coleaus aromatcus) leaves, roasted in little ghee – expectorant, digestive, antacid.3. Doodpanki / doodhli / nagarjuni / barasu, fried (Euphorbia pillulifera) – regulates function of kidneys and lungs.4. Taykilo / talkla / tagachhe, fried (Cassia tora) – purifies blood and skin, prevents rashes, boils etc. Taikilo is available only in rainy season.5. Herpul / kala kasvinda / yeluvarga, fried (Cassia sofora) – properties same as Taykilo.Herpul is a perennial shrub.
Seeds used for Tamblis: 1. Shirkal / tilwan, fried (Gynandropsis pentaphylla) – carminative & vermicide. 2. Teppal / tirphal / jimmi, fried (Xanthoxylum rhetsa) – Appetizer, vermicide, digestant. Grind one of these seeds with coconut and red chili. Add water and vatam / birund and salt.
Tamblis can also be prepared from : 1. Palak leaves 2. Nankeri leaves 3. Patkali flowers or leaves 4,Panphuti/patpate leaves—prevents urinary stones.

-CHUTNEYS: One of the following herbs are ground into chutney with any ingredients of your choice: 1. Brahmi / Ekpani – raw leaves (Centella asiatica) – nerve tonic, cures soar throat. 2. Pudina / Mint leaves – raw (Mentha spicata) - removes flatulence and acidity 3. Ambuti / Indian sorel (Oxalis corniculata) – raw leaves – improves taste, quenches thirst, cooling and good for eyes. As these leaves are sour no other souring agent be added. 4. Taykilo leaves fried with onion (Details available in Tambli Para). 5. Seed-spikes of Math / Arive soppu/Rajgira (Amaranthus) – raw – highly nutritious and tonic. 6. Any one of the following Skins otherwise cast away can be used for making chutneys: white gourd / pumpkin / ridge gourd (Ghosale) fried and stems of cauliflower finely cut horizontally and fried with onion. Please bear in mind that stems, roots, seeds and skins have more medicinal values than the main vegetable in most of the cases.
Note: Use minimum coconut for Chutneys and Tamblis. In case of chutneys grind in vegetables such as raw carrot, roasted capsicum, raw cabbage or boiled palak to substitute coconut. In case of Tamblis use of curds minimizes coconut.
KADHIS---: Jire mire Kadhi with special digestive and astringent items: Fry in little oil: 1 teaspoon jire + 10 pepper corns + 2 garlic pods + 1 red chili + half spoon Dhania and one or more of these medicinal items :dried pomegranate rind 1 sq inch , small piece of mango kernel (kogil) , 4 segments of dried amla (avaal boyi) + ½ coconut grated. Grind with necessary quantity of water, boil with salt and kokum / birund / vatamba, to taste. This Kadi can be preserved for a week. Serve it with rice.
-HERBAL LEAVES USED IN DAL, SAMMBAREN OR AAMBAT:
1. Punarnava / Nela Basale (For details see Kashay para)
2. Goli Bhaji / Parslane (Portulaca oleracea) – cooling and healing
3. Vitamin plant / Chakkarmanis (Sauropus androgynuas) – all purpose nutritive and curative
4. Honganne / Matsyakshi (Alternenthera sessilis) – nourishing, cooling, diuretic
5. Audumber raw fruit (Ficus glomerata).,cooling,prevents or cures ulcers.
-SALADS:
1. Daswal flower / Hibiscus – red or off white indigenous variety with curds and salt – healing and cooling. 2. Pink rose or white bunch rose (Flori bunda) petals with curds and sugar – tonic and cooling. 3. Gabbho / Stem of banana plant – cut into thin slices to remove inedible fibre, keep in diluted buttermilk overnight. Remove, chop finely, add coconut ground with green chili, add curds and salt – flushes out hair in stomach and prevents/cures urinary stones.
-CHUTNEY POWDERS:
(A). Fry one of the following leaves in little oil after partly drying them and add while grinding Putane chutney – quantity equal to Putane. . 1-- Karbeuvu / Kadhipatta (Murraya hoengi) – prevents diabetes, cancer, BP problems, cold & cough, obesity. 2--. Drumstick / Mashing (Moringa oleifera) – antacid, nutritious, improves eyesight. 3---. Vitamin plant (Details in Sambaren para).
(B). Add one of the following seeds while grinding Lasun chutney. Quantity equivalent to Copra. 1. Linseed / Alsi (Linum ussitatissimum) roasted – expectorant. 2. Amla powder, ready made – improves taste, versatile in properties.
(C). Jirwan (Appetizing powder) – mix the following powders: 100 gms Methi seed, 100 gms Jira, 50 gms Ova, 10 gms pepper, 50 gms black salt, Hing one spoon100 gms ready made Trifala Churna (Amla, Behda, Harda) – Jirvan can be used as a dressing for bread or can be taken with curds in meals. – improves taste and digestion.Addition of Pudina or Kadipatta ,fresh paste or dried powder

CONCLUSION: There are many other herbal Bhanap recipes not included in this note for the purpose of brevity, for example:
Dose / Pole of: Daswal leaves, Kayli leaves, Sarbats of: Daswal flowers, Brahmi leaves, Tulsi leaves, Savsambar leaves, Ambasthali leaves,and Bel fruit, Jams of: Ambadi flowers, Rose petals, Parjijat flowers, Avlehas (Lehen) of: Bhui kuvale, Mavalling & Amla, Pickles of: Kanchi fruit, Orange peel, Ambadi leaves, Lime leaves + Karbevu.
OTHER BHANAP PRODUCTS: Home made medicines, oils, ointments, kajal etc. have already been covered by the old Marathi edition of ‘Rasa Chandrika’, published by Saraswat Mahila Samaj, Gamdevi, Mumba.i.
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RECENT ADDITIONS TO OUR MIRACLE PLANTS: In addition to the miracle plants of multifarious properties like Neem, Tulsi and Chakkar manis of India, the recent global favourites are: 1. Alfalfa (Medicago sativa), 2. Kargosak / Camputea tea (Combuya orentals), 3. Spirulina / Seaweed exported from India. For details scan the BBC websites..
Aparna Sirur,Organiser,
Chitrapur HerbalHeritage,Telno.28388110,5889112,mbl.9869735967 email---aparnasirur @ yahoo.com

Aparna Sirur,
Organizer: Chitrapur Herbitage.
Bangalore
20 February, 2005