Tag: Herbal coffee

Pumpkins are great! It is seldom that someone dislikes a heart pumpkin soup or a pumpkin leaf salad. But did you know that pumpkin tendrils are edible too?! Pumpkin tendrils are essentially the spiral, thin, coiled structures of the creeper. We have found them to be a flavourful addition to salads. They are high in…

Clitoria ternatea Clitoria ternatea or Butterfly Pea is a locally growing leguminous plant also named “Radha’s Consciousness” by the Mother. It is a vigorously growing perennial trailing, climbing vine that grows in most soil conditions, can withstand drought and thrives in sunny as well as partially-shaded conditions.in Solitude it grows everywhere, we harvest the flowers,…

There are times when the prospect of whipping up a breakfast can be intimidating: just for those mornings when the clock seems to be ticking quicker than usual for everyone at home, and there isn’t much time left before school is meant to start for the children. There is one superhero that I am fain…

Notwithstanding its uses nutritionally, medicinally and artisanally, the Palmyra tree has an incredible importance on an ecological level. Where it grows, they say cows will sleep. It is so because the roots of the Palmyra tree venture very deep into the ground and bring moisture up closer to the surface thereby maintaining a certain coolness…

Like the fruit, even the inner stem of the Banana plant (which is technically actually a flower stalk!) is nutritionally rich. Particularly in terms of fibre, and micronutrients such as Potassium – which helps muscle function, nerve impulses, maintenance of fluid balance and blood pressure within the body, and vitamin B6 – which helps the…

Sesbania grandiflora / West Indian pea, Jayanti Agathi keerai is the Tamil name for this plant, also known as the Hummingbird tree or Flamingo Bill because of the characteristic shape of its flowers. It is a fast growing tree which thrives in plenty of sunlight. In Asia, this tree’s leaves are used in cooking, and…

Chamaecostus cuspidatus These days what is commonly known in India as the Insulin Plant, is a species native to eastern Brazil. Its contemporary name comes from its anti-diabetic qualities. For a food to be accepted into our diet its medicinal benefits alone are not enough, it should also be palatable. The insulin plant leaves are…

Native to tropical regions, Annatto is a natural yellow–orange dye obtained from the plant Bixa orellana. Annatto colorants are used in several ways, extensively in the food industry. Annatto preparations are also used in makeup products and in textile industries. This batch of the dye was made from seeds my dear friend Krishna McKenzie collected…

Bhumi Devi I walk out into the millet field as the light breaks into day. Looking at the stalks that emerge out of the earth, holding the heads of grain as though they were a humble offering to the continuum of all life, and it is self-evident – that as life begets life, the soil…

‘Thinai’ Setaria italica Millets in general are nutritious, tasty and easy to grow, thriving on seasonal rain and requiring little to no irrigation. This makes them a viable and sane option to consider adopting, or rather re-adopting, as staple foods. One of the earliest dated cultivated Millets (back to 8,000 years ago along China’s Yellow…