Butter Masala Medication & Mukhwaas (Below) Pastes Powders

MEDICATION

Adrak

2 tablespoons Grated fresh ginger
1/2 tsp Black pepper
4 cups vegetable stock or water
Juice of one lemon
3/4 tsp Salt
Fresh coriander leaves
1 tablespoon Cumin seeds

Put grated and toasted ginger and stock into a pot and bring to a boil. Simmer 30 minutes till the water has reduced by half. Add salt, cumin and pepper. Simmer for another 2 minutes. Squeeze in lemon juice & garnish with coriander. Excellent as a cold remedy (or as a starter to a multi-course Indian dinner).

Brahmastra

2 Lemons
4 inches fresh Ginger
2 teaspoons Cayenne
5 cups water
Honey or Maple Syrup

Chop the whole, de-seeded lemons up into small pieces, keeping the juice. Finely dice the fresh ginger. In a pot add the lemon and its juice along with the ginger. Boil lightly for an hour or two. The last 1/2 hour, add cayenne. When ready to take Brahmastra, add a little honey to taste. Excellent as a cold remedy.

Pepper Syrup

Rasam powder - 1/4 tsp
Water - 1/2 cup
Sugar -1 tsp
Honey - 1tsp

Mix rasam powder and water and heat until it boils. Then filter it. To the filtered liquid add 1 tsp honey, 1 tsp sugar and stir well. Instead of rasam powder you may add black pepper powder also. This will be a relief for throat pain due to cold.

MUKHWAAS

India carries an age old tradition of serving and eating mukhwaas (mouth fresheners and digestives) after a hearty meal. While Gaudiya Vaisnavas do not take paan, suparis, ghutkas or anything containing tobacco products, there are many bona fide mukhwaas that freshen the breath and aid digestion after a large meal.

One of the most familiar mouth fresheners is a preparation of fennel seeds in a bright,hard sugar coating. Various mukhwaas masalas are made from an array of dried ingredients, herbs and plants. Dried pomegranate seeds and coriander seed kernals are excellent chewables. Methi (fenugreek) and other aromatics provide a menthol quality that both cleanses the palate and settles the stomach. These can be used alone or in combination with other ingredients.

Different regions and cultures of India have their own favorite mukhwaas recipes. Gujaratis, for example, are fond of churans (an auyervedic herbal), while in Delhi they prefer dhania-saunf (coriander-fennel) combinations, which are also popular in Indian restaurants in the west.

Anardhana Churan

2 tbps. Anardhana (pomegranate) seeds dry
2 tbsp. amchoor (dry mango) powder
1 tsp. cumin seeds
12-15 peppercorns
2 tbsp. green saunf (fennel) seeds
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. honey
2-3 pinches black salt
salt to taste
1 tsp. lemon juice

Lightly roast separately the anardhana, cumin, peppercorns and saunf. Cool, then dry grind each. Keep the saunf coarse. Mix all ingredients together and make tiny balls of the dough. Dry for 2-3 days till firm. Serve as a digestive after meals. These will keep for about 2 months. If you like them a little more pungent, add a bit of ginger powder.

Khajur (Date) Churan

100 dates dried
1 large juicy lemon
2 tbsp. water
1 tbsp. cumin seed powder
5 tbsp. dried mango powder (amchoor)
6 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt

Mix the water and lemon juice and sprinkle over the dates, tossing lightly. Allow to marinate for 2-3 days. Drain and chop into pieces. Add all other ingredients, mix well. Sun-dry in a large non-metallic plate. Dry till all the moisture has evaporated, usually about 3 days of bright sun. Store pieces in airtight jar, and eat as a digestive after meals.

Laal Saunf

1 cup green unroasted saunf (fennel seeds)
1 tsp. jintan balls (silver and/or red)
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
3 or 4 tablespoons katha (Also known as catechu, cutch, acacia or black catechu, and khair)

Soak the katha in a little water for 30 minutes. Mix sugar and saunf seeds together. Mix paste well and sieve onto the seeds. Mix well, take in a large plate. Sun-dry till the seeds have dried and coloured. This should take approx. 10-12 hours of bright sun. Once totally dry, mix in jintan balls. Store in airtight jar.

Sookha Amla (Dry Gooseberry)

1 kg. fresh amla (gooseberry), big or small
1/4 cup salt

Wipe gooseberries clean on a dry kitchen towel. Cut thick slices off them, discarding the stone. Once all are cut, toss in salt and mix. Place in a porcelain, china or glass container. Cover and keep aside for 3-4 hours. Drain in a colander for 1 hour till all liquid has drained out. Sun-dry on a thick clean cloth till the pieces are dry and crisp. This may take 6 to 8 days in summer and more in winter. Store in airtight container. Pop a few in mouth after meals.