They add peppiness to the food. Be, it curry, sabzi or mughlai. They are any chef’s delight. Kadi Patta (curry leaves), Coriander leaves (hara dhaniya), ginger (adrak) and green chillies (hari mirachi) are taste enhancers. We cannot think of cooking food without these ingredients. They are power packed ingredients. They help to spice up a meal. They come under the category of fresh spices.
Kadi Patta: Its leaves are used in many dishes in India, Sri Lanka, and neighbouring countries. Because they are often used in curries, the leaves are generally called by the name ‘curry leaves.’ They are packed with carbohydrates, fibre, calcium, phosphorous and irons as well as vitamins like C-vitamin A-vitamin B-vitamin, E-vitamin. Curry leaves help your heart function better, and they fight infections and can liven up your hair and skin with vitality. It contains plant sterols, amino acids, glycosides, and flavonoids which makes it very dominant and therefore is used in high quantity in kitchen. Many people do not throw the curry leaves used in seasoning, they consume it.
Ginger: Ginger contains Gingerol which is a powerful medicine. It has a very long history of use in various forms of traditional and alternative medicine. It has been used to help digestion, reduce nausea and helps fight the flu and common cold, to name a few. Ginger can be used fresh, dried, powdered, or as an oil or juice. It is a very common ingredient in recipes. The unique fragrance and flavour of ginger come from its natural oils, the most important of which is gingerol. It has powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effect. The health benefits of ginger include relieving nausea, loss of appetite, motion sickness, and pain. Ginger does not have an immediate impact, but may be effective at reducing the day-to-day progression of muscle pain. And, it also has anti-inflammatory properties. A research has proved that ginger has powerful anti-diabetic properties too. I know a lot of people who consume ginger juice regularly and they all are strong people both mentally and physically.
Coriander: It is a wonderful source of dietary fibre, manganese, iron and magnesium as well. In addition, coriander leaves are rich in Vitamin-C, Vitamin-K and protein. They also contain small amount of calcium, phosphorous, Potassium and Thiamin, Niacin and Carotene. Coriander consumption helps in lowering blood sugar, easing digestive discomfort, decreasing blood pressure, it helps in fighting food poisoning, heals urinary tract infection, helps women in healthy menstrual function, helps in healing neurological inflammation and diseases. It grows easily in our balcony, and its lush greenness adds beauty to your balcony garden.
Green Chillies: Not many know that green chillies are rich in dietary fibre, which is important for a healthy digestive system. Green chillies take care of skincare system. Green chilli is a rich source of vitamin-C and eating it helps in keeping skin healthy and glowing. It is a rich source of vitamin B6, vitamin-A, iron, copper, potassium and a small amount of protein and carbohydrates. Eating green chillies boosts immune system, perhaps that’s the reason for there are people who consume it regularly. Daily wages labour and farm labour consume it raw with jowar or bajra roti, and they have a good stamina.
