food, wellness and more...
பக்குவமாகாரத்தால் தீராத நோயும் இல்லைஅபக்குவமாகாரத்தால் வாராத நோயும் இல்லை This saying in Tamil means that with proper healthy and natural food you can avoid any illness but with an improper diet no disease will escape you. Siddha and Ayurveda medicines have been in practice since time immemorial and make abundant use of the many medicinal herbs available …
Indian cooking immediately brings to mind, spice and spice immediately brings to mind, chillies. The many varieties of chillies available here allows us to use different chillies for different requirements in our cooking such as colour, pungency and heat. Most of us rely on store bought chilli powder but do you know what kind of …
Though idlis are a standard, everyday fare in most South Indian homes, making idlis has still baffled many a seasoned and amateur cook. Idlis have been identified as the most nutritious of breakfasts and it is really catching on as a breakfast of choice, even among the non South Indians. It is said that your …
Vallarai, also known as Brahmi, is a type of keerai or spinach that is loaded with medicinal benefits and is really easy to grow at home. வல்லமை தரும் வல்லாரைக் கீரை – vallarai keerai gives strength is the reason it is called vallarai. It spreads along the soil so if you are trying to grow it …
Terrace to table – வல்லாரை கீரை – Vallarai keerai (pennywort) Read More »
Herbal medicines have been an integral of Ayurveda for many thousands of years. Dhanvantari, the Divine physician and Lord of Ayurveda first made his appearance during Koormaavatharam (churning of the ocean), where he came bearing the Amrit or Nectar in one hand and the sankha, chakram and leeches (blood letting was an accepted medical practice …
This is the jackfruit tree that my mother nurtured from a seed. Unfortunately, my neighbour just hates this tree (don’t ask me why) and keeps cutting off the branches that grow in her air space. Even though I have asked her to help herself to any number of raw and ripe jackfruits, she just wants …
In my early teens, I suffered from a chronic skin condition that just couldn’t be cured by Allopathy. Finally, my parents took me to a traditional medical practitioner, who treated me for six months, at the end of which I was completely cured. But for those six months I was restricted to a strict salt …
There are many different ways we prepare raw foods to make them palatable. Ayurveda says आरोग्यमं भोजनाधीनाम् (arogyam bhojanaadheenaam), health depends on the food one consumes. The foremost Ayurveda classic Charaka Samhitha describes various methods of संस्कार (samskara) which is preparing the raw food for consumption. It is said that संस्कारो हि गुणांतर आधानाम् उच्यते …
Andal sang நூறு தடா நிறைந்த அக்கார அடிசில் சொன்னேன் (I promise to make 100 pots of akkara adisil); Dasaratha’s wives were given payasam from the Puthrakameshti yagam in order that they beget sons. It is also said (Bhavartha Ramayana of Eknath Maharaj) that Hanuman was born as a result of Anjana Devi drinking a drop of …
Anyone who thinks pachadi is just an un -obtrusive side dish in the South Indian meal, think again. Pachadi is generally thought of as the South Indian equivalent of the raita, but it is really so much more than a raita. The varieties that we have are indeed mind boggling, with each of the four …