#veldtgrape

[jillraggett]

Plant of the Day

Friday 14 January 2022

The climber Cissus quadrangularis (veldt grape, devil's backbone) is growing on the wall of the glasshouse corridor of Cambridge Botanic Garden, UK. This plant has 4 angled stems, with conspicuous constrictions at the nodes that produce tendrils, adventitious roots, and ephemeral leaves. The stems and fruit have been used for medicinal purposes since ancient times.

Jill Raggett 


[foodloosein]

One of the herbs I discovered during the Corona Lockdown is Changalam Paranda. It is called so because the branches linked to each other like changala ( chain shackles) . It is supposed to be very good in healing cracked bones & in other osteopathic medicines& hence the Sanskrit name Asthisamharaka in Ayurveda. The scientific name for the herb is Cissus Quadrangularis and belongs to the grape family. Hence also called Veldt Grape because it grows wild in the Veldt grasslands of Africa & is drought resistant. The bone healing powers of the herb is very well known in tribal medicine even as far as Bodo & Garo tribes in north east India. Recently it has also proved beneficial for weight loss in clinical trials. It is rich in calcium & Vitamin C & hence had best fresh in chutneys. Mom usually makes a Tamil style Pirandai Thuvaiyal/ Thogayal in which roasted sesame, urad dal, tamarind, the branches of the plant & red chillies & a bit of kaayam ( asafoetida) is ground to a slightly coarse chammandi & made into a ball. The fresh juice/ sap of the plant tends to be itchy , hence tamarind is used in conjunction with it. This is then had with steamed white rice & a touch of ghee. That is all you require. The plant doesn't have a flavor per se, so the rest of the ingredients make it quite delicious . P.S The Kerala style is usually made with coconut & raw mango/ tamarind. #changalamparanda #pirandai #thogayal #veldtgrape #harjor #chammandi #rareherbs #herbalifenutrition #ayurvedamedicine #asthisamharaka #deliciousfood😋 #chutneyrecipe #foodloose #thiruvananthapuram #keralam #ayur (at Trivandrum, India) https://www.instagram.com/p/CBhb6hUF_EW3VAdOGkD-XBi7SMqnrPMpXD7aYI0/?igshid=169xotkfipo43