For those of us who are both conscious and passionate cooks, certain aspects of cooking tend to become highly important like cooking with a happy mind, picking the right veggies and spices to go with them, cooking to preserve all the nutrients and goodness in the food and the most interesting of them all, making generous use of herbs to take our cooking to the next level.
No one wants to eat food that’s bland and flavourless but loading the food with sauces, gravies and spices to up the taste can never be a healthy option. Here’s how you can use really simple herbs to add zest to your meal and also extract some health benefits from them. Some of these can be easily grown in your own little kitchen garden.
5 herbs that can take your dish to the next level:-
1. Coriander (Dhania)
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Dhania is the most loved and extensively used herb in the Indian kitchen. Despite being cooling in nature, it is good for digestion. Just make sure you add it at the end of your cooking when you are ready to serve the dish. This helps to preserve its nutrients and freshness. With its strong and fresh odor, we bet you cannot resist a sprinkle of fresh coriander on your veggies, curries, salads and soups.
2. Mint (Pudina)
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Refreshingly springy, this is the favorite herb across the world. Used in anything from smoothies, juices, veggies, salads and soups, Mint leaves enhance the taste of various dishes by adding a refreshing taste to them. Gargling with Pudina juice and water relieves bad odor from the mouth. Also, eating mint leaves at the beginning of a meal helps in treating intestinal worms.
3. Curry Leaves (Kadipatta)
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This herb is commonly found in most kitchen gardens. It is popularly used for tempering various dishes in Indian cooking. It imparts a heavenly aroma when added to curries, rice and dals. It is a great source of vitamins that benefit your eyesight and hair.
4. Fenugreek (Methi)
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This herb can easily grow in pots at home and grows better during winters. Methi is known to cure stomach ailments, worm infestation and bloating. This herb smells even better when the leaves are dried in shade (called as “Kasoori Methi”) and used in sabzi, curries and dals. We bet Indian kitchens simply cannot do without this herb.
5.Carom Leaves (Ajwain)
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This zero-maintenance aromatic herb has a very peculiar and sharp fragrance. The leaves can be used in salads, sauces, chutneys and raitas. Simply crushing the leaves between fingers releases a sharp odour which if sniffed can soothe a blocked nose. Boil the leaves in water till one third of the amount is left. This drink can relieve cold and cough.
The healing power of all these herbs is sadly underrated because modern science and its tools of disease management have caught everyone’s frenzy. It’s time we got back to our traditional ways of cooking to lead a healthier life.
DISCLAIMER: While we have taken steps to check the accuracy of information & practices shared here; it is not a replacement for a doctor’s opinion. it is important to first always check with your own doctor before trying any medication, practice or suggestion from this site.
