Indian kitchen- A repository of medicines in a house

Abstract

Indian kitchen is store house of spices and food items. Spices are those substances which give elegance, flavour and taste to the food. India is the largest producer of spices due to the presence of various climatic conditions. The spices which are available in kitchen have medicinal importance in alternate systems of medicine, particularly in Ayurveda.  Consider the case of curry leaves which are used as flavoring agent in preparation of food possess antidiabetic, hypolipidemic, antioxidant properties, antibacterial and antifungal activities. Mustard seeds have antimicrobial, antifungal and antioxidant activities. Chilli powder which is used in preparation of curries by Indians has the antimicrobial activity. The nutritive items which are widely used by Indians include jaggery, honey and ghee. Cow Ghee has nootropic effect when given as panchagavyaghrita. It also shows antiepileptic and anti allergic effects. Honey possesses antibacterial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Most of the spices used in Indian kitchen are useful as medicaments in alternate systems of medicine like Ayurveda. They serve as simple home remedies for the management of various disorders and diseases. This work has aimed to make a review on Indian kitchen ingredients, their nutritional values and medicinal uses.