Ayurveda Initiative For Global Health

panchamrit benefits....... Panchamrita is a sacred mixture of five ingredients i.e. Milk, Curd, Honey, Sugar and Ghee in equal amounts. The word “Panchamrita” is a combination of two words, "Pancha" means five and "Amrita" means ambrosia, immortal, and nectar of gods or beverage of gods. Panchamrita is also called 'Charnamrit' in some parts of India.Often Basil (Tulsi) leaves and dry fruits are also added in Panchamrita. However, there may be certain regional variations in ingredients. Most south Indians add ripe banana instead of sugar. Origin of Panchamrit The most popular mention of the dish can be traced back to Mahabharata (largest epic ever written in the history of Mankind!). In Mahabharata it is stated that the Panchamrit was perhaps one of the valuable ingredients that emerged during Samudra manthan or Ksheera sagar manthan (churning of the ocean of milk). The demons and gods who were part of the process had a very long fight in establishing their c...

Chakkarai Pongal Recipe Yummy Chakkarai Pongal Recipe Cooking Chakkarai pongal is compulsory for Hindus around the world who celebrate the Ponggal festival. Here's the recipe for a yummy Chakkarai Pongal. Ingredients: 1 cup of raw rice 1/4 cup of moong dhal 3 cups of milk 1 cup of water 4 crushed cardamom pods 4 tablespoon of ghee 10 to 12 cashews 10 - 12 Raisins 1/2 cup grated jaggery Method: 1. In a pan, roast the Moong dhal for about 2 to 3 minutes. 2. Add the roasted moong dhal, rice, milk and water to a pressure cooker and let it cook for approximately 5 whistles on a medium flame. Please do not leave it on high flame. 3. Mix the grated jiggery with ¼ cup of water and set it aside. 4. Once the pressure is released, mash the rice-dhal mixture while it is still hot. 5. Using a large, thick bottom pan, add 2 tablespoon of ghee and roast the cashews and the raisins. 6. Add the jaggery-water mixture into the pan and wait till it boils. 7. Sprinkle some cardamom powder a...

Idli Did you know that Idli, a very interesting group of cereal-based foods of South India finds earliest mention, in 990 AD, in a Kannada book, Vaddaradhane, which was written by Shivakotiacharya? Idli is a small, white, acid leavened, and steamed cake made by bacterial fermentation of a thick batter made from carefully washed white rice and dehulled black gram dhal. It is breakfast food of extensive popularity.  There are several hypotheses, based on rich history, attributed to the origin of humble dish Idli. It finds mention in a Kannada book, "Vaddaradhane", written by Shivakotiacharya in 920 AD, as “iddalige”, but prepared only from a black gram batter. As there were no steaming vessels in India before 7th century, Hindu Kings who came from Indonesia (800-1200 AD) along with their cooks brought fermentation and steaming methods and their dish called "Kedli" to South India., where the name got changed to Idli. The earliest available...

What Really Is Panchamrit? Importance, Ayurvedic Benefits And Recipe Panchamrit or Panchamrutham is a concoction of five ingredients (Milk, Curd, Honey, Sugar, and Ghee), typically used during a Pooja (Hindu religious worship). The word Panchamrita is a combination of two words – ‘Pancha’ means five, and ‘Amrita’ is a mythological beverage of immortality (or the Nectar of Gods). Panchamrit is a very important component in most Hindu Poojas and is considered Holy and Sacred. After offering this sweet tasting concoction to God during a Pooja, it is then distributed amongst the devotees as a Prasad to drink. According to Ayurveda, the 5 ingredients used in Panchamrit have lots of health benefits and when these ingredients are combined in the right quantity, we get an extremely nourishing Panchamrit. Panchamrit has the ability to nourish the Sapta Dhatu, the seven bodily tissues, which are mainly responsible for our immunity and vitality. Following are some of the important Ayurvedic Panch...