“Let food be the medicine, and medicine be the food”, stated Hippocrates the legendary ‘father’ of empirical and proto-scientific rather than religion-based medicine from ancient Greece. Along similar lines we read in the Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Medicine from China written about 5000 years ago, “When the body is deficient, the physicians should use dietetics to supplement and fortify… The source of vitality is the diet.”
Food IS important, no doubt. The fact cannot be disputed even if conventional modern medicine looks so far down upon it that it does not even notice the effect it can have on human health or ill-health, let alone, include courses in nutrition, in its curriculum. But then, this is to modern medicine’s and its patients’ detriment. Charaka was a renowned vaidya in ancient India and author of one of the two main textbooks on Ayurveda. He had something to say about the dangers posed by uneducated physicians, ignorant of the value of food as medicine. He actually put his point across rather bluntly by stating, “One might escape from Indra’s weapon, but one cannot survive after consuming medicines from an idiot doctor.”
Considering that death from ‘non-error’ side-effects of prescription drugs is the #4 cause of death in the US, we have to concede that Charaka was right on the mark. According to available statistics, around 106,000 people died from such ‘non-error’ side effects, in the late 1990s, as was revealed in an article in the Journal of the American Medical Association, published in 2000.
Taking the last point into consideration that eating should be a pleasure and that different people have different tastes and therefore do well with different foods, we have selected a few recipes. Mostly they involve raw mangosteen, for the reasons given above. They are also very tasty.
1. Mangosteen (Kokum) & Watermelon Smoothie with Mint
You need:
2 cups of chopped watermelon, deseeded,(if you use mangosteen of the Southeast Asian varieties) or 3 cups of chopped watermelon, deseeded (if you use kokum from the Konkan coast, or west coast of India)
Juice from 6 freshly pressed mangosteen (or 4 freshly pressed kokum, which are more sour, albeit as healthy)
8 average size ice cubes
1 tsp of limejuice
16 to 20 mint leaves, washed and dried
Combine all above ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Pour into glass and garnish with a mint sprig. Drink and savor. Very refreshing, indeed.
Serves 2
2. Mangosteen (Kokum) Coconut Milk Smoothie
You need:
10 mangosteens (6 kokum)
2 grapefruit
2 large or 4 small bananas
8 average size ice cubes
¾ cup of light coconut milk
Peel fruit. Combine all above ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. If you want a thinner mixture add some more ice and coconut milk. For best nutritional value, drink right after making it. You can also half-freeze the thicker version of the mixture, if you want to spoon it like a dessert.
Serves 2
3. Kokum Mango Breeze
You need:
8 Kokum (dried mangosteen peels)
Pulp from one medium to large size mango
Pinch of salt
1 ½ tbsp of wild organic honey
1 tsp of roasted cumin powder
Pinch of chaat masala (if available)
2 cups of chilled spring water
Wash kokum peels and soak fully covered in warm water for 15 to 20 minutes. Squeeze the peels hard and discard them. Then strain the liquid. Add all the other ingredients and blend briefly. Pour into glasses and drink. If you wish, you may add ice cubes.
Serves 2
4. Mangosteen Spinach Salad with Tangerines and Water Chestnuts
You need:
6 cups of thoroughly washed and dried baby spinach leaves
4 mangosteens (2 kokum) peeled and segmented
Wedges from 2 tangerines (in India you may use oranges as the ‘oranges’ known in the west do not grow there, whereas Indian 'oranges' are more like manderins)
1 bunch of organic scallions (green onions)
½ cup of water chestnuts
Light balsamic vinaigrette
Salt & pepper to taste
Mix ingredients in a large bowl. Add dressing and salt & pepper just before serving.
Serves 4
5. Avocado Yoghurt Parfait with Kokum/Mangosteen
You need:
1 ripe avocado
¾ cup of coconut milk
1 tsp of limejuice
1 ½ tbsp of wild organic honey
1 cup of natural yoghurt
Segments of 5 mangosteen (or 3 kokum)
1 tbsp of finely chopped almonds
Combine the first three ingredients in a blender and puree and chill. Mix honey into the yoghurt and chill. Finally, layer avocado mousse and honey in a dessert glass. Add kokum segments on top, sprinkle with chopped almonds.
6. Kokum or Sol Kadhi
You need:
Peels from 8-10 kokum
2 cups of hot water
12 oz of coconut milk
1 green chili
Asafoetida ( 1/2 pinch)
Pinch of Salt
Green coriander (cilantro) leaves to taste
Soak kokum peels in hot water for approximately 1 hour. Puree in blender. Strain and pour into a jug. Add ½ pinch of Asafoetida and finely chopped green chili. Add in coconut milk and salt. Garnish with some green coriander leaves. Chill. Then enjoy.
7. Kokum Rasam
You need:
Peel from 8 dried kokum (mangosteen)
4 cups of warm water
1 tbsp of jaggery
½ tsp of mustard seeds
½ tsp of cumin/jeera
3 to 4 dried medium hot red chilis
5 curry leaves
2 tbsp of unrefined sesame (til) oil, or ghee
½ pinch of asafetida
Pinch of salt
Soak dried kokum peel in 4 cups of warm water, for approximately 40 min. Then boil for 7 to 10 minutes. Add salt and jaggery and boil for 2 more minutes. Taste and add more water if rasam is too strong or tangy. Briefly roast spices in oil or ghee and add mixture to rasam. Eat as soup or pour over boiled rice.
You may play with these recipes, as I do. I follow my intuition when I cook, although I never stray far from a recipe when I try it out for the first time. Kokum Rasam and Kokum Kadhi are common dishes, here along the Konkan coast. The salads have more of an international flavor, and the smoothies are not only super-healthy, but also super tasty. Bon Appétit!