Karkidakam month is all about heavy downpours and calls for regular consumption of Oushadha Kanji or Karkidaka Kanji. The medicinal gruel is a unique combination of Ayurvedic ingredients that has special therapeutic benefits which help in overcoming ailments caused during monsoon season and also to boost one’s immunity. It aids digestion and also cleans the body internally.
Monsoon season is when Vata dosha is naturally predominant in our body. It gets aggravated and causes accumulation of Pitta Dosha. This disturbs the natural balance of our body and weakens the digestive fire or Agni. Thus, to regain the balance, aid digestion and to maintain health, Ayurveda recommends taking up Karkidaka Chikitsa (Ayurveda during monsoon season) along with the consumption of Karkidaka Kanji.
According to Ayurveda, it is recommended to have Karkidaka Kanji continuously either for 7 days, 14 days, 21 days or 28 days for optimum results. The health benefits of having it are as follows:
- Helps in regaining strength and improves immunity.
- Rejuvenates your body during monsoon season.
- Keeps monsoon-related ailments like fever, cough, arthritis, etc. at bay.
- Good for regulating diabetes and cholesterol.
- Aids digestion and removes toxins from the body.
Karkidaka Kanji can be prepared at home by following the below recipe:
Ingredients:
- ½ cup Navara rice
- 1 teaspoon Fenugreek seeds 1 teaspoon Dried Ginger powder
- 1 teaspoon Crushed Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon Carom seeds
- 1 teaspoon Cardamom
- 1 teaspoon Cloves
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon stick
- 1 teaspoon Cardamom
- 2 tablespoons Broken Wheat
- 2 tablespoons of Greengram
- 2 medium-sized Shallots (chopped)
- 1 tablespoon Ghee
- ¼ cup Cow’s Milk or Coconut Milk
- Palm Jaggery powder (as required)
- Water (as required)
Method:
- Add all the herbs and spices in a pan and dry them together for 2-3 minutes till a nice aroma comes from it. Keep it aside.
- Once it is cool, powder them finely.
- Wash the rice properly and add all the ingredients in b) along with Navara rice, green gram, and broken wheat.
- Pressure cook for 20 minutes or wait for 6 to 7 whistles till the rice is cooked perfectly.
- Add palm jaggery to the cooked rice and boil until it becomes thick in consistency. Stir well.
- Remove from flame and add milk to it.
- Heat ghee in a pan and add chopped shallots to it. Fry till it becomes golden brown in color.
- Add this tempering to the gruel and mix well. Serve it hot.
Note:
You can add Putharichunda (Solanum trilobatum) and Kurunthotti to the gruel if you suffer from Asthma. Patients suffering from Hyperlipidaemia can add curry leaves, Thazhuthamma (Boerhavia) and Muthira (Horse gram) to it. Thazhuthamma is also good for patients suffering from kidney-related diseases.
(Karkidaka Kanji is traditionally consumed during nights as a substitute for dinner)
