More Vegetarian Soups

                                     Lentil and Vegetable Soup.

Ingredients:

Lentils – ½  cup

Onion – 1 large chopped

Carrots – 2 cleaned and grated

Green beans – ½ cup chopped

Tomato – 1 finely chopped

Celery – 2 cups finely chopped

Coriander – Handful washed and chopped finely

Garlic – 6 pods finely chopped

Green Chilly – 1 finely chopped

Apple cider vinegar – 1 teaspoon

Salt to taste

Asafoetida – ¼ teaspoon (to prevent gas)

Method:

Soak lentils overnight. Wash in the morning and add fresh water (about 6 to 7

cups).

Boil the lentils first. When they are almost done, add the vegetables except coriander

And boil them till they are tender. Add water as per your desired consistency. Add the

vinegar and salt to taste and garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves and asafoetida..

A bowl of this soup with a multigrain slice of bread is a good meal. . 

Sweet corn and Egg Soup – Omit the egg if you do not eat egg.

Ingredients:

Sweet corn cans – 2 (buy the one with the least sodium)

Egg – 1 well beaten

Apple cider vinegar - 1 teaspoon

Green onion – ¼ cup finely chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Empty the cans of sweet corn in a pot with a cup of water and let it boil. Stir

Occasionally and not let it become dry. Add water if necessary. When the corn is very

well cooked and the corn is boiling, add the beaten egg and stir with a fork. You will

see strands of egg forming in the soup. Now add vinegar and finely chopped green

onions. Switch the stove off. Add salt if required.   

Soups

Soups

All soups should be made from scratch. Don’t use any packets.

Refer the previous post for making broth (Chicken, beef or Veg)

Vegetable soup:

Cut 2 or 2½ cups of vegetables of your choice into small pieces and boil them in the

broth you have prepared or plain water for 15 minutes after the liquid has come to a

boil. Carrot could be grated. Don’t forget finely chopped garlic and ginger to the soup

with the vegetables. Celery is a good vegetable for soups. Adding potasto gives

consistency to the soup. Add dill, parsley or coriander according to your preference

with finely chopped green onion just 5 minutes before turning the heat off.  Add salt

and pepper to taste. If you like a bit of zinc to your soup, add a green chilly finely

cut with the vegetables. Cook multigrain pasta separately and add to the soup. 

Then it becomes a meal by itself.

 Carrot and Tomato Soup with Corrriander

Ingredients

Water – 2 Its

Carrots - 5 peeled and cut into cubes

Tomatoes – 3 with skin removed

Onion – 1

Garlic – 4 cloves

Coriander – 1/4 cup washed and finely chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Milk – ½ cup

Method:

Boil all the ingredients till they are properly cooked. Strain and blend the vegetables. Mix

this with the strained soup and the finely chopped coriander. Bring the soup to a boil and

lower the heat. Add milk and stir, or else milk will curdle. Add pepper and salt to taste.

'Health is Wealth' and it's 'God's Grace'

Vegetarian Recipes

Porridge: (made with powdered millet and wheat)

Ingredients:

Equal amount of Finger Millet and Wheat

• Wash and soak both the above separately for a day.
• Drain the water, wash once more and then cover and keep it in a glass bowl  where there is some sunlight
• By evening you will see some sprouts.
• Sprinkle about three tablespoons of water on it and keep for another day
• Dry both in the sun for about six to seven days or till the grains are dry and have no moisture.
• Grind separately and then mix and keep in a airtight box
• Take two tablespoons of this porridge mixture and with little water make it into a paste
• See that there are no granules.
• Now mix four cups of water a little at a time to avoid any granules.
• Cook on a low flame till the porridge is well cooked and the consistency you want. If it too thick add more water
• Add milk and honey for taste and drink a glass if it is thin or eat half a bowl if it is thick.

The foods that are very good for you according to the Health Food magazine and other research

Do not eat them if you are allergic

• Yogurt – plain (protein, calcium and pro biotic)
• Sweet Potato (use instead of potato)
• Kiwi (nutritious fruit - very high in potassium and banana)
• All Berries - good for arthritis
• Butternut Squash (high in beta carotene)
• Broccoli, ginger and guava are supposed to fight cancer
• Avocado - (has good cholesterol and unsaturated fat)
• Peas
• Flax seed - good for menopausal women
• Kale (lots of antioxidants)
• Multigrain crackers and Breads
• Edamame or green soybean (lowers cholesterol and fights cancer)
• Lentils (high in protein)
• Quinoa (nutritious and full of fibre)
• Fish oil Or fish with oily substance like salmon and sardines (good for the heart
• Cooked Tomatoes (fight cancer and good for health)
• Ginger and Garlic eaten raw or used in cooking
• Onions (It is believed that onions prolong life) 
• Multigrain bread and crackers
• Bananas, papaya, orange – (very high in potassium) Must not eat everyday by those taking blood pressure pills as these are potassium pills. It is good for those with borderline hypertension and want to control pressure naturally
• Mixture of Honey and Cinnamon Powder eaten on breads or boiled in water and drunk as tea (good for digestion)
• Sprouted lentils or beans eaten raw or used in soups and stir fry (high in B Complex)
• Try to use less salt in all your food to remain healthy and in order to keep your blood pressure under control

Treatment for Dandruffr and Acne

Home Remedies for Dandruff:

Coconut oil – 2 tbsp

Lemon Juice – 1 tbsp

Masage your scalp with this mixture, leave it for four hours and then shampoo or wash

with Sikakai powder.  The botanical name for Shikakai is, Acacia Concinna.

Cut lime into half, dip it in salt and massage it on your scalp and leave it for ½ an hour

 and wash it off.

Massage the scalp with yogurt that is left out of the fridge for three days. Leave it for ½

an hour and wash it off with some mild shampoo or shikakai powder

Massaging your scalp with oil which has been boiled with shikakai and Amla

 (gooseberry). Thyis is excellent for hair loss.  

Coconut milk is also beneficial for falling hair.

Ayurveda the ancient medicine of India, gives a lot of importance to Amla, in the maintenance and improvement of healthy, shiny hair.

Acne:

Dandruff and bad stomach can be two of the causes for acne and pimples. Therefore it is

very important to get rid of your dandruff, keep your skin clean by washing it with a

mixture of ‘Multani Mutti’ or ‘Fuller’s Earth’ and rosewater. Eating lots of fruits and

vegetables and avoiding fried food is also very important.

Cleaning the face with lemon and oatmeal is better than soup.

A face pack of bran, baking soda and water are good for acne skin.

Cucumber:

Cucumber slices are placed on the eye for ½ an hour before going for a party to brighten

the eyes and lessen the black circles around the eye. However, black circles can be

caused by lack of sleep, stress, eye strain, constipation and hereditary factors. It is

therefore very important to get proper sleep and take care of the stomach as well.

Honey:

Honey is excellent for blemishes. Heat honey slightly and spread over the face. Leave for

5 to 10 minutes and wash off.  Honey is said to tighten and brighten the skin.

Honey has antiseptic qualities as well. It kills germs.



Face Masks

Face Masks:

It is always important to see if you are allergic to something if you have never used

it before, by applying a little of the mask  on the corner of your face and see for the reaction. 

We used a lot of face masks during our college days. Sandalwood was considered to be

the best for face masks. Since sandalwood like Neem and turmeric is very potent and can

burn the skin, these have to be used in very small proportions. You need to wash your

face thoroughly and if possible steam and remove blackheads before applying the mask.

Keep the mask on till it is dry and then wash off. Do not talk while the mask is on

1. Milk or yogurt 1 spoon

Sandalwood powder ¼ or 1/8 teaspoon

Turmeric only a pinch

Powdered oatmeal or ‘Fuller’s Earth’ (enough to make a thick paste.)

2. Oatmeal powder one tbs.

Honey ½ teaspoon

Mix it with yogurt or any fruit juice or pureed fruit to make a thick paste

Fuller’s Earth can be used with any fruit juice to make simple face masks. The Indian

name for ‘Fuller’s Earth’ is ‘Multani Mutti.’

Milk cream and egg yolk mixture is good for older skin.

People with oily skin should avoid oils, yolk of an egg, and honey in their face pack

People with dry skin should avoid  lemon juice and white of an egg in their face pack.

Papaya is supposed to have pectin and antacids to cleanse and brighten the skin.

A face mask with mashed pappaya with a little yogurt and oatmeal powder refreshes and brightens the skin.

Glycerine, rosewater and lemon juice mixture applied to the face at least 15 minutes

before shower, keeps the skin soft and lessens the appearance of wrinkles.

Other Remedies

                                           Other Remedies

 

Green chillies are full of vitamin C. Use them instead of chilli powder

Boil pomegranate skin and drink the juice for diarrhoea.

1 – 3 years ¼ teaspoon. You can increase the amount as the child gets older (not

more than about 3 tablespoons for age 15 and about 5 tablespoons for adults.

Yogurt, rice, banana, clear soups and teas were also our foods for diarrhoea

When my neighbour’s son was very young, he had severe constipation problem.

Once, the parents even had to take him to the hospital. The doctor examined him

and asked me to get a fizzy orange drink and give it to him and wait for 20 minutes.

Low And behold, he passed his motion without any problem. Ever since then, this is

what I try first before buying anything from the counter. Lots of vegetables with

fibre, fruits, fish and soups are also good for constipation. Avoid meat and wheat

when you have constipation.

Though milk has proven to be bad for cold and cough, it has a soothing effect when

you drink hot milk with honey and a pinch of turmeric powder. Whenever we had

severe cough and congestion in the chest, my mother would beat a raw egg, mix it

with a glass of hot milk, honey and a spoon of brandy and gave it to us for 5

consecutive mornings. It always worked.

Natural Beauty Treatments:

Honey mixed with gram flower and lemon juice used as a mask is excellent for skin

problems such as marks from Acne. However, some are allergic to gram flour and

therefore should test the skin with a tiny bit at first and wait till it dries and wash off to

see any reaction. It is also not advisable for very dry skin types

Honey should be avoided on the eyebrows, lashes and hair as it is believed that it can

grey the hair. You don’t want white eyebrows and lashes.

Fruit has good toxins that are beneficial for the skin. When you eat a fruit, rub some of

it on your face and wash it off when it dries.

When you make eggs for breakfast, whatever egg is remaining in the shell should go on

your face, unless you have very dry skin. It is excellent for normal and oily skin. Wash it

off when it is dry. The results will be amazing within a week. That is how the newborn

babies are washed in my part of the world.

 

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Hot and Cold Foods

 As we were growing up, all foods were supposed to be either hot or cold. I do not know

all foods that are cool and hot. I am sure they are listed under Ayurvedic medicine, which

is one of the most ancient medicines of the world. The older generation knew them all.

Different Foods had to be eaten at different age, condition of your health and time. For

example a pregnant woman was supposed to eat foods that were cooling for her body, as

it was believed according to the ancient Ayurvedic medicine that pregnancy produced

heat in the body. However, after birth the body was cool because of the loss of blood,

fluids and the baby that produced the heat. The body was now cooler than desired and

therefore to maintain the proper balance, foods that produced heat were given to the

mother. There was a special mixture that was given to the mother twice a day. It was

prepared with special roots, herbs, garlic, ghee etc. and it tasted divine. Non-vegetarians

drank chicken soup made of a whole baby chicken. The woman also got plenty of rest, oil

massage for herself and the baby and special food for at least forty days after delivery. A

special nurse looked after the mother and baby. If people were poor, the ladies in the

family took on the job of looking after the mother and child. The strength that she gained

during those forty days stood her good throughout her life. As a result, the mother and baby looked

healthy with their skin and hair glowing and shining with life. I also remember a cloth

being tied very tightly around the mother’s stomach to perhaps flatten the stomach. I have

seen it done to my mother. This also is an age old custom. Present day woman can use a

corset instead.

Fenugreek seeds: Fenugreek seeds are known to have health values. Soaking a

teaspoon full of these seeds overnight in ¾ glass of water and drinking the water is

not only good for health, but is known to control diabetes. Don’t ever substitute

this remedy for your medication, especially if your sugar level is high, but do it along with

your medication.

Cumin Seeds - Jira: 1 tablespoon of lightly toasted cumin seeds are eaten with a pinch

of sugar when you lose your voice. Make two portions and eat at an interval of three to

four hours.

Cumin seeds eaten with a pinch of salt are extremely useful in getting rid of gas and

improving digestion. In South India Jira Pani or Cumin Water is given in the restaurants

during dinner.

How to prepare Jira Water?

Boil 1tbs of Jira in 4 glasses of water. It is very beneficial to drink it warm. You may drink

this water throughout the day instead of water.

When you get cramps in your calves or toes, get up and walk. If they don’t go away,  

drink one or two glasses of water. I read it somewhere, that it is dehydration that causes

cramps. Since I have been getting cramps since I was 14 years old, and have tried

everything, I can assure you that drinking water with some sugar does work. Heating pad

or hot bean bag also gives comfort. 

Turmeric is another important spice that was and is used as remedy for many ailments.

If we had a sore throat, we would add salt and a pinch of turmeric to warm water

and gargle 4 or 5 times a day. My father had told me that turmeric was antiseptic

and it helps stop bleeding.

 True Story: My father was a manager in a coffee plantation. He told us that when he was

young,  once he accidentally slashed his ankle with a very sharp machete trying to cut the

extra branches of the coffee plant. (The coffee plant should ideally grow almost like

an umbrella. To enable this, all the shoots that spring on the trunk below the top

part are constantly cut off by the workers. However, what ever shoots were missed by the

workers, were cut by my father when he went on his supervisory rounds.) Since the nearest

doctor was many miles away and the only conveyance was the bullock cart, the people

around him put turmeric, raised and bandaged the foot and the ankle and carried him to the doctor.

It stopped the bleeding and his leg was saved. He had a ball put in his ankle and the doctor later

said that it was the turmeric that stopped it from infection, controlled the bleeding and helped in the

 healing process. Ever since I heard that story, turmeric has been my friend and I have used it

for every cut that my children or I have had. 

Neem leaves are very bitter, but extremely good for cleansing your digestive system.

Mahatma Gandhi used to eat Neem chutney (neem leaves ground with a little salt, chilly

and lemon) daily with his meals

Whenever children had measles or chicken pox, they are given small branches of

Neem to lightly pass on the skin. Neem branches are even put in a vase in the room

of the child, as it is supposed to purify the air. After measles and chicken Pox the

children are bathed with water in which neem leaves are boiled. Boil a cupful of

neem leaves in a large pot filled with water. Then mix this water to a bucketful of

warm water and pour this water on the body of the child as a final rinse and pat dry with a

towel.

Neem leaves are very potent. You should never rub them directly on the skin. The skin can swell.  

Neem oil along with Cynth (an Ayurvedic oil) is now being used in hospitals in India to

prevent bedsores on bedridden patients.  

 My very good friend’s mother had a fall and broke her hip. She underwent surgery

and was in the intensive care for a fortnight due to complications. Though she

recovered, she came home with a bad bedsore. All my friend was told to do was to

dip cotton in neem oil and shove it inside the bedsore. The bedsore was completely

healed within a month and she never got any sore again. All she did was sponge her

mother everyday and apply neem oil on parts of her body that touched the bed and

use an air mattress.  She was bedridden for 4 more years and never got a bedsore

again. That hospital too has started using Cynth oil on even the intensive care patients, now.

My daughter was very allergic to mosquito bites. She would swell up so badly after a bite,

that we had to rush her to the hospital, till I discovered Neem Oil.

After that, the minute she complained of a mosquito bite, I would apply the neem oil

and the bite would disappear within seconds and she never swelled up like before. 

Garlic acts as a blood thinner and therefore good for controlling blood pressure.

Eating raw garlic early in the morning to control blood pressure is practised

throughout India. Drinking plenty of water, eating healthy and exercise also helps

control blood pressure. If none of this works, then you may have to take the

prescribed medication. Remember to tell your doctor if you are taking raw garlic

every morning especially if you are going for any surgery. It has the same effect as

Aspirin.

 I was a very clumsy girl growing up in India. I would constantly bang my open toe

to the threshold and sprain it. It would swell and become very painful. My mother

crushed garlic, heated it in coconut oil and applied it warm on my toe covering it with a

light bandage two or three times a day. Within two or three days my toe would heal

completely.  

Garlic boiled in coconut oil can also be very effective for ingrown toe nails. With a

dropper put a drop where the ingrown toe nail troubles. Use as hot as you can take. This

works well when the toe just starts growing in and when the problem is not severe.

I recently heard that boiling water poured on slices (about 4) of ginger and two

cloves of crushed garlic and drunk the next morning is excellent for high cholesterol. 

Drink this water first thing in the morning.