Oriyarasoi is on twitter !

Showing posts with label beneficial for digestion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label beneficial for digestion. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 15, 2017

Spiced Banana Stem Buttermilk ( A digestive Summer drink )

"What !!! U made Sol Kadhi again ? ".

That was hubby wailing from the kitchen as he spotted yet another pitcher of light pink liquid sitting prettily on the counter. Unlike me who spent more that a year in Pune savoring the unique culinary heritage of the place, the poor guy is yet to acquire a taste for Kokum or it's pungent flavor profile as he described it to one of his Odia friends.

"Nopes. There you go again. Judging by mere appearances. Why don't you just take a whiff ?", I replied back. Silence ensued. A full minute ticked by and then some more time lapsed. The suspense was getting on my nerves. Finally I saved the Word document on which I had been slaving for sometime and stepped into the kitchen. 

"Gotcha". I surprised him and in the process almost made the glass slip out of his hands. After finding him sipping merrily from my pitcher and simultaneously being engrossed in his phone, that was the least I could do to get back at him. Not a word of appreciation !! Hmm....aren't men perfect examples of slobs ? 

After experimenting with a variety of raw vegetable juices that can be included in my family's menu, this one turned out to be a pleasant surprise. Not only it is loaded with soluble fibers, the raw banana stem is beneficial in curing a variety of gastro-intestinal disorders. And it is especially good after a heavy meal or during the summer months when the digestive tract turns sluggish. Plus it tastes really good when mixed with buttermilk and a few spices. In fact, I found it to be a good substitute for rasam ( which gives warmth to the body ) on the hot days. 

But the single greatest advantage of this recipe is that it can also be prepared by people who lack the skills to chop the banana stem. That has been the major hindrance i face when I advice people to include this wonderful vegetable in their regular diet. 


Read on for the recipe -

  • a pinch of cumin seeds
















Preparation Time - 10 mins ( plus 1 hour standby )

Ingredients - 

  • 2 cups buttermilk
  • 2-3 inches of tender banana stem
  • a sprig of curry leaves
  • 1 dry red chili
  • 7-8 peppercorns
  • 1/4 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1/2 tsp oil
  • salt to taste

Preparation - Remove the outer layers of the banana stem. Wash the inner core and wipe it dry. 

Slice off and discard about 1/2 inch of the banana stem from both the ends. Cut slices about 3-4 mm thick and soak the round pieces in the buttermilk. Keep aside for 1 hour.

Transfer the buttermilk and the banana stem to a blender jar. Give it a good buzz and then strain the liquid. Discard the fibrous solids.

Heat the oil in a tempering pan. Add the red chili, peppercorn, mustard and cumin seeds. 

Once they get popping, add the curry leaves too. Remove from the flame. 

Add the tempering to the buttermilk. Season with salt and check for the consistency. 

Serve at room temperature.






































Can be enjoyed as a after-meal digestive drink. Or have it mixed along with rice during meals. 

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Jeera- Pepper Rasam (Jeerakarra - Milagu Rasam)

This week I am having rasam everyday as the fluctuating weather in Bengaluru and the weekend indulgences have wrecked havoc on my digestive system. I could not think of a better cure than a dose of pepper and cumin, both of  are medically proven to benefit digestion. So, here is another rasam recipe. This time I have used a homemade rasam powder. Read on:





Preparation Time - 15 mins

Ingredients - 1 lemon sized ball of tamarind, pinch of turmeric, salt to taste.
For the rasam powder - 1 tsp peppercorn, 1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, 1 dry red chilli, 1 tsp toor dal, 1/4 tsp asafoetida.
For the tempering - 2 tsp oil, 2 tsp chopped onions, 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, dry red chilli, 2 sprigs curry leaves, 2 pinch asafoetida.

Preparation - Dry roast all the ingredients for rasam powder. Allow to cool down and then grind into a smooth powder.
Soak the tamarind in 3 cups warm water for 20 mins. Squeeze out all the juice and dicard the pulp.

Cooking - Boil the tamarind water with turmeric and salt in a saucepan. Allow to boil for 5-6 minutes till the raw taste goes away.
Add the rasam powder dissolved in 1/2 cup water. Simmer for 2 minutes.
Heat oil in a tempering pan. Add broken red chilli, mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Once the spluttering starts, add onions and fry till translucent. Now add curry leaves and asafotida. Fry for 30 seconds.
Pour the tempering over the contents of the saucepan. Simmer for 3 minutes. Switch off flame.

Serve hot.


















Note - This rasam is great for curing indigestion, lack of appetite and even a bad cold. One can drink it directly as a hot/warm drink.

Featured Post

Green Papaya Laddoos (SugarFree recipe)

Mom is undoubtedly the dessert specialist at home. God forbid, if she takes to blogging, she could give a lot of folks a run for their mone...