Tag: Herbs

Hibiscus sabdariffa, or Rosella, is a bushy plant said to have originated in Africa. It is now widely naturalized in tropical India and Southeast Asia. The seeds are a great source of protein, fat as well as natural total sugars. Here at Solitude we have a fair amount of Rosella growing, and it seems to…

Polished white rice is so widely consumed these days. White rice is a major contributing factor to diabetes and the depletion of our water table. By eating traditional grains, that do not require excessive irrigation and have high medicinal and nutritional values, is a simple first step on your Road Back to Nature. There are…

Look at how much coconut we use! In this bioregion of Tamil Nadu, coconut is a staple. From tender coconut water to grated coconut, we use it all. But what about the coconut fibre, that goes to ‘waste’? A Road Back to Nature is all about finding simple solutions. For millennia, the dried coconut fibre…

An alternative cleaning agent. Our lives today are marked by industrialization on almost every level – from the clothes we wear, to the food we eat, to the cosmetics and cleaning agents we use. If we look at the timeline of human beings’ presence on the planet, it is a miniscule segment of time since…

Solanum nigrum Manathakkali is a spinach belonging to the Solanaceae (Nightshade) family. Predominantly a simple and humble plant but potent in its medicinal and culinary use. Manathakkali is a vibrant nutritional color of local Tamil culture and a crucial element to pay attention to on your Road back to Nature. Manathakkali is a small plant…

It has become increasingly difficult to find pure henna now as the markets are flooded with coloured dye concoctions that are a far cry from the pure product. Traditionally henna was grown in backyards and used for hair colouring and conditioning regularly by women at home. We met up with local women in Auroville who…

It’s as simple as this – when we find different and interesting ways to use the plants that surround us, we are more likely to benefit from the healing properties that Mother Nature has to offer us through them. This recipe for a herbal iced tea is just one more way to benefit from the…

Imagine! A raw vegan lasagna, without pasta sheets! It truly is the dish of our dreams. Our friend Sarah makes this lasagna with bottle gourd, by peeling it into thin strips, the size of pasta sheets. After peeling the slices into strips. Layer the bottle gourd ‘pasta’, with the fresh tomatoes, homemade pesto, papaya sauce…

Turmeric is a very easy plant to grow in an urban setting, or on an apartment balcony. This amazing plant is a medicine, a condiment, a dye, a cosmetic ingredient, and used in ceremonies too! Fill up old buckets, pots, tin cans,or even old vegetable crates with sandy soil mixed with compost, and when the…

Pacha Manga Pachadi This one is bound to be a pleasant surprise if you’ve never tried it before. We have a Mango tree that gives fruit that aren’t particularly sweet nor tasty as fruit in the regular sense. So instead, we pick them before they ripen i.e. when they have grown to size, but are…