Recently a few of us engaged in a very lively discussion on food and the importance of using real ingredients. As we exchanged facts and age old practices, we also spoke about the reemergence of some ingredients whose benefits almost lie forgotten. One of those ingredients is undoubtedly the castor oil.
Recently a few of us engaged in a very lively discussion on food and the importance of using real ingredients. As we exchanged facts and age old practices, we also spoke about the reemergence of some ingredients whose benefits almost lie forgotten. One of those ingredients is undoubtedly the castor oil.
When I was a little girl,I overhead my mother telling someone about the benefits of applying castor oil for the eyelashes.A few years later as a teenager,it was the one beauty regimen I was obsessed with. I would walk around with my eye lids coated and glistening with castor oil,all the while day dreaming of growing long lashes!
Cooking with castor oil in itself is a science which few of my generation and those thereafter are aware of.
Any farmer in Coimbatore is only too aware of the ‘kottaimuthu’ (as it is colloquially referred to) plant that invades the fields and grows rampantly without being tended to. This is how I became acquainted with the castor oil plant.It can be easily identified with it’s wide serrated leaves and tall stems which end in a cluster of flowers. Known as ricinus or castor bean, the seeds are said to be highly toxic in it’s raw form.
The castor oil however when taken in small quantities is known to be extremely beneficial for the body. In fact ,a spoonful of castor oil for cleansing the gut was a practice which the elders strongly believed in. As much as we try to stay fit, every once in a while the digestive system does tend to get into a slump and is in dire need of rejuvenation. While us urban folk stock our cabinets with antacids and tummy soothers ,these don’t really contribute to stomach wellness in the long run.
I recall when first setting up our home after marriage,my grand aunt Swarnam advised me to buy thuvar dhal in bulk for the year.She also taught us how it needed to be coated with castor oil for preservation. Much later I came to understand that this castor oil also aided in the digestion and absorption of the lentil with greater ease.Many traditional recipes mention the addition of a small amount of castor oil when cooking meat as well. Not only did this act as a tenderiser but most importantly contributed to intestinal well-being.
Thinking back to my childhood,not only did my parents, uncles,aunts and grand folk lead an active lifestyle, they pretty much ate anything they wanted to. But that ‘everything’ pertained only to typical south Indian food ,with the occasional continental or mughlai feasting which really was rare. So the diet consisted of all the traditional oils, ghee,milk,butter,poultry,meat,seafood, fruits and vegetables. The recipes were all traditional where one ingredient was present to offset or balance the other,to make up a wholesome dish.
It has been found that the ricinoleic acid present in the castor oil is responsible for cleansing actions when it comes into contact with the inner muscles of the intestinal walls. 10 ml of it is said to be ideal when taken separately. The presence of Vitamin E and omega 6 fats is what makes the castor oil a nutritious viscous blend which is beneficial for both exterior applications as well as contributing to internal health. Adding castor oil to other herbal hair oils is known to boost hair growth as well as nourish the scalp.
We folks living in Coimbatore do have the advantage of sourcing authentic castor oil from local organic stores and farms which produce them the old fashioned way. The problem comes when the intake is not done in the right manner. The sticky nature of this oil poses an inconvenience in washing up. That’s another reason why it started getting vetoed in favour of colourless, odourless ,refined oils which make all sorts of promises for heart health.
By failing to include an important ingredient which is not just such a part of our heritage diet but also one that grows locally we would be neglecting an important wellness food found right at our doorsteps.With more research talking about stomach health being of utmost importance to a healthy working body ,it is important to make that connect with an age old ingredient like castor oil.
A stringy ,oily spoonful of the velakkennai is easier to work with when warmed over a bowl of hot water. Using a little bit does go a long way…and there will always be some leftover for those eyelashes !
For castor oil ,contact :
Seeragam the native store : 9843644455
Wild Earth Foods : 8098944444
Sarvam Farms (manager Balan) : 8098815999
Jayanthi : 9150307674
When I was a little girl,I overhead my mother telling someone about the benefits of applying castor oil for the eyelashes.A few years later as a teenager,it was the one beauty regimen I was obsessed with. I would walk around with my eye lids coated and glistening with castor oil,all the while day dreaming of growing long lashes!
Cooking with castor oil in itself is a science which few of my generation and those thereafter are aware of.
Any farmer in Coimbatore is only too aware of the ‘kottaimuthu’ (as it is colloquially referred to) plant that invades the fields and grows rampantly without being tended to. This is how I became acquainted with the castor oil plant.It can be easily identified with it’s wide serrated leaves and tall stems which end in a cluster of flowers. Known as ricinus or castor bean, the seeds are said to be highly toxic in it’s raw form.
The castor oil however when taken in small quantities is known to be extremely beneficial for the body. In fact ,a spoonful of castor oil for cleansing the gut was a practice which the elders strongly believed in. As much as we try to stay fit, every once in a while the digestive system does tend to get into a slump and is in dire need of rejuvenation. While us urban folk stock our cabinets with antacids and tummy soothers ,these don’t really contribute to stomach wellness in the long run.
I recall when first setting up our home after marriage,my grand aunt Swarnam advised me to buy thuvar dhal in bulk for the year.She also taught us how it needed to be coated with castor oil for preservation. Much later I came to understand that this castor oil also aided in the digestion and absorption of the lentil with greater ease.Many traditional recipes mention the addition of a small amount of castor oil when cooking meat as well. Not only did this act as a tenderiser but most importantly contributed to intestinal well-being.
Thinking back to my childhood,not only did my parents, uncles,aunts and grand folk lead an active lifestyle, they pretty much ate anything they wanted to. But that ‘everything’ pertained only to typical south Indian food ,with the occasional continental or mughlai feasting which really was rare. So the diet consisted of all the traditional oils, ghee,milk,butter,poultry,meat,seafood, fruits and vegetables. The recipes were all traditional where one ingredient was present to offset or balance the other,to make up a wholesome dish.
It has been found that the ricinoleic acid present in the castor oil is responsible for cleansing actions when it comes into contact with the inner muscles of the intestinal walls. 10 ml of it is said to be ideal when taken separately. The presence of Vitamin E and omega 6 fats is what makes the castor oil a nutritious viscous blend which is beneficial for both exterior applications as well as contributing to internal health. Adding castor oil to other herbal hair oils is known to boost hair growth as well as nourish the scalp.
We folks living in Coimbatore do have the advantage of sourcing authentic castor oil from local organic stores and farms which produce them the old fashioned way. The problem comes when the intake is not done in the right manner. The sticky nature of this oil poses an inconvenience in washing up. That’s another reason why it started getting vetoed in favour of colourless, odourless ,refined oils which make all sorts of promises for heart health.
By failing to include an important ingredient which is not just such a part of our heritage diet but also one that grows locally we would be neglecting an important wellness food found right at our doorsteps.With more research talking about stomach health being of utmost importance to a healthy working body ,it is important to make that connect with an age old ingredient like castor oil.
A stringy ,oily spoonful of the velakkennai is easier to work with when warmed over a bowl of hot water. Using a little bit does go a long way…and there will always be some leftover for those eyelashes !
For castor oil ,contact :
Seeragam the native store : 9843644455
Wild Earth Foods : 8098944444
Sarvam Farms (manager Balan) : 8098815999
Jayanthi : 9150307674