Remember flavoring your tea with cardamom drops or pounding the same to enhance the taste and aroma of a dish? Cardamom or ‘Choti elaychi’ as locally known is a sure ingredient on our kitchen shelves.
The Latin name of the lesser cardamom is Eletteria Cardamomum. It has many names in Sanskrit like Ela, Sukshmaila, Draviddi and Triputa etc.
The stout and perennial herb of cardamom grows naturally in the moist forest s of the Western Chats up to 1500 m and is also cultivated in many parts of South India. Cardamom consists of the dark brown or black seeds of the dried fruits of the herb. The seeds are the part of the herb that is generally used for medicinal purposes.
Properties
Cardamom is light and rough in nature and cold in potency. The taste is sweet and bitter, while the after taste is sweet.
The chief constituent of the herb is a volatile, essential oil furthermore; there is presence of starch, slimy substance, ash and a yellow colouring substance. The salts of Potassium and manganese also supplement the composition.
Uses
Cardamom is gifted with a number of curative an health boosting gains. It is one of the rare herbs that are gifted with the property to destroy an aggravation in all the three humors of the body viz. air, fire and phlegm. And therefore cardamom is able to cure a large number of ailments. In the Ayurvedic pharmacopoeia, cardamom occupies an important place, as it is an ingredient in a number of drug preparations.
As a Digestive: the lesser cardamom is a good digestive. It is advisable to slowly chew one or two of it after a meal. This would not only provide you with easy assimilation of food, but also act as a mouth freshener. This regular habit also ensures a better appetite and inclination for the food.
Combats a Burning Sensation: Being soothing and calming by nature and cold in action, you could benefit by taking cardamom in case of any sort of burning in the body. Is it burning in the stomach, mouth sores, a burning perception in the eyes or burning micturition. The recommended dosage of cardamom powder is approx. half to one gram. It can be taken along with water or milk twice a day.
Relieves Nausea and Vomiting: When there is a vomiting sensation, try this easy home remedy. Simple chew one or two cardamoms and slowly swallow the juice. Or you can also make a decoction by boiling cardamom along with some mint leaves. This can be taken with some mishri added to it in small quantities at regular intervals. In case of children, pound the cardamom and make them lick the powder mixed into a little honey.
An Expectorant: often due to seasonal changes, the maladies of allergic and dry cough crop up. The phlegm remains stuck onto the bronchioles and there are recurrent spasms of cough. This condition when prolonged can even take the form of asthma. Here again cardamoms comes as a relief. Pound one or two cardamoms and take the powder mixed into honey. For even better results, add equal quantities of freshly ground pepper and dried ginger powder into the mixture. Approx. one – fourth of a spoon is to be taken two to three times.
For Vigour and Vitality: Cardamom is a natural energy booster. There is much Ayurvedic formulation available in the market by the name of Elaadi guttika, Eladdi maodk etc., which are generally recommended. I suggest taking I am of the Cardamom powder with lukewarm milk.
