Gooseberry Soup/Rasam and AFAM - Roundup

Everybody was wondering what happened to me.... hmmm.... busy shifting my house and started working now:)

Suddenly became too busy, but give me some time to cope up, will come back and bug you all again ;)

and ...... now to the A Fruit of the Month - Gooseberry Roundup:)



Guess, I have chosen a rare fruit, since many of my friends were not able to get it in market, including me too :( ;)

But I would suggest my friends living otside India, to get them as it has valuabe health benefits..... Read on.....


Amla enhances food absorption, balances stomach acid, fortifies the liver, nourishes the brain and mental functioning, supports the heart, strengthens the lungs, regulates elimination, enhances fertility, helps the urinary system, is good for the skin, promotes healthier hair, acts as a body coolant, flushes out toxins, increases vitality, strengthens the eyes, improves muscle tone and it acts as an antioxidant.

The Indian Gooseberry belongs to the Euphorbiaceae family. This fruit is ripe in autumn season in wet forest of hill areas in Indian subcontinent. In India it is considered as a sacred tree. The fruit is very nourishing. It tastes sour. Both dried and fresh fruits can be used.

It provides remedies for many diseases so it is widely used in ayurvedic medicines. Gooseberry is very rich in Vitamin C. It contains many minerals and vitamins like Calcium, Phosphorus, Iron, Carotene and Vitamin B Complex. Amla is also a powerful antioxidant agent. Many health problems are conduced by oxidative damage (when body cells use oxygen they produce by-products that can cause damage). Antioxidant agents prevent and repair such damages. Vitamin C is a good antioxidant agent and so is Gooseberry.

The health benefits of amla include the following:

Picture Source : Janet Ching

Eye Care: Taking Gooseberry juice with honey is good for improving eyesight. It improves nearsightedness and cataract. It reduces intraocular tension.

Diabetes: Gooseberry contains chromium. It has a therapeutic value in diabetics. Indian Gooseberry or Amla stimulate the isolated group of cells that secrete the hormone insulin. Thus it reduces blood sugar in diabetic patient.

Heart Disease: Gooseberry strengthens heart muscles. So heart pumps blood flawless throughout the body.

Infection: Due to its antibacterial and astringent attributes the Indian Gooseberry protects against infection. It improves body resistance.

Diarrhea and dysentery: Due to its strong, cooling and laxative properties Gooseberry is useful for remedies for diarrhea and dysentery. It is a great relief for gastric syndrome and hyperchlorhydria (burning sensation in abdomen).

Hair loss: Amla is used in many hair tonics. It enriches hair growth and hair pigmentation. It strengthens roots of hair , maintains color and luster. Eating fresh fruit or applying its paste on hair roots improves hair growth and color.

Improving appetite: Consuming Gooseberry powder with butter and honey before meal improves appetite. It helps in balancing Nitrogen level and thus increases weight in a healthy way.

Anti aging: Amla prevents health related hyperlipidaemia through attenuating oxidative stress in the ageing process.

The fresh fruit contains more than 80% water, protein, minerals, carbohydrates and fiber. It is also used as remedies for fever, liver disorder, indigestion, anemia, urinary problems, respiratory problems, cerebral, gastro and cardiovascular illness. Gooseberry lowers cholesterol level. It increases red blood cell production and strengthens teeth and nails. So the Indian gooseberry or Amla as a fresh fruit or juice or in dried form is much good for your health.

This article was contributed by Thuvaneesa.

Source : OrganicFacts.net


Thats too long I guess.... ;) so over to the entries.....

First to the international recipes .....

Ivy's Black Forest Cherry and Gooseberry Cake

Janet Ching's Vanilla ice cream with quattro berries sauce & macarons

and Panfried white fish with red gooseberries sauce

Now to the different variations of Gooseberry pachadi's(kind of salad) I received.....

Vidhya Iyer's Gooseberry Pachadi

Jaishree's Amla Curd Pachadi

EC's Nellikai Pachadi

Jayasree Satish's Nellikkai Arachukalakki

Shama Nagarajan's Nellikai Chutney

Lakshmi Venkatesh's Refreshing Gooseberry Squash
She was not able to take a picture.... so I made her recipe and posting the picture next week;)

Now to mouthwatering pickle recipes......

Jaishree's Amla Pickle

Vidhya Iyer's Gooseberry Pickle

Vandana Raman's Gooseberry Pickle

Sowmya Madhavan's Nellikai Thokku

Divya Kudua's Gooseberry Dry Pickle

Mythreyee's Instant gooseberry pickle

And now to my Gooseberry soup/rasam:

Ingredients:
Gooseberry - 1
Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
Pepper - 2 teaspoon
Small Onions - 2-3, finely chopped
Curry leaves - few
Coriander leaves - few
Salt to taste
Oil - 1-2 teaspoons

Method:
Dry roast cumin seeds and pepper nad grind them to a fine powder/paste.

Wash gooseberry, cut into small pieces and grind it to a fine paste.

Heat oil in a pan and saute onions, curry leaves in it, until they become soft.

Add all the grind paste/powder, 2 glasses of water and salt to taste.

Bring it to a boil and switch it off.

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with papads or can be had with rice too.


Cooking time: 15 minutes
Serves 2-3 persons

Please let me know if I have missed some entry.... see you all soon!