another detox smoothie with pineapple, pomelo and bhumiamlaki (Phyllanthus niruri), a liver tonic herb

This common garden weed called as Bhumiamplaki in Hindi (Phyllanthus niruri) or Chanca piedra has immense medicinal properties and is a very potent liver tonic. It helps prevent stone formation in kidneys too (source) and is actually beneficial in many more conditions (read more).

I have myself seen it being used to heal the liver after jaundice in my family, fresh herb liquidized with water is given to the patient everyday for a week or so and one notices a difference. Since this herb bhumiamlaki grows profusely in the garden I sometimes pluck and add it to my smoothies.

 It is the most easy thing to do as the herb doesn't need any preparation before being added to smoothies or juices. This is the season of grapefruits (pomelo) too and the generous tree in my garden is weighed down by several of those heavy citrus fruits. See the article I wrote for Down to Earth about pomelo and how it is used across the country.

I use them a lot in my salads and smoothies.

Some slices of pineapple are always there in my freezer and come handy when making smoothies or the pineapple soup that I love so much.

Recipe of pineapple and pomelo smoothie with bhumiamlaki 

ingredients for one serving... 

one fat slice of pineapple
one cup of pomelo segments cleaned
handful of bhumiamlaki leaves and tender stems (all parts of the plant are edible)

procedure ...

Blend to make a smoothie. There will be a mild bitter aftertaste in this smoothie but this is one of those smoothies that work wonderfully to detoxify the system.

Make this smoothie with orange or sweet lime if you don't get pomelo, some citrus fruit makes this smoothie much more enjoyable.

And see how just three ingredients make this smoothie a perfect recipe to detox.

You can add a little ginger too if you have been experiencing DOMS after heavy workouts.

Get the fruits prepared and frozen if you want the smoothie ready quickly. Or just enjoy playing with ingredients before you blend your smoothie. It is great any which way.

This smoothie may taste a little bitter if the pomelo has a slight bitterness too, Bhumiamlaki has slight bitterness too so the combined effect may make this smoothie taste slightly bitter. Add more pineapple in such a case and the smoothie will still be great.

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pineapple clear soup recipe with lemongrass and galangal : a anti inflammatory soup for winter

Pineapple soup is a bit uncommon recipe but it is quite a comfort in winter months. Even though this winter we are being cheated here in Delhi as there is no chill in the air even though December has already started, this soup feels really good to wrap my hands around and sip slowly. Warming, healing and refreshing all at the same time. Many people find pineapples itchy in the throat due to hypersensitive throat but cooked pineapple is good for even those, and the inclusion of galangal, lemon grass and pepper makes this pineapple soup really comforting even for the most hypersensitive throat. This Thai food inspired soup is an absolute comfort for me at least.

Pineapple is one of those fruits that have so much nutritive value that they can easily be called as super foods. Pineapples are not particularly rich in macro nutrients but the enzymes and micro nutrients found in pineapples are helpful in many ways. Rich in antioxidants and anti inflammatory enzymes, pineapple is an easy fix for post workout electrolyte balance as well as for taking care of the DOMS that happens the next day of an intense workout.

This mocktail made with pineapple juice and lemongrass infusion is a great thirst quencher as well as a good electrolyte drink. A smoothie with pineapple, aloe vera and celery sticks is a great detox smoothie that works like a charm after a day of festive indulgence. My recipe of pineapple kanji is something I feel really good to develop as t is a great probiotic, anti inflammatory and refreshing drink, all at once.

Pineapple salads are my favourite especially after grilling the pineapple pieces and tossing them up with other ingredients being used. Pineapple and paneer salad with herbs and nuts is repeated quite regularly on my dining table. Grilled pineapple and broccoli is another yummy salad that fits the super food definition aptly. Pineapple also goes into my fruity version of insalata caprese.

I have come across many recipes of pineapple rasam on the internet and have been meaning to try one of them really soon. But fresh herbs growing in the garden make me think of using them in the best possible way and I come up with my own concoctions. I have a lot of lemongrass and galangal growing in the garden, both being sturdy kept me company even though the oregano, marjoram, rosemary, lemon balm and thyme etc all died upon me due to my frequent travel in the last few months. Lemongrass keeps finding way to my infusions and teas and I often use galangal leaves for some of those infusions as well. Roots of galangal take time to set and one doesn't feel like uprooting them as often. While thinking about an anti inflammatory soup for winters I couldn't stop myself from using galangal and lemongrass once I decided upon pineapple as the base flavour.

ingredients
(for 2 large servings)

pineapple cut into bite sized chunks 1 cup ( I used frozen)
pineapple juice (fresh or packaged, no sugar added) 200 ml
lemongrass one bulb and all it's leaves (or a handful of dried lemongrass)
galangal root 2 cm piece crushed
tulsi (holy basil) leaves 5-6 springs
thai bird chilly or any hot chilly 1 small
coconut flakes (or grated coconut) 1 tbsp
salt and loads of freshly crushed pepper
water 2 cups

procedure 

Add the lemongrass (scissor cut), galangal and tulsi springs to water and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Take off heat and strain.

Now add the pineapple pieces, crushed pepper, salt and coconut flakes and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the pineapple juice, bring to a soft boil before finishing.

Adjust seasoning, add a little jaggery or lime juice if required as the flavours should slightly hot, sweet and sour. Coconut flakes add a nice bite and subtle flavour to this soup.

Serve hot garnished with sliced hot chilly, slices of lemongrass bulb and fresh tulsi leaves.

I use pineapple juice from cartons quite often for convenience and also because we do get some good quality juices with no added sugar. Adding some fruit juices to cooking is a fun way to bring more flavours in your food.

The quick soup is packed with goodness of tulsi, galangal, lemongrass and pineapple, all ingredients known for their superb anti inflammatory benefits and for enhancing metabolic rate. Aren't we blessed to find such healing food so easily around us?

Try this simple pineapple clear soup or add a little coconut milk to make it a little more tropical in flavours. You might like some more chilly heat may be. Play with the flavours as you wish, this pineapple soup wont disappoint you anyway.

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