Medicinal Spices

My mother, brother and I took a "Healthy Indian Cooking Class" with a group of people from her gym last month. The class was held at Food & Fashion of India in Nashua, NH. It is a small establishment, hidden in a strip mall on a busy commercial highway. Half Indian Grocery, half commercial kitchen, Food & Fashion is the type of place where you can buy gold bangles and Fenugrik Seeds and get a side of life wisdom. The cash register is facing North, and the painting of Ganesha is pointing East, because that is according to Vastu Shastra (an Ancient Indian doctrine for architecture) to promote successful business. The owner, Indira, is passionate about serving healthy flavorful food and sharing her message about the medicinal and health benefits of eating this way. She invites groups of 10 or so people at a time to teach her methods.

Indira, working her magic

The event as a whole was lovely. Indira danced around the kitchen, giving us each jobs to pour, toss, sprinkle, and stir. The kitchen smelled like garlic and spices and our mouths watered as we frantically scribbled notes on the method and measurements for each dish. The my classmates often chuckled as we tried to turn Indira's measurements ("a little bit" or "a lot" or about twice that much") into cups and teaspoons so we could recreate the masterpieces later at home. The morning ended with a big meal of Dahl, Cabbage Poriyal, Saag Paneer, Aloo Gobi, and Basmati Rice. We were full. And we spent some time chatting about the medicinal properties of the spices she uses.

Here are some of the gems that she shared

Turmeric: Anti inflammatory properties. Excellent for preventing pain from inflammation, arthritis, and dementia.

Mustard Seeds: Treats diarrhea. Swallow a spoon full four times over the course of 2 hours.

Anjuman Seeds: When added to cooked foods, prevents gas.

Methi Seeds: Prevents or treats constipation.

Hing: Helps digestion.

Jalapeños: Blood thinner.

Currently, it seems that there is so much information out there about avoiding certain substances and ingredients in out diets, or else there will be grave consiquences. This can make food and eating feel dangerous and scary. But learning about the powerful properties of the spices above reminded me once again about the incredible medicinal power of food. Whole healthy ingredients and flavorful spices can add to our lives and help our bodies stay healthy and strong!