Toor dal

This is a type of beans called Toor dal , which Indians are very fond of. Because of the floods in the Toor dal growing region, its price has gone sky high now. My bush of Toor dal , which came by itself, gave me a good amount of the fresh beans which I used in 'sambhar'.

The flowers are an attractive yellow, and they attract bees and bumblebees. The vegetable tastes somewhat like the pea. The seeds of the beans are sun dried and are stored to be used as a dal.It is full of proteins and vitamins.

Kashaya

Honey is an important ingredient of a kashaya used for cold , cough and flu. This enormous beehive is one of the three which are built year after year in my school by the wild bees, Apis indica.

Mint is another ingredient which helps in flu.

Peppercorns help to bring out the phlegm.

The Indian Borage is another ingredient which is good for all bronchial ailments.

Lemon grass is good for colds.

To prepare the Kashaya, take five leaves each of mint, Indian borage and basil in a vessel. Add a 2 inch piece of the lemon grass to it. Add 2 cups of water and boil it for 2 minutes. Strain, add a teaspoon of honey to the tea and sip slowly.

There are many types of kashayas; teas to bring down fever, to relieve pain, even to help in childbirth! Every Indian family has a different recipe, some Kashayas are made from dried and powdered herbs. Being a herbal tea, kashaya gives one a sense of well being .

Flowers on the Fences

The Coral vine is flowering profusely on the fences

of gardens now. The Chinese Hat, Holmskioldia sanguinea flowers all through the year. It is a native plant, and has many coloured flowers.

Some people call it Cup-and Saucer Plant.

The violet Petrea is another vine which can be grown as a shrub. It also flowers all through the year.

Caraonda

Caraonda Carissa carandas is a native thorny bush found all over India. The leaves are an attractive bronze colour when young. Its fruit is much loved by birds and humans. The pretty pink berries turn deep red and purple. The sour fruit is made into jelly, preserves and pickles which are great favourites .

The flowers of the Caraonda resemble jasmine, and are sweet scented. The plant flowers twice a year. Although Caraonda is a jungle plant, people plant it ar the edge of their property for the fruit . It makes an effective hedge as its thorns can stop humans and cattle. Its root is supposed to keep away snakes.

Giant Cane

A stream runs through the northern edge of the suburb where I live. Long time ago, it was a fresh water stream which fed the vegetable gardens . Now it is a malodorous and polluted stream carrying mainly the discharge from various factories. The water treatment Plant upstream makes sure that it does not become a dead creek. The Giant Cane, Arundo donax along its banks is another thing which keeps the creek full of fish and birds.
The Giant Cane is a native of India, which has naturalised itself in many tropical and sub tropical lands. In some places, it is considered a pest as it uses up large amounts of water.
The Giant Cane has been used to make flutes since 5000 years. Reeds of the woodwind instruments like the oboe, clarinet and saxophone are made from this plant. It is also used as a bio fuel. Animals do not eat it as it contains toxins like silica. The plant is rich in the alkaloid tryptamine.

The Snake Jasmine

The white flowers of the Snake Jasmine Rhinacanthus nasutus bloom profusely in winter, making the bush look as though it is speckled with yoghurt.

This is a native Indian flower, native to the Western Ghats. The flowers have no smell. It is a nice plant to have in a small garden as it flowers profusely from November to March, until the Jasmines take over.

The roots of the Snake Jasmine are believed to possess extraordinary aphrodisiac qualities. The leaves and roots are used for skin infections. Theplant gets its name from the shape of the flower , which looks like the hood of a cobra, and also because the roots are used as an antidote for snake venom.

Aubergine, the King of Vegetables

The Egg plant, or aubergine is called in Brinjal in India. It is considered to be the king of vegetables because it wears a crown!Belonging to the same family as the potato and the tomato, the Solanum melongena was first domesticated in India. It was introduced to Europe by the Arabs who monopolised the spice trade with India. It is called the Egg plant in some parts of the world because some of its fruit are egg shaped.

Many varieties of the Aubergine are cultivatd in India, ranging from deep purple to white.I grow the two pale varieties shown above. The aubergine I like best is the huge, dark purple one grown in North India during winter. You can roast it in fire, peel it and add some onions and tomatoes and green chillies to make a dish called Baigan Bharta.

The long green brinjal is famous in these parts for its taste. It has white flowers.The white egg-shaped egg plant is called 'black brinjal', because its leaves have black veins. The flowers are purple.

The whole plant of the aubergine is used in Chinese medicine to stop intestinal bleeding.