SLC S21 Week 3 - Herbal Medicine in the Kitchen.

Have you ever eaten a meal with herbs? Right from when I was beginning to cook in the kitchen as a young teenager, my parents have also added herbs as part of the ingredient, so I have become accustomed to using herbs while cooking—a little sprinkling of scent leaves in jollof rice and Indomie, and for curry, it has never been put out of place in my fried rice to give it that colour; it is made of turmeric. So I am not a vegan nor am I a vegetarian, so in meat preparation, my black pepper is never left out.

Food preparation with 3 herbs

I wish you were here to perceive the aromatic, sweet-smelling flavour my noodles produce when I add thyme and curry. I won't stop salivating.

The meal I will be preparing is Indomie noodles, a fast food, and the herbs I will be using are curry, thyme, and black pepper.

Preparation

Ingredients:

3-4 Indomie noodles
2 table spoons of oil
1 Onion
1 teaspoon full of curry powder
1/2 teaspoon of thyme
2 cups of water
1 egg or any protein choice

• Heat the water in the pot for a while.

• Add all the Indomie noodles in the pot and cover for it to steam for a while.

• Add the package of Indomie spices, add the curry, thyme, and pepper, and stir for 30 seconds.
• Add the onion; the onion is added this time because it wasn't fried.

• Season with a pinch of salt and then stir it.

• Your food is ready; better served when hot. garnishing it with an additional thyme to make it look presentable, take a look at the one above.

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Health Benefit of the 3 herbs I used in my noodles preparation

CURRY POWDER:

• As I said earlier, it is made of turmeric, packaged by food production companies and called curry.

• Curry aids in weight loss as it increases metabolism and helps to burn fat.

• Do you know that curry is rubbed in the body but, when taken in, can also improve skin appearance since it serves as an antioxidant?

• It reduces inflammation, which is pain in the body; it becomes very beneficial for those having arthritis and injuries.

• Its antioxidants also help fight infections and keep the body healthy.

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THYME:

• Thyme has antimicrobial properties helpful in combating respiratory infections, bad breath, gum disease, or any mouth infections, and can also ease menstrual discomfort for females.

• Its antioxidants protect against free radicals, and with this boost our immune system and keep us healthy.

• It also improves digestion.

• The scent from thyme, when added to meals, can reduce stress and promote relaxation in the mind.

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BLACK PEPPER:

• Black pepper lowers cholesterol and reduces heart disease risk.

• Black pepper has an element capable of preventing cancer cell growth.

• It's antioxidants help combat some infections.

• Most especially, it is commonly seen that pepper is adapted in cold seasons, so it helps relieve cold by clearing mucus, which is very helpful for those with catarrh.

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2 seasonings and their health benefits

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Curry spice or powder has many health benefits. Residual in it is an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compound, curcumin, which aids digestion and reduces pain in the joints. Regular consumption of curry improves cognitive function because curcumin stimulates immune cells, enhancing their ability to defend against pathogens. It also enhances neuroplasticity, which improves memory and learning.

Onion: I use onion almost in all delicacies apart from most soups; I used it in pepper soup. So far, I have discovered that it helps to alleviate symptoms like asthma, arthritis, and allergies by their anti-inflammatory properties. Its antioxidant properties heal the heart by reducing blood pressure. Onions contain vitamin C and build or promote the immune system; they can tackle mouth infections with their antimicrobial properties.

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Five herbs at local grocery

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Ginger: Used as digestive and cold relief, eases congestion and coughs

• I use ginger for tea, like the preparation I will be giving below; the sliced ginger can also be grated and added to homemade juice like Zobo; and it can also be added to stews too.

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Lemon grass is used as a digestive aid and an antioxidant to protect against cancer and cell damage.

• In cooking, I use lemon grass mostly in teas, and it is done by steaming it in hot water; it could also be added in suya (i.e., smoked or roasted cow meat) for an enticing flavour.

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Hot leaves: Medically, they can be used to aid digestion, treat acne and eczema, and relieve colds and congestion.

• In cooking, hot leaves, also known as uziza, are used in the preparation of pepper soup, egusi soup made of melon, and other Nigerian soups like white soup.

• It has a scent that comes out very aromatic in rice if added; it can be incorporated in fish, beef, and chicken stew.

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Scent leaves are a digestive aid and also an anti-inflammatory aid; in Nigeria we call it ikoor, in Akwaibom, and in Igbo we call it nchuanwu. It boosts the immune system.

• You can chop these scent leaves and add them to dishes, rice, beans, potatoes, sauces, and stews; their water can be squeezed and drunk; scent leave could also be dried to powder for preservation and then sprinkled in dishes to make it presentable.

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Fever, malaria, and other infectious diseases can be treated with 'bitter leaves.

• For most bitter leaf soup, the leaf is sliced to a very tiny size, then washed for some amount of bitterness to be out, and then used in the preparation of egusi soup; it can also be used to cook okra soup.

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Preparing a detox medicine

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A detox medicine is a medication helpful in detoxifying that is removing toxic substances from the body; it promotes healing by reducing inflammation and oxidative stress.

I will be using ginger, lemon grass, water, and honey.

• Wash the ginger if it wasn't clean,

• Chop the ginger into very tiny pieces.

• Put it in your kettle or any preference heating/steaming material,

• Then add lemon grass to the kettle; add 2 cups of water or one depending on your ginger and lemongrass quantity.

• Steam this mixture for 20 minutes and then filter it into a cup.

• You can add about 2 teaspoons of honey in a glass full of this detox medicine and drink it; the remaining can be stored in the fridge for preservation and taste reservation.

I would love to invite @bossj23, @whizzbro4eva, @alli001 and @kidi40 to join in this contest