Ayurveda cooking rules of Phala-saka (Fruit-vegetables)

The Kshemakutuhala has described thirty fruits which are used as saka [e.g., phalasaka] with their dietary preparations and specific properties. The usage of these fruits as cooked vegetables [e.g., phala-saka] seems to be common in that period in India. Most of them are used even at present as popular saka. r 1

1 Patra-saka (leafy vegetables) is the first group of the vegetables according to the order. Eventhough the fruit-vegeta-| bles are described first, because the bringal is the best of all the vegetables and it is a fruit vegetable (VIII-12). VRNT AKA (Solanum melongana Linn): It appears that this vegetable might be favourite potherb during that time. The Kshemakutuhala has described it in ninetten verses (VIII 12 to 30). Caraka has described in Phalavarga, mentioned white susrta has given it in Sakavarga. According to Kamasutra, it is one of the plants in kitchen garden of the citizens 41 It is cooked in following ways · 1. Cut the bringals with their foot stalks. Steam them in sour liquid. Cook in ghee with coriander seeds, wet ginger, turmeric, salt and black pepper. Add fried asafotida. It is exceedingly digestive stimulant. 2. Cut the bringals and cook them in oil with asafoetida and black pepper. It is delicious. 3. Green bring als cooked in mustard oil with asafoetida and black pepper are appetiser.

4. Rub the pieces of bring als with dry ginger, coriander seeds and cumin seeds. Cook them in ghee with black pepper. Fumigate with the smoke of asafoetida. This preparation is appetiser. 5. Cut the bringals with footstalks and mix country sorrel (Rumex vesicarius Linn). Cook them in ghee with asafoetida and rock salt. This is a delicious preparation. 6. Cook bring als with the white part of the coconut and the powder of roasted rice in ghee. Add black pepper. It is exceedingly appetiser. 2} 7. Steam the bringals and mix zedoary (Curcuma zodoaria Roxb) Cook in ghee with cumin seeds and spices. It is very delicious. 8. Cut the bring als and cook with water in oil. Add lemon-juice, Wet ginger, asafoetida and rock salt. Keep it juicy. It is very delicious. 9. Cut the bringals with foot-stalks and cook in the decoction of spices, black pepper, asafoetida and butter milk. 10. Roast bringals on the charcoal. Crush and mix ghee. Add rock salt. Bake on low fire.

It is a very popular preparation known as Bengana Bhartha now a days. 11. Peel the bringals and prepare Putapaka. Add rock salt, ghee and asafoetida. It is appetiser. R N 12. Boil the bringals on strong fire. Rub with black musterd, rock-salt and curd. Cook them. It is appetiser. 13.Remove seeds from raw bring als. Bake them without smoke Add wet ginger, lemon-juice, rock salt and ghee. It is appetiser. i i PROPERTIES OF BRINGAL : Black bringal is delicious, bitter in taste and pungent in vipaka. It aggravates pitta and it produces semen. It is hot, appetiser, alleviater of vata, cardiac tonic, digestive stimu- i lant and light. It was one of the important plants in the kitchen 42 garden. The white bringal of egg-shape is inferior in quality but it cures piles. The bringal should be cooked on low fire. It cures gulma, enlarged spleen, head ache, cronic fever, jaundice, stone and ama. It alleviates vata and kapha. Use of bring al by male is beneficial. 1

The properties of various types of bring als are described 43 by the Bhavaprakasha as follows. 1. The tender bring al alleviates kapha and vata. 2. The matured bringal is light and aggravater of pitta. 3. The bringal burnt over charcoal reduces kapha, vata, fat and ama. It is slightly light and digestive stimulant. It aggravates pitta. 4. The bringal mixed with oil and salt becomes heavy and unotuous. The Pakadarpana describes a long method of cooking bringal. The garlic is used. The saka of bringal is nourishing, appetis and delicious. It promotes semen. It alleviates all the three 44 dosas. ser According to the Harita Samhita, the black bringal resorts 45 to sleep. The patient suffering from fever should use the bringal 46 BIMBAPHALA (Coccinia grandis (L) Viogt): Bimbiphala (Ivy gourd) are cooked in following ways: 1. Fry the pieces of ivy gourd in a small amount of ghee with asafoetida. Add rock-salt and black pepper. Cook it. It is appetiser.

. Heat ghec and put the pieces of ivy gourd. Add rock-salt Allow it to simmer. Add spices and butter-milk. Cook on' low fire. It is considerably digestive stimulant. 3. Cut the ivy gourd into two pieces. Mix asafoetida and rock salt prepare "raleha. 4. Roast the ivy gourd on charcoal and mix curd, fried asafoetida, ghee and salt. Cook on low fire. It is appetiser. 5. Boil the cuts of ivy gourd till tender. Mix curd, black mustard and rock salt. Cook till it becomes paste. PROPERTIES : " The ivy gourd is cold and delicious. It causes retention of the stool and adhmana. It is depleting. It cures raktapitta. According to the Caraka Samhita it alleviates kapha and pitta. The Sushruta-samhita has in addition said it as galactogogae. 48 47 Nalapakadarpana describes a method of cooking the ivy gourd and states that it is 49 conductive to eyes and it alleviates vata and pitta. Poets have made use of its bright red fruits as simile for 50 maiden lips. mhmd

NISPAVA (Dolichos lablab Syn): Cut the seed vessels of the nispavac (flat bean) and cook in the oil with asafoetida and salt. The flat bean is cold, heavy and strength-promoting. It aggravates kapha and alleviates vata and pitta. According to the Bhavaprakasha, the flat bean aggravates vata and pitta 51 and alleviates kapha. It reduces semen. KOSAT AKI (Luffa acutangula Roxb): The Kshemakutuhala mentions three types of Kosataki. (1) Kosataki It is bitter in taste and generally it is used as medicine. (2) Rajakosataki- It is known as Turiya or Ghisoda in Gujarati. It is used as Saka. It aggravates kapha and vata and cures fever. It is cold. According to the Bhavaprakasha it is also alleviator of vata and digestive stimulant. 52 It cures asthama, fever, kasa and worms. (3) Mahakosataki - It is known as Galaka in Gujarati. It alleviates vata and pitta and it cures piles. The method of cooking is as follows: Remove the vessels and cut into pieces. Crush the pieces. Cook in oil with asafoetida, sour r spices, salt and black peper. ] li

BRHAT PATOLAKA (Trichosanthes anguina Linn): It is cooked in three ways: 1. Remove the vessels and cut into pieces. Cook inghee with asafoetida. It is appetiser. 2. Cut into round pieces and cook in ghee with salt. Prepare Fraleha. It is also appetiser. 3. Cook the white fruits in ghee with mustard. The brhatpatolaka (snake gourd) is appetiser, strength-promoting and wholesome. It alleviates pitta | * and vata. 53 The Caraka Samhita mentions it under bitter vegetables. It is also mentioned in Agni Purana ALABU (Lagenaria Lucantha): 54 There are two varieties of white gourd. (1) Bitter variety It is emetic and it is used in disorders due to kapha and pitta. 55 (2) Sweet variety is an unctuous, cold, heavy and laxative. It is cooked as follows: Cut into small pieces. Cook in ghee with cumin seeds, curd and rock-salt. The white gourd is cardiac tonic, heavy, appetiser and nourishing. It alleviates pitta. It promotes semen and tissueelements. 56

Apart from its use as vegetable, it is used medicinally in snake poison. Its dry fruit-covering was used as container. TINDISAKA (Citrullus lanatus Mats and Wakai var): 57 Remove the seeds and cut into pieces. Cook in ghee or oil with asafoetida. Stir with spoon till it becomes round. It is appetiser, cold, cardiac tonic, un-unctuous and diuretic. It alleviates, pitta and kapha and it aggravates vata. It cures stone. 58 BILVAPHALA (Aegle marmelos Linn): - ang b It is very popular as fruit and vegetable. It is mentioned profusely in Vedic literature also. It is also found in the 60 59 works of Banabhatta. It iscooked as follows: • Peel the fruits and cut into piece. Cook in oil with black pepper. The tender bilvaphala is unctuous, light and astrigent in taste. It is digestive stimulant. It alleviates kapha and vata. Matured fruit is constipative. 61 The tender leaves are also used as vegetable. KUSMANDA (Beuincassa cerifera Sau): It has been said as the best one among the Valliphala (the cucurbitaceous fruits). 62

The Kusmanda (ash gourd) is cooked in many ways. The Kshemakutuhala describes following preparations of it. 1. Susvadusundara Fry the pieces of the ash gourd in ghee and cook with spices and buttermilk. 2. Gulika Cook the pieces with treacle, cumin seeds and black pepper. 3. Khandakusmanda Boil the pieces in milk. Crush them. Cook in ghee. Add sugar. Sprinkle the sweet smelling powders. Such as cardamum, black pepper etc. 4. Bharjitasundari - Cook the pieces in ghee. Add fried asafoetida and rock salt. It is appetiser. 5. Amalakusmanda Boil the small pieces. Add rock salt, lemon juice and wet ginger. Bake it. It is digestive stimulant. 6. Chelika Cut the skin of the ash gourd into pieces and! boll them with gram. Fry in oil with spices. It is also prepared as Praleha. 7. Rajika-Asuri Boil the pieces and crush them. Add mustard, card and rock salt. It is like modern Rayata. PROPERTIES : fricini n The ash gourd is nourishing, cold and heavy. It cures raktapitta. aan yli E A I 1

According to the Sushruta-samhita, it is diuretic, cardiac tonic and beneficial for persons suffering from psychic disorders co Tender Kusmanda alleviates pitta and it is cold. Ripe Kusmanda is slightly cold, appetiser, alkaline, light and digestive stimulant. According to the Caraka Samhita , ripe fruits are light, sweet and sour in taste, alkaline, diuretic and laxative. It alleviates all the 64 three dosas. The Nalapakadarpana has described the preparation of ripe Kusmanda. The plcees of onion are added. It is cold and delici- " It promotes semen and cures burning sensation and morbid 65 thirst. TENTI: Boil the tender fruits in a small amount of water. Cook in ghee or oil with asafoetida and spices. Add butter milk of cow. It is nourishing, appetiser, light and digestive stimulant. It promotes semen. It cures piles, worms, gulma and poisoning. KANTAKARI (Solanum xanthocarplum Schrad and Windle): Boil the fruits in a small amount of water. Cut into pieCook themin ghee on low fire. Add rock salt.

It is light, un-unctuous, hot, digestive stimulant and pungent and bitter in taste. It alleviates vata and kapha. It cures fever, kasa and asthama. AMALAKA (Emblica myrobalans): This is a very popular fruit having so many miraculous properties. It has been made use of copiously in the samhitas of the Ayurveda. The Kshemakutuhala describes it as saka and the method of cooking is as follows: Roast the fruits on fire and crush them. Add ghee, cumin seeds and salt. Fumigate with the smoke of asafoetida. It is digestive stimulant, rejuvenating and wholesome. It promotes semen. It alleviates all the three dosas. It cures rakt apitta and fever. The fruits were used as mouth-refreshing and the paste of ways, amalaki-fruits was applied on the head in both alone or with 66 oil. KARAVELLI (Monordica charantia Linn): It is one of the common pot herbs of the bitter group. It is cooked in two ways. Boil the Karavelli (bitter gourd) in butter milk. Rub with asafoetida. Cook in fresh butter with rock salt.

Cook in a big amount of oil with asafoetida. Add black pepper and rock-salt. It is purgolative, light, cold and bitter in taste. It cures raktapitta, jaundice, anaemia, kapha, obesity and worms. The Nalapakadarpana describes the preparation of leaves of Karavelli 67 KARKOTAKA (Momordica dioica Rox Slit the fruits half way and stuff with black pepper. Cook in oil with rock salt. Add water of asafoetida. Cook on a low fire. It cures kustha and anorexia. It is purgolative, appetiser pungent in vipaka and digestive stimulant. It promotes semen. HARITA CANAKA - (Cicer arietinum Linn) : Crush the bengal grams. and wash them. Cook in oil with asafoetida, salt and black pepper. It is also cooked inghee with dry ginger, black pepper and as afoetida. It is digestive stimulant. It promotes corpulence and kapha. It is laxative. It aggravates vata slightly.

KARPASAPHALA (The fruit of cotton plant): Boil the fruits including leaves. Squeeze out water completely. Cook in oil. Add asafoetida and sour spices. It is delicious, appetiser, exceedingly hot, astringent and sweet in taste and heavy. It alleviates vata and kapha. The hard portion of the fruit should be removed before using it. KARIRA (Capparis decidua Edgew): · 68 According to the Sushruta-samhita, the flowers are used as potherb and the fruits as pickles The Kshemakutuhala describes the fruit as vegetable and it is cooked as follows: Remove seeds and soak the fruits in water for eight days. The method of cooking is similar to that of the bringal. It is bitter and slight astringent in taste. It is constipative, hot and appetiser. It aggravates kapha and pitta. It cures vata diseases. It is said that it attracts clouds and is helpful in bring 69 ing rains. In Gaudavaho, karira has been described as having reddish flowers with exserted stamens and having leaves eaten by camels 70

It is found chiefly in dry places in Rajasthana, Punjab, north-west India and Deccan peninsula. The small, round, fleshy pink fruits and the flower buds are edible and commonly picked. KAPIK ACCHU (Mucuna pruriens D.C.): .71 It has been mentioned as one of the plants to be cultivated in kitchen garden. The fruits are used as potherb after boiling them. 72 Boil the fruits and cook in ghee with asafoetida and spices. Add rock salt. It promotes semen as well as strength. It is sweet in taste, cold, heavy and unctuous. It alleviates vata and cures ulcer. VISANAPHALA It seems to be srgataka (Indian Water Chest nut, L. Trapa bispinosa Roxb.) which is an aquatic plant. Its fruits are used as pot herb. The meaning of the word "Visanin" is Singoda (Indian 73 water chestnut) in Gujarati. According to D. Hupar, the Indian water chestnut is as nutritive as the rice. It is prepared as follows: 74 Cut the fruits into two pieces. Fry in ghee with asafoetida. Add rock salt.

It is cold, appetiser, strength promoting and light. It alleviates pitta. It cures poisoning. It is heavy according to the Sushruta-samhita while the Kshemakutuhala states it as 75 light. UDUMBARA (Ficus racemosa Linn): The fruits were used in diet for strength and energy according to the Vedic literature: Boil the fruits in sour butter milk. Cook in ghee with spices and rock salt. It is cold, astrigent and sweet in taste and constipative. It produces flatulence. It cures raktapitta and retention of urine. ARDRAKA (Zingiber officinale Roscoe): The pieces of ardraka are taken alongwith spices and salt. It is also cooked in ghee. It promotes digestion and pitta. The Caraka Samhita and the Sushruta-samhita state to take the pieces alongwith salt in the beginning of the meal as appetiser. They are also soaked in lemon juice. 77 KARKATI(Cucumis utillissimus Roxb): 78 There are above hundred varieties of the Karkati in India! cooked It is cook in two ways.

Peel the skin and remove seeds. Cut into round pieces. Cook in ghee or prepare praleha. Boil in milk. Cook in ghee with black pepper, sugar and cardamum. It is exceedingly appetiser. It is cold, un-unctuous, constipative, heavy, sweet in taste and appetiser. Unripe fruits alleviate pitta, but the ripe ones aggravate pitta and they are hot and laxative. SAMI (Prosopis Cinerana Linn): Remove the seeds from the fruits and boil them. Prepare Praleha. Add mustard, curd and rock salt. It is light, delicious, appetiser, laxative, un-unctuous It cures kustha, piles and kapha. It promotes intellect but it is harmful to hair. 1 79 Sami is mentioned in the Sakuntalam of Kalidasa. BHAIRANDA : Boil the tender fruits in butter milk. Fry in mustard oil with asafoetida. 6 It is un-unctuous, hot, appetiser, heavy and exceedingly slimy. It alleviates vata and kapha and aggravates pitta. It is digestive stimulant.

KUT AJ APHALA (Holarrhena antidysenterica wall): Boil the fruits in water. Mix with oil and stir well. Add rook salt and asafoetida. It is light, delicious, cold and contipative. It cures fever, heart disease, raktapitta, piles and colic. KADALIPHALA (Musa paradisia, Banana-fruit): Peel the bananas and cut into pieces. Cook in ghee with asafoetida. Add rock salt, cardamam and black pepper. It is sweet, cold, wind forming, umetuous and exceedingly heavy. It alleviates pitta, It cures burning sensation, ksata, ksaya and diseases of vata. RAJAMASA (Vigna cotiang Walp): The rajamasa (Chinese beans) and the Makustha (kidgoey beans) are described together. Cook in ghee with spices. The leaves are also cooked in similar way. Rajamasa is cardia tonic. It alleviates kapha and pitta. It produces flatulence and vata-diseases. It is constipative. 80 The seeds were used as cereal. 81 oned it. Visnu Pa. has also menti-

The properties of Makustha are not mentioned. ERANDA (Ricinus Communis Linn.): Boil the tender fruits in butter milk. Cook in sesame oil with spices. It alleviates vata. It is strength-promoting, unctuous, appetiser, hot and carminative. It is astrigent in taste. It cures rheumatism. KOHADA : Boil it in milk. Cook in ghee with cumin seeds, salt and wet ginger. It alleviates pitta and aggravates kapha. It is sweet in vipaka. It is cold, appetiser, laxative and cardiac tonic. It cures raktapitta. It is wind forming. The Kshemakutuhala has described thirty fruits which are used as saka (vegetables).