Shambhala spice: useful properties, application, recipes and reviews

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

What is Shambhala? Spice? Spice? Tea? This annual legume in Latin sounds like Trigonella foenum-graecum. The last two words gave the European name to Shambhala - fenugreek. It means "Greek hay". In Europe, fenugreek is not used as a spice, but as a livestock feed and medicinal plant. The brewed gruel from the leaves is applied to sparse hair to strengthen them. Treat fenugreek and baldness. But from India to the Caucasus, shamballa is used as a spice. It is part of curry and suneli hops. But in ancient Egypt, with the help of Shambhala, the dead were mummified. But now in this country the purpose of the plant has changed. If a European tourist has indigestion from unusual food, he is offered "yellow tea". This is nothing but the same Shambhala. What is this versatile plant? How to apply it and how to cook? Is it really as useful as they say? This article, also based on feedback from people who have tried fenugreek, will answer these questions.

Plant names

Trigonella foenum-graecum is native to India. But the amazing adaptability of the leguminous plant allowed it to spread throughout all areas wheresubtropical climate prevails. And this happened at the dawn of civilization. In ancient Egypt, the plant was part of the composition of ointments for mummification. In ancient Europe, "Greek straw" was fed to livestock. In the Middle Ages, fenugreek received the status of a medicinal plant. In the Arab world, it was used by women to give an attractive roundness to the figure. In Pakistan, the plant was called abish, camel grass. In Armenia, the plant is known as chaman spice. In Ukraine and Moldova, in the south of Russia, a close relative of Shambhala grows - blue fenugreek. This is a low plant with leaves like a clover. But Shambhala spice with an intense smell on the territory of the former Soviet Union is found only in the republics of Central Asia - there it is called "mushroom grass". This species is called "fenugreek hay". Such a plant half a meter high and with leaves like clover is used in medicine, cooking and cosmetology.

What is used in the plant

The widely known Shambhala spice is dried fenugreek seeds. They look like small flattened beans. But not only fruits are valued in the plant. In India, where shamballa is used very widely, young shoots and fresh leaves are eaten. And of course, fruits. They are contained in pods that develop from flowers. The seeds are like small yellow beans. Without them, it is impossible to cook crown dishes of Indian cuisine, such as chutney sauce, curry, dale. The smell of fenugreek can be compared to the aroma of burnt sugar: sweet, with a slight bitterness. And the taste of the beans is nutty. If you are cookinga dish in the recipe of which shamballa is listed among the ingredients, you can replace it with hazelnuts slightly roasted in a dry frying pan. However, the flavor will still not be the same. Reviews still advise buying real seasoning.

Fenugreek spice (Shambhala): useful properties

In cooking, the substance galactomannan, which is contained in the plant, is valued. It was called "fenugreek gum". The substance is used as a safe for he alth additive E-417. The range of application of the plant in medicine is quite wide. It is both an expectorant, and a strengthening heart, and stimulating the work of the digestive tract. Shamballa will also lower blood pressure and enrich the blood with iron. The spice, whose properties were highly valued by Hippocrates, is invaluable for women's he alth. It relieves pain during menstruation, smoothes the effects of menopause. Indian women eat fenugreek fruit with brown palm sugar after giving birth to increase their milk supply. Bean tea helps relieve stomach cramps and intestinal colic. In China, the plant is also used as a remedy for soothing stomach pain. And recent studies on fenugreek have shown that it regulates blood sugar, which means it is useful for diabetics.

Shambhala in cosmetology

Gush from seeds and leaves is used for premature baldness. The plant promotes the growth and strengthening of hair and nails. The seeds are crushed into a paste and applied to boils. Reviews claim that this ointment also has a beneficial effect on wounds andulcers. Often eaten, the shamballa spice enlarges the breasts and gives the female forms a charming roundness. Fenugreek seeds are rich in calcium, phosphorus, potassium, iron, magnesium, folic acid and vitamins (B1, B2, C, PP). The juice of the plant soothes skin irritation. And helba, or "yellow tea", not only tastes good. It also relieves sweating and bad breath.

Where to buy fenugreek

Shambhala is a spice that was previously available to us only in the Georgian mixture of spices hops-suneli. But fenugreek is now available at various speci alty Asian grocery stores. The spice is produced by many manufacturers. It looks like beans of a yellowish or light brown hue. It is pure and natural raw material. Fragrant seasoning costs an average of forty rubles per hundred-gram pack. Other parts of the plant can be purchased from alternative medicine pharmacies as they are widely used in Ayurvedic practice.

Helba

Shambhala is a spice, the use of which in cooking can hardly be overestimated. But before giving recipes for dishes with this seasoning, let's learn how to cook "yellow tea", or helba. It is not only delicious, but also a he althy drink. A dessert spoon with a top of fenugreek seeds must first be washed. Then brew a glass of boiling water, like regular tea. But helba becomes most delicious if it is boiled a little (five minutes). In such tea, as in regular tea, you can add lemon, honey, ginger, milk. The medicinal properties of the drink are especiallywomen feel. Tea helps to relieve pain during menstruation. And the drink treats intestinal disorders associated with dysbacteriosis. Helba tea has an expectorant property, so it is good to drink it for bronchitis, colds and pneumonia.

Indian vegetable soup

Shambhala is a universal spice. You can make tea from it or add it to soup. In order for small Shambhala beans to fully reveal their taste, they should be subjected to heat treatment. But you need to carefully roast the spice: overdo it - instead of aroma and nutty taste, you will get bitterness. Four potatoes and a small head of cauliflower cut into pieces, pour water and set to boil. Add 200 ml of milk to the broth. We continue to cook on low heat. Pour a little vegetable oil into a small frying pan and fry a spoonful of Shambhala fruits and a pinch of coriander, asafoetida, turmeric, chili. After a minute, add four chopped tomatoes. Mix, let boil. Pour the dressing into the soup. Let's s alt it. Fry two tablespoons of semolina. Add it to the soup when the cabbage and potatoes are soft. Let's boil for another five minutes. Soup is ready!

Spicy potato

We put about ten medium-sized tubers to bake in the oven. Separately, we will prepare spicy pasta. It consists of Shambhala spice (two teaspoons), s alt, black pepper and a pinch of chopped dill or parsley. These spices need to be ground with a glass of sour cream and 50 g of cheese until smooth. Serve the resulting saucepotatoes.