Herbal dishes of Chhattisgarh, India . V. Ama Ke Halwa

Research Note - Pankaj Oudhia
© 2001,2002,2003 Pankaj Oudhia - All Rights Reserved

Ama or Ama is one of the popular fruits of Chhattisgarh. During summer season when these fruits mature, the natives prepare different dishes from it. Ama Ke Halwa is one of these dishes. The natives consume this dish for test but for the traditional healers of Chhattisgarh, it possess valuable medicinal properties and uses. There are slight differences in methods of preparation the natives and healers adopt. The natives use Ama juice mainly whereas healers add many herbs in it to make it more useful. The natives and traditional healers prefer the indigenous Ama varieties for the preparation of dish.

Material Required :Ama juice 3 liters, Sugar one Kg., Cow Ghee half Kg., Cow Milk one Kg. And Shahad (Honey) 250 gms. Method : By mixing Ama juice , Sugar, Shahad and Cow milk solution is prepared. This solution is roasted with cow ghee and Halwa is prepared. The treaditonal healers add Sonth (dried Ginger) Dashmool (Asparagus racemosus), Badam (Almond), Semal Musli (the roots of Bombax ceiba), dry Singhara flour (Trapa natans), Safed Musli root powder (Chlorophytum species) etc. in this preparations.

According to the need and economical status of the patients, the healers add or delete one or more ingredients. The scientific name of Ama is Mangifera indica. The natives consume this dish occasionally and it is served to all family members but the Halwa prepared by the healers is not served to children. Also the patients are advised to use it regularly upto specific period. Many healers use this preparation as aphrodisiac and sex tonic. This is the reason, they recommend it to newly wed couples. But in general, the healers consider it beneficial for general health. According to them, it develops natural resistance in body to flight against diseases. This Halwa is prepared and consumed during summer season only. I would like to give details regarding reported medicinal uses of Aam in reference literature related to different systems of medicine in India are full of information regarding traditional medicinal uses and properties of Ama. According to Ayurveda, Ama is acrid, sour, sweet, cooling, astringent of bowels, improves the taste and appetite, cures leucorrhoea, bad blood, good in dysentery, bronchitis, biliousness, urinary discharges, throat troubles, ulcers, dysentery, vaginal discharges. It is aphrodisiac and tonic, beautifies complexion, good in treat troubles, vomiting etc. According to Unani system of medicine, Ama is astringent, styptic, improves cough, enriches blood, tonic to body, liver, spleen. It is laxative, tonic, stomachic, diuretic, removes bad smell from mouth, improves complexion, clears brain, dispels languor and burning of body, good in cough, hiccup, piles thirst, liver pain etc.

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