Happy New Year! A perfect time to share another gem from Food As Medicine by Dharma Singh Khalsa, where he shares this recipe which "has been used for centuries to dissolve fatty tissue... improves the beauty and youthfulness of the skin, cleanses the mucous membrane of the colon, and is an excellent source of vitamin C... is a diuretic and
helps reduce water retention, balances the appetite, and minimizes food cravings. Drink 2 or 3 glasses a day for weight loss purposes."1/3 cup fresh or 1/4 cup dried mint leaves
2 cups cumin seeds
1 Tbsp fresh or concentrated tamarind
1/2 tsp black salt
4 lemons, sliced
1/2 Tbsp black pepper
3 litres filtered water
Combine all the ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil. (I also added a tablespoon of fennel seeds for flavour.) Lower heat and continue to boil, covered, on low heat for 2 hours. You may have to add up to 2 cups more water. Strain. Serve hot or cold. Store for up to 1 week refrigerated. The ingredients may be reused once to make more tea.
Makes 2 1/2 to 3 litres.
FOR INDIVIDUAL DOSHAS
This healing beverage is tri-doshic, though best suited for Pitta and Kapha types who have excess fluids or toxins stored in their bodies.
A Note About Spices and Pregnancy
Many of my friends are pregnant at the moment so it's on my mind what should be avoided in the diet during pregnancy. Weight loss during pregnancy is never a good idea, but after is safe if it's done gently and naturally (especially to keep breastmilk healthy and flowing). This recipe above contains a large amount of cumin, and although most household spices and herbs can be used as light seasonings during pregnancy, some could cause premature labor or miscarriage, especially if used in large quantities. These include anise, aniseed oil, basil oil, caraway, celery seed or oil, chili, cinnamon, cumin, fennel, lavender, marjoram, nutmeg, nutmeg oil, oregano, parsley, peppermint oil, raspberry leaf, rhubarb, rosemary, rosemary oil, saffron, sage, sage oil and thyme oil. Here is a page with a comprehensive list of herbs and spices to avoid during pregnancy, and another one with unsafe vs. beneficial herbs.
24 comments:
Do you think a tea like this could really be effective for weight loss?
How/where does one buy cumin seeds in such a large quantity. I usually purchase it in spice size containers.
Depending on what's available in your town, you can try a bulk food store, or a health food store where they sell have bulk items available, or an East Indian grocer. I got my spices at the wonderful House of Spices.
Good luck! Remember to buy whole cumin seeds, not powdered.
Hi Claudia
your site definitely contains valuable info. on many things.
The date for this blog is April 01 2008. Please correct it.
It is simply not a future date.
Being April 01, it creates some April Fool effect
Thanks
Ram
Ah, of course; the 4th of January translated to April first (4/1 vs 1/4) -- thanks for catching that, Ram! I hope you continue to enjoy the info and recipes on my site.
Hey Fran,
This looks interesting. I'd love to try it but, I'd never heard of 'black salt' before. I'm also not sure where I'm going to find a good source for tamarind. If my local health food store doesn't stock it, I'll have to find a local Indian market, or maybe find a source online.
Hi John! Maybe this will help you? I've added a link to the black salt ingredient for some insight into this pink powder :-)
I cannot find out who u are, any profile etc. but i just want to tell u that u are doing a great job here and I am stunned by seeing the beauty of ur blog!!!
Thank you Karoshi! That's very kind :-) You can find out about any blogger by clicking on their name or icon. I also have my "about me" at the very bottom of the list of links and recipes along the lefthand column of this blog. Thanks for visiting!
Fran, that looks like a recipe for the very traditional/popular North Indian summer drink "Jal Jeera" (literally - cumin water).
I love to drink the stuff, but I am bit puzzled by the claim about "balances the appetite, and minimizes food cravings. Drink 2 or 3 glasses a day for weight loss purposes."
AFAIK, all over North India, it is used as a "cooling" drink and to *stimulate* a flagging appetite. [Google Jal Jeera and you'll find more info on other benefits). Not just Jal Jeera but other combinations of Jeera + something slightly sour are thought to quell nausea and revive the appetite, not the other way around.
I'd love to learn more about why/how jal jeera minimizes food cravings and helps with weight loss.
Hi Jeera,
My Ayurvedic practitioner prescribed simple "cumin water" to me as a way to reduce water retention and for overall health for my Pitta (so it makes sense it's a cooling tea for Northern India!). Since this recipe comes from the reknowned Dharma Singh Khalsa, and since it contains a bunch of other key ingredients besides cumin like the mint, tamarind, black salt, black pepper, and lemons, I'll believe the good doctor and say it's a different animal from simple cumin tea. :-) I will be trying this for an extended run after I have my baby, and will post my results!
Claudia,
The name "Jal Jeera" is just translates literally to cumin water, but it isn't just cumin+water, the standard recipe includes all the ingredients listed in the recipe -- the only variation is the whole sliced lemons - other recipes may use more tamarind or just use lime juice instead of whole lemons. It is so ubiquitous all over North India that needless to say you can find Jal Jeera powder in a box at any north Indian grocery store -- look at the list of ingredients - you'll see the list in this recipe except for the lemon bit I describe above.
I made a batch and it tastes *exactly* like the Jal Jeera you find all over North India. And it had exactly the effect that Jal Jeera promises, a revived appetite on a hot day. I am very pleased because I don't like the stuff that comes in a box or is made with powdered jeera, but as I said I was very surprised to see the claim about weight loss, seeing as how your average ayurveda indoctrinated grandma in north India seems to think exactly the opposite.
Do google "Jal Jeera", you'll see what I mean.
best,
Jeera
Has anyone tried this brew for weight loss. I have the pot boiling on the stove right now but after reading the posts I'm a bit worried I dont want to gain any weight !!!
I thought this brew must be harsh to the tastebuds?! Well, chewing cumin seed for digestion is! ... I might try it anyway!
Thank you for at magnifiscent blog, Fran! Don't you write any more?!
Hi, Im from a small town and not able to find Black salt and Tamarind. How important are these 2 items? Can I sub?
Thanks
Mar 09 2012
Just made the tea last night, is it really supposed to taste so awful? Reminds me of chinese herbs. Claudia what happened when u made it? Did it taste yukky, and did it work :-)
Cheers, VIta
Hi Vita! Yes, it tastes pretty awful to my taste buds, too -- but like most health tonics, the cleaner our bodies the better it feels to drink it! It did work when I took it but I was also doing other things like cleansing my liver and eating lots of raw foods. Doing one good thing for weight and everything else bad won't balance out in the end :-) I'm really learning that a healthy body comes as a result of a healthy mindset and spirit. I hope this helps!
To the anonymous post, I'm not sure what can be subbed for black salt and tamarind -- they are such special ingredients with unique qualities.
Thanks Caryl and DronningUnica for writing -- how has it worked out for you??
Hi.iwas reading the above recipe and the comments.for how long this drink can be takento reduce weight.
I want to share that iam also taking tamarind and black pepper drink since last two months.it has nit reduced the weight but there is inch loss and it has surely built my resistence as everyone in the family had flu except me.my recipe is 1and half litre water,250gms tamarind and125peppercorns powdered.mix all, strain and store in bottle in refrigerater.have half glass empty stomach every morning.
So ijust wanted to know , for how long dis can be taken safely.
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