Cumeen Magic (Cuminum cyminum)

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If you leave out cumin, you leave out magic spice. Why author calls

it magic spice will be clear when you reach the end of this article.

 

The spices in Indian kitchen are very useful as ayurvedic remedies.

Not only health but even beauty. All moms should know the uses. Let

us take one spice out of them for discussion today.

 

Cumeen seeds is slight pungent, appetizer, digestive aid, easy for

digestion, slightly warming but cooling to eyes, increases saliva,

causing better taste and most important for women as well as post

natal moms, it purifies uterus for women and genito-urinary track in

men. Though has strong spice aroma, it tastes slightly bitter. It

pacifies pitta, and its vipaka, i.e. effect after digestion is

slightly unusual. It pacifies vata also. Though a thermogenic speci,

means it causes heating in the body, it pacifies pitta when taken as

a heem:

 

ayurveda/message/7720

 

Culinary use of cumin is extensively discussed at the link

http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/engl/Cumi_cym.html

where you may find receipes for Grama masala, sambahar powder etc.

Here we are more concerned with its medical uses for postnatal moms

and babies.

 

It improves both absorption and assimilation thus enhancing

digestion. It is a " queen " ama burner. ama means build up of toxins.

It is the accumulation of ama that causes doshic imbalances in body.

Cumeen, when boiled or steeped in water, flushes toxins giving rise

to glowing and radiant complextion. Spices such as cumeen, fennel and

turmeric purify the urine daily. If your diet does not contain at

least one of them, ama buidup causes dosha imbalance.

 

After a heavy meal of difficult to digest items, it tries to reduce

gas and flatulence caused by indigestion. Hence Indian moms use it as

a sauting spice in curries. It also finds place in spices where

sauting is not carried out. If you go to Indian hotel enjoy Panipuri,

Bhelpuri and you will experience the aroma of cumeen. The sister

spice for cumeen is coriander seeds. When taken together both guard

stomach health. The advantages of using cumeen, asfoetida, mustard

and fenugreek in sauting has now been recognized in foreign countries

too! Even middle east restaurants use these spices in mouth watering

dishes. And first entry of foreigners in India was motivated by

spices commerce.

 

While commonly available cumeen is light in color, another variety is

black in color, termed " shahi jeera " in Hindi (Bunium persicum) and

often kala jeera due to its black color. You can see photograph and

names in other languages at:

 

http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/engl/Cumi_cym.html

 

Author remembers how a paste made from this " kala jeera " was used to

be applied on cheeks when children suffered from mumps. The

inflammation vanished in just a day and swelling in 2-3 days.

Whichever variety of cumeen you use, it is warming, increases

digestive fire, causing excitation in body and also it is a

galactogogue. It is useful in postnatal period. Vaidyas of

Maharashtra make " Jirakdyarishta " from cumeen and give 2 tsp to

postnatal mom after every meal. This causes loss of fat, purification

of uterus tone and also aids profuse lactation. This variety of

cumeen is diuretic, appetizer, helps secretion of digestive juices

and reduces vatic disorders of digestion. If there is a colic in

babies, Vaidyas and Indian moms use a mixture of ajwain, cumeen,

fennel and dill weed tea. Now the gripe water takes its place since

it is readily available. The herbal tea used to take care of stomach

pain, indigestion, loose motions as well as discentry. The Unani

vaidyas use the strong decoction of these three herbs even today. In

villages and tribal regions, the women use the herbal tea for babies

even today. When spices are boiled in water, water itself becomes

more sharp and reaches cells faster. Once the cells are well

hydrated, Vata (dehydration) gets pacified, constipation, gas releif

occurs. This author was surprised to see absence of cummeen herb in

the file " baby colic " in this group.

 

In cities, Saindhav salt, cumeen, asfoetida mixture is used to reduce

pain caused by bloating of stomach. Cumeen is a good spice for even

pregnant mom. It is a good home remedy as appetizer. Ayurvedic

medicines Chitrakadi Vati and Hingashtak Churna have cumeen as

important ingredient. One magical property of cumeen is it keeps the

digestive agni in balance. Those with low fire will experience

increased fire as well as digestive juices, while those with excess

fire experience cooling of the fire. For those with impulsive

anger, " Jal-jira " a water in which cumeen is soaked for minimum 2

hours is a tasty appetizer and cooling drink. This drink, is added to

Puri, which makes Pani-puri. If you come to India and do not taste

Panipuri, it is as good as going to Paris and not seeing Effel tower.

This Jaljeera you can make in U.S.A. also. Saindhav salt, black salt,

lemon juice or tamarind extract after soaking is added in water along

with a little chilli powder and sugar to make a very tasty and

appetizer drink. Instead of coco cola, this will be healthir drink.

Amongst various appetizer soups, author rates this has highest power

appetizer within easy reach of poor too. However, ready spice mixture

for Jaljeera contains citric acid, and hence not recommended, except

in emergency. The tartaric acid of tamarind works better than

chemical citric acid in appetizer action. When this tartaric acid

mixes with fructose in dates, the taste produced is so good that

Bhelpuri and its variants are very popular in India.

 

Another well known formulation from Cumeen is Jeeragoli, made from

jaggery, tamarind and other sour herbs. Cumeen is very useful herb

added in various ayurvedic medicines. Jirakadi modak is a sweet item

produced from it. These are given to postnatal mom so that her

reproductive system as well as digestive system return to normalcy.

From children to elderlies, everyone benefits from cumeen. If cough,

cold or flue just started, give green gram water adding cumeen while

cooking it. Inflamation of urine, fever, cough, sinus pains, loose

motions, discentry, anorexia, piles, everywhere cumeen comes useful.

By reducing the heat of reproductive system it helps in leucorrhea.

Unani vaidyas have made medicines using cumeen for bloating.

 

When you take cumeen, warm it a little to increase ts potency. It

will help in Chronic indigestion. When making various spice mixtures

for non vegetarian items, Indian women use black cumeen. Even black

variety is a magic cure as uterian tonic, vata, constipation, IBS,

and kills worms harboring in the intestibes. Mixing cumeen, fennel

and slight roasting them makes a post meal digestive aid. When curry

is made from beans which are difficult to digest, by sauting them

with a little oil, cumeen, mustard, fenugreek and asfoetida makes it

more easily digestible, and no worry of indigestion, bloating or

flatulence. In most spice mixtures, if cumeen is forgotten, spice

becomes bland. Like all pungent items, cumeen reaches the cells very

fast. When mixed with jaggery, it s appetizer quality enhances.

When pregnancy causes nausea and vomits, the cumeen powder is given

mixed with lemon juice. When children are suffering from fever of any

kind, give green gram water in which cummen seeds are also boiled.

 

Author has used the cumeen in cases of Irritation bowels syndrome

with buttermilk:

ayurveda/message/6964

 

When used with dates it causes cooling of the body, and takes care of

burning feet:

 

ayurveda/message/2077

 

One boy aged 7 years was given ayurvedic tablets to take care of

parasites and thread worms. For 3 days he could take tablets without

any problem. on 5th day, when worms became irritated and caused

stomach pain, the slightly roasted cumeen seeds, black salt and

turmeric were adminsistered in honey and bloating+pain vanished in an

hour. From next day, the worms started appearing in stools.

Thereafter the worm tablets were continued without any problems.

Indian Vaidyas give worm medicines for a month or so since not only

worms but their eggs and baby worms also need to be taken care, which

becomes possible only by slow but steady winning the race.

 

The magic of cumeed seeds will be realized only when worrying due to

children are suffering from indigestion, bloating, fever.

 

 

ayurveda , " Ysha Oakes "

<AyurDoulas wrote:

>

> Hi Wendy;

> I just spotted that somehow I left out the cumin in the kitchari

> recipe - where it says 1 tsp each mustard seed should say and cumin;

> the cumin is much more important.

> >