Simple and Delicious !

Garlic
It is a well known fact that garlic is good to reduce cholesterol and blood pressure. For reducing fever associated with cold, it is good to take garlic rasam or soup.Garlic is good for Asthma patients too. It is also known for it's antibiotic effect.

See the Garlic Rasam recipe here.

Ginger
Ginger increases saliva, reduces gastritis and helps digestion. Taking fresh ginger juice is good when some one having stomach pain due to disorders related to digestion.Taking ginger daily also helps arthritic and diabetic patients too.Dry ginger is good for cough if taking powdered with black pepper and kalkkandams(sugar candy).



For preparing Garlic and Ginger paste,

Method 1
garlic big cloves 25
ginger 1 inch pieces 5
OR
Use the amount seen in the above picture.

Grind garlic and ginger together and freeze.When you use, keep the frozen garlic ginger paste in refrigerator for a while and cut the amount you like. Don't keep the paste out side of the fridge to use. I follow this method and the garlic I used is Chinese garlic. Indian garlic is very small in size.

Method 2
garlic big cloves 20
ginger 1 inch pieces 5
oil 1 tablespoon
vinegar 1 teaspoon
salt little

Peel garlic and ginger. Wash them and grind with 1 table spoon oil,1 tea spoon vinegar and little salt. Keep it refrigerated. You can add a pinch of turmeric too while grinding. You can use any oil for this, but Olive oil is good. If you use water for grinding, use previously boiled and cooled water. The shelf life of this paste is one month.

Normally if you prepare garlic and ginger paste without adding any of these, soon it gets a bluish green color. Some people wouldn't use it since they are afraid of food poisoning. Actually this is not harmful to us. Garlic contains sulphur and when it acts with the copper in the water (or with the utensils contained aluminum,iron etc) and forms copper sulphate. Also garlic contains chlorophyll (substance that gives green color to leaves) and this gives a greenish color change to garlic while reacting to temperature.

Benefits of Turmeric
We all know turmeric is a main ingredient in Kerala cuisine.
It acts as an Anti septic and an antibacterial agent.
Well-known as a ingredient for increasing beauty.
It can alleviate the poison.
Adding turmeric in curries helps to deactivate the poisonous substances in food.
Adds colour and brightness to skin.
Very useful in skin diseases.
Helps to reduce the unwanted hairs on skin , pimple and marks.
Can be used with Gramflour (Besan,Kadalamaavu,Kadalapodi) green gram powder, red sandal wood powder, milk cream, neem leaves etc for beautiful skin and in skin diseases.
It is wise to use turmeric powder, after drying and powdering the fresh turmeric, especially for cooking.
According to Ayurveda, daily intake of fresh turmeric powder will reduce the cancer risk.
Check these links to know more about turmeric and its benefits.
Turmeric Benefits
Turmeric's healing properties

I thought to provide some information about the commonly used ingredients in the Kerala Cuisine. We all know, small onions have an important role in a large amount of the dishes. This adds extra deliciousness to the dish.

According to Ayurveda, small onions are useful for the treatment of Cancer, diabetes, plague, dropsy, tuberculosis and heart diseases.
The amount of iron in small onion is high. So eating small onions or using it in every day cooking will prevent anemia.
To prevent anemia in children, give palm sugar(chakkara) with small onions. Chop small onions and give it with palm sugar.
Small onion is also good for piles. Boil elephant yam with small onions and eat it with ghee. It is good for piles.
Take the juice of small onions and mix it with butter milk and drink it daily. It will help to reduce the cholesterol level. Every one who have cholesterol diseases must include small onions in their daily foods.
When there is wound on the body, crush one shallot and press it on that part. It will help to avoid tetanus.
Small onions are also helpful for growing hair. For dandruff, chop small onions and boil in coconut oil. After it turned brown remove from fire. Massage this oil in warm condition with finger tips on scalp. The use for a week will give wonderful results.
For arthritis, mix mustard oil (kadukenna) and small onion juice (without water) in equal quantity and apply where the pain exists.
For lungs diseases, a drink made with small onions and honey will bring comfort .Small onion juice is also good for epileptic patients. Small onion is a wonderful medicine to stop the blocks in veins.
Prepared by the help of Dr.Raman Namboodiri's book and from my knowledge.