Advice given by Shri Mataji on Indian Spices and Ingredients,
At breakfast on August 26, 1992, Shri Mataji us with these instructions on the use of some Indian spices and ingredients.
- Coriander
- Cumin (jira)
- Turmeric (haldi)
- Ginger
- Garlic
- Silver Leaf
- Cardamon (seeds)
- White cheese
- Yellow cheese
- Rotten cheese
- Yogurt
- Basil(tulsi)
- Pepper
- Garam Masala
- Chili
- Onion
- Lemon
- Dried fish, Sardines
- Manjeny flowers
- Oli, fat
- Tomatoes
- Others comments
1- Coriander:
Seeds: teeth, liver.
Leaves: act as a regulator of body flagrance.
2-Cumin:
Teeth, liver (jira, coriander and ajwain prevent gases)
3-Tumeric:
Skin, liver
4- Ginger:
Liver
5- Garlic:
High blood pressure, heart problems
(garlic came from ambrosia: therefore it is good for the heart. On the other hand, it’s a perfect horror to bhoots and the like.)
6- Silver Leaf:
(Shri Mataji gave us cardamon seeds, each rolled in silver leaf. Immediately the whole right half of our bodies colled down)
7- Cardamon seeds:
Extremely cooling (the shell should not be eaten)
Used a lot in combination with other hot species to give balance: like garam masala, curry, or with black tea (chai) etc.
8- White cheese:
(Fresh cheese like mozzarella, cottage cheese, panir, etc.)
Very good and light.
It would be better for the liver if we could get used to these instead of our yellow cheeses.
(At that point Shri Mataji gave a bandhan that cheese like mozzarella be produced and brought to market in Austria, Germany and others countries. This is because, in most of European countries, we get only expensive imported Italian white cheese).
9- Yellow cheese:
(Cheese like Emmenthal, gouda, Chester, etc but without fungus) alright, but take care with the liver.
10- Rotten cheese:
(Things like camembert, gorgonzola, Roquefort, quargel, etc. all types of cheese smelly cheese)
An absolute no. Very bad for liver and mooladhara.
11- Yogurt:
In the West it’s too sour, it’s to quote Shri Mataji, “dangerous for vishuddhi” yogurt may be condensed a bit by gently boiled it. Then it should be beaten with some sugar in the blender. (stirring by hands does not fully dissolve the sugar).
12- Basil:
Vishuddhi (it is a universal plant, used all over the world. Shri Krishna likes a lot.)
Roll a black pepper seed into fresh basil and take once a day, and you won’t catch a cold.
13- Pepper:
Gives heat
14- Garam masala:
Gives heat (garam=hot)
Garam masala is a mixture of more than a dozen spices.
15- Chili:
Vitamin C, a remedy for constipation.
16- Onion:
Vitamin A, heart.
17- Lemon:
Vitamin C.
18- Dried fish:
Remedy for constipation. (but be careful with the liver).
19- Manjeny flowers:
Very cooling, like Kailash Jivan.
20- Oil, fat:
(use pure vegetable oil or ghee) To be used sparingly. For cooking, ghee is best.
21- Tomatoes:
Ok, but not for elderly people, as the seeds can help the production of stones.
Other comments:
In summer cook more sour, tart food (e.g. food with gravy sauces); use green masala which is a mixture of fresh green coriander, mint, green chillies, garlic and ginger.
Another method says heat kills heat. We can see that in all hot areas the people use lot more chillies and hot spices, they increase perspiration and help to cool. Despite the heat, these people generally have better liver than Westerners. Shri Mataji went on wondering how it is that we are so weak on the liver. She mentioned that we consume most things from tins these days, nothing fresh. These processed foods (tinned or frozen) are disadvantage compared to what is used in an Indian kitchen. Deep frozen foods are all right, but fresh foods are to be preferred.