Amazing Ajwain

 Amazing Ajwain 

Ajwain plant is the main plant u mostly found in Indian kitchen that deserves in your kitchen garden.

It’s an attractive, evergreen, small, perennial, erect, herbaceous, aromatic plant, with beautiful leaves that make your home smell good at all times. 

Different Names: It is also known as Plectranthus amboinicus (Scientific name),ajamana pandada(Gujarati), False Oregano, Pathar choor(in Hindi), MexicanMint,IndianBorage,IndianColeus, karpooravalli (Tamil),Cuban Oregano, Spanish Thyme, Mexican Thyme, Navara (in Malayalam), Panikoora (Kerala), Pan-Ova, and Omavalli.

How to grow Patta Ajwain plant?

- Ajwain plant should be grown in 8-12 inch pot. The plant can be propagated with herbaceous green cuttings or tip cuttings.

- In the humid, rainy climate even the old stems are placed in horizontally on the soil surface can start rooting to form a new plant.

Where to grow?

Patta Ajwain plant is easy to grow well in shade and partial sunlight. They require regular watering. The best places for Carom plants are in your balcony, terrace, and windowsill. It can be grown in the hanging basket too.

Real star leaf: This plant popular as ‘Ajwain leaves’ because leaves are completely different part having aroma similar to carom seeds. In Kannada, it is known as 'saveer sambar soppu' which clearly meaning that 'thousand utility leaf'.

Leaves are bright green in colour, fleshy, broad, pulpy, hairy and full of essential oils and aromatic compounds having a very strong smell. That's why Ajwain is called Ugargandha in Sanskrit, which means strongly scented.

The taste of the leaves is described as being similar to the one of oregano but, with sharp mint-like peppermint.

The stem is green and weak; it can tilt or drop with the weight of big leaves.

 Use In Health :

Ajwain is one of the useful herbs of the plant that are consumed by humans. A decoction of the leaves is used for several medicinal purposes, especially cardiovascular, oral, skin, digestive and urinary diseases.

To Cure Cold and Cough:

    Add a leaf in boiling water and inhale the vapour to clear blocked nose during cold and cough.

Ajwain cures Stomach ach

Ajwain leaves consumed with black salt which helps indigestion.

Ajwain leaf has a lot of uses and is known to be the instant reliever of a stomach ache.

Ajwain cures Flatulence and Gas

Among various ajwain leaves uses one is that it is the best drug to cure flatulence, gas, and indigestion.

Chew one leaf every day to get rid of gases and bloating.

Ajwain cures Cholera

Apart from the above Ajwain leaves benefits, it also helps in curing cholera.

 Treatment of Urinary diseases

The leaves are frequently utilized in the treatment of urinary diseases in the Amazon and India. This species is also helping to relieve kidney troubles and treat vaginal discharges.

The leaves are rubbed externally which will quickly bring relief in stings or bites by insects.

    Homoeopathic medicine, prepared from fresh leaves, is used in the infections of urinary organs, especially in painful urination or in burning. every part of ajwain plant is used to make varied medicines and syrups.

   They contain essential oils, flavonoids, and terpenes which possess inhibitory effect against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.

   The plant has cytotoxic and anti-tumour promoting activity and can be used in the treatment of cancer.

Uses in Food:

Ajwain one of the important Indian herbs, that uplifts the taste of any Indian dish has to be this. The leaves have a number of uses and can be added to dishes of your choice to add a typical flavour.

 

To Make Bhajia: Ajwain leaves can be added to spiced gram flour (besan) batter and then deep-fried to make yummy bhajia, which are specially prepared in the monsoon season.

 To make refreshing Green Juices: Patta ajwain leaves are added along with ginger, lemon, and Jaljeera in any vegetable or fruit beverages which give great flavour and nutrition.

To Make Chutneys : Ajwain leaves can be sautéed ground and then added to some creamy yoghurt to make a flavorful dip. As another option you make some fresh ajwain leaves chutney by adding it in the grinder with some water and spices of your choice. The chutney can be enjoyed with pakodas, chips, and crisps or even with parathas. 

Used for Garnishing: Chopped leaves of Patta Ajwain and coriander are used to garnish buttermilk.

Patta Ajwain leaves are added in ‘green masala’ of potato, fenugreek, spinach and mixed vegetable recipes.

They are more commonly used as a flavouring in spice dishes containing tomato sauces.

A Tea can be made from the leaves. 

The leaves are used for stuffing of meat, poultry, lamb as a strongly flavoured.

Other use

  The spicy fresh leaves are used to scent laundry and hair.

  The leaves are rubbed into the hair and body after bathing.

  Preparations of the leaves can be used for washing clothes and hair