MUDAKATHAN KEERAI / BALOON VINE PLANT RECIPES
The Tamil system of medicine has incorporated Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha system to treat a number of everyday problems with natural herbs and minimal side effects.One such herb is the Mudakathan keerai. The botanical name is Cardiospermum halicacabum, but it is commonly known as the balloon vine. Found locally in villages and peripheries of Tamil Nadu, it can be identified as a climber having balloon like fruits. The leaves, roots, seeds and the baby leaves of this plant are all used for kaleidoscopic medicinal purposes. It can be used both internally and externally.
Mudakathan keerai or leaves has strong anti-inflammatory properties. It gives noticeable relief in patients of arthritis, joint pain and even gout patients. The oil made out of this herb can be used externally. The powder obtained from the leaves is mixed in popular south Indian dishes and is used for internal consumption. A combination of the two gives faster results. It’s anti-inflammatory properties make it an effective home remedy for rheumatoid arthritis and nervous breakdown.
Mudakathan has been in use since time immemorial. Its use is now proven to be extremely safe in children. Mudakathan keerai is widely used for treating ear pain and discharge, cough and cold. The purulent discharge gets better with use of oil preparations from the leaf. In the women who have newly delivered, the paste obtained by grinding the leaves is applied on the lower abdomen. The application has a long history of usage for removing waste products saturated in the uterus.
The plant have special gastric benefits and mild laxative properties. Decoction made by boiling leaves in water and the powder form are consumed to treat constipation and stomach pain. It also said to reduce the incidence of hemorrhoids. Mudakathan keerai or leaves, when ground and applied to the scrotal area, have shown tremendous potential for curing serious conditions like hydrocele without surgery. It also relieves menstrual cramping and dysmenorrhoea.
Based on the traditional use, Mudakathan keerai is often used to improve energy level and reduce general tiredness and sluggishness. According to the Ayurveda and Siddha, Mudakathan keerai is also beneficial for skin problems. The water containing soaked leaves/powder of the plant is mixed with gingili oil and is used to rinse the hair. It gives relief from dandruff and itchy scalp.
But the uses of Mudakathan keerai do not end at its medicinal benefits. This herb is often used to spice the south Indian dishes like dosai and rasam. The powder can be mixed in the dosai batter or along with spices when preparing rasam. For rice lovers, you can add this powder to Thuvaiyal for lip-smacking taste. Tasty soups can also be prepared using the Mudakathan powder, peppercorns, cumin seeds and some cloves of garlic. This is an elixir for cough and cold.
If you don’t want to add it to your food, you can simply add the powder in a warm glass of water and gulp it down. Adding Mudakathan to your everyday dishes makes for some tasty yet, extremely nutritious food that heals the body from inside. It is now gaining worldwide popularity and larger numbers of people add Mudakathan to their dishes and soups to acquire the nutritional benefits of this wonder herb!
1. Mudakathan Keerai Dosai Recipe For Joint Pain:
The most popular way of using mudakathan keerai is by making dosais out of it. People who are suffering from arthritis, joint pain and inflammation should try to include this dosai at least twice or thrice a week in their diet along with external application. The easiest way to prepare this dosai is by mixing the paste with our regular idli batter. To make the batter, wash a handful of mudakathan keerai leaves and grind it along with a green chilli and 1/2 tsp of cumin seeds to a fine paste and add it to a cup of idli batter. The batter should neither be too thick nor too thin, make thick or thin dosais and serve it along with coconut chutney. Mudakathan keerai dosai is delicious and very nutritious too. It can also be made regularly and given to children as it is full of nutrients and vitamins.
2. Mudakathan Keerai Thuvaiyal Recipe For Arthritis:
Another recipe using mudakathan keerai is mudakathan thuvaiyal. If you are planning to use mudakathan for treating joint pain, it is better to know all the different ways of preparing dishes with it, as you will get bored if you keep making the same thing again and again. If you are a rice lover like me, then you would love this thuvaiyal especially if had with few drops of homemade ghee. To make the thuvaiyal, heat a tsp of oil in heavy bottomed pan and fry 2 red chillies and a tbsp of split urad dhal till light golden separately and keep aside. In the same pan, fry 1/4 cup mudakathan keerai till it wilts completely and keep aside, now fry around 1/8 cup of coconut along with 1 tsp of tamarind till a nice smell wafts and switch off. Grind everything together into a very thick paste with little boiled water along with salt. This thuvaiyal is best had with hot rice along with a few drops of homemade ghee.
3. Mudakathan Keerai Soup Recipe For Cold & Cough:
Mudakathan rasam is very famous in my place but I prefer to make soup out of it as it is mild and perfect for taking it when we are having cold, cough or fever. To make the soup, first pound 5 peppercorns, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds in a mortar and pestle coarsely, now add 2 cloves of garlic and pound everything together well. Heat an iron kadai and heat 1/2 tsp of homemade ghee and fry the pounded spices for a few seconds in low flame. Now add 1/2 cup of mudakathan keerai leaves and fry till it is wilted, add 2 cups of water of water and let the leaves cook. Once the leaves are half way cooked, add required amount of salt and cook till completely done. Once it is fully cooked, remove from fire and let it cool a bit. Now take a potato masher and mash the ingredients once and strain. This soup is perfect for cold & cough and can be given to children. It is also very good for convalescents, as it is very very nutritious.
4. Mudakathan keerai for Dandruff
Mudakathan keerai can be used for hair to treat itchy scalp and dandruff. You can add mudakathan keerai to your homemade hair rinse recipes or you can also make a simple rinse by boiling the a cup of leaves in a liter of water till the leaves are cooked, strain and use it as a hair rinse. This hair rinse can be refrigerated, so if you have lot of greens left make this hair rinse and store it in the refrigerator. You can also make a homemade oil for treating dandruff using mudakathan keerai. To make the oil, boil mudakathan keerai with sesame oil and use that oil as a massage oil before hair wash. Regular use of this homemade hair rinse will treat itchy scalp very effectively.
5. Mudakathan Keerai Leaves Compress For Joint Pain:
Along with consuming mudakathan keerai internally, if we use it externally we will get results fast. The best way to use it externally is by making a compress out of it. This compress can be made either with only mudakathan keerai or along with vada narayan leaves which is also very good for treating joint pain. This poultice will give very good temporary relief from joint pains and arthritis pain. To make the compress, heat castor oil in a pan and fry the leaves in a very slow flame. Once the leaves are hot enough, take a pure white cotton cloth and place the leaves in the middle and tie it into a bundle. Your homemade compress for joint pain is ready! When you are using this compress, the castor oil will flow out of the bundle as you keep pressing so make sure you don't wear good clothes while doing the treatment else it will stain the clothes. Once the compress loses it's heat warm it again over a hot tawa...
The most popular way of using mudakathan keerai is by making dosais out of it. People who are suffering from arthritis, joint pain and inflammation should try to include this dosai at least twice or thrice a week in their diet along with external application. The easiest way to prepare this dosai is by mixing the paste with our regular idli batter. To make the batter, wash a handful of mudakathan keerai leaves and grind it along with a green chilli and 1/2 tsp of cumin seeds to a fine paste and add it to a cup of idli batter. The batter should neither be too thick nor too thin, make thick or thin dosais and serve it along with coconut chutney. Mudakathan keerai dosai is delicious and very nutritious too. It can also be made regularly and given to children as it is full of nutrients and vitamins.
2. Mudakathan Keerai Thuvaiyal Recipe For Arthritis:
Another recipe using mudakathan keerai is mudakathan thuvaiyal. If you are planning to use mudakathan for treating joint pain, it is better to know all the different ways of preparing dishes with it, as you will get bored if you keep making the same thing again and again. If you are a rice lover like me, then you would love this thuvaiyal especially if had with few drops of homemade ghee. To make the thuvaiyal, heat a tsp of oil in heavy bottomed pan and fry 2 red chillies and a tbsp of split urad dhal till light golden separately and keep aside. In the same pan, fry 1/4 cup mudakathan keerai till it wilts completely and keep aside, now fry around 1/8 cup of coconut along with 1 tsp of tamarind till a nice smell wafts and switch off. Grind everything together into a very thick paste with little boiled water along with salt. This thuvaiyal is best had with hot rice along with a few drops of homemade ghee.
3. Mudakathan Keerai Soup Recipe For Cold & Cough:
Mudakathan rasam is very famous in my place but I prefer to make soup out of it as it is mild and perfect for taking it when we are having cold, cough or fever. To make the soup, first pound 5 peppercorns, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds in a mortar and pestle coarsely, now add 2 cloves of garlic and pound everything together well. Heat an iron kadai and heat 1/2 tsp of homemade ghee and fry the pounded spices for a few seconds in low flame. Now add 1/2 cup of mudakathan keerai leaves and fry till it is wilted, add 2 cups of water of water and let the leaves cook. Once the leaves are half way cooked, add required amount of salt and cook till completely done. Once it is fully cooked, remove from fire and let it cool a bit. Now take a potato masher and mash the ingredients once and strain. This soup is perfect for cold & cough and can be given to children. It is also very good for convalescents, as it is very very nutritious.
4. Mudakathan keerai for Dandruff
Mudakathan keerai can be used for hair to treat itchy scalp and dandruff. You can add mudakathan keerai to your homemade hair rinse recipes or you can also make a simple rinse by boiling the a cup of leaves in a liter of water till the leaves are cooked, strain and use it as a hair rinse. This hair rinse can be refrigerated, so if you have lot of greens left make this hair rinse and store it in the refrigerator. You can also make a homemade oil for treating dandruff using mudakathan keerai. To make the oil, boil mudakathan keerai with sesame oil and use that oil as a massage oil before hair wash. Regular use of this homemade hair rinse will treat itchy scalp very effectively.
5. Mudakathan Keerai Leaves Compress For Joint Pain:
Along with consuming mudakathan keerai internally, if we use it externally we will get results fast. The best way to use it externally is by making a compress out of it. This compress can be made either with only mudakathan keerai or along with vada narayan leaves which is also very good for treating joint pain. This poultice will give very good temporary relief from joint pains and arthritis pain. To make the compress, heat castor oil in a pan and fry the leaves in a very slow flame. Once the leaves are hot enough, take a pure white cotton cloth and place the leaves in the middle and tie it into a bundle. Your homemade compress for joint pain is ready! When you are using this compress, the castor oil will flow out of the bundle as you keep pressing so make sure you don't wear good clothes while doing the treatment else it will stain the clothes. Once the compress loses it's heat warm it again over a hot tawa...
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