Fenugreek (Methi)
Also known as
Latin : Trigonella foenum
English : Fenugreek
Sanskrit : Methika
Hindi : Methi
Tamil : Ventayam
Telugu : Menthulu
Malayalam : Uluva
Kannada : Mentya
How it looks—It is an aromatic, erect annual herb with pinnate, leaves and toothed leaflets. The flowers are white or yellowish white and the fruits are pods with many seeds.
What we use—Leaves, seeds
What it does—Leaves—refrigerant, aperients
Seeds—mucilaginous, aromatic, carminative, tonic, galactogogue, astringent, anaphrodisiac.
How we use it—
In
griping abdominal pain—A tsp of powdered fenugreek seeds mixed in buttermilk helps digestion and relieves pain
In
flatulence—Crush a few fenugreek seeds with a pinch of rock salt for quick relief from flatulence.
In
piles & oral ulcers—Including fenugreek leaves in plenty in the diet of a piles patient is useful.
In
eruptive fevers—Give plenty of fenugreek water during the early stage of small pox, chicken pox or measles. (A tsp of the seeds is soaked in a pint of water overnight to
prepare fenugreek water). The alkaloid trigonelline in fenugreek is antiseptic and carminative.
In
dandruff—2 tsp of fenugreek seeds are soaked overnight in water and the softened seeds are ground and left on the scalp for half hour to get rid of dandruff.
In
eczema—After washing the lesions with a solution of tea and rock salt, the part is dried and covered with a dilute paste of fenugreek and red sandal.
To
clean skin—A mixture of green gram, bengal gram and fenugreek seeds makes a good substitute for soap.
As a
shampoo—Similarly, shikakai green gram and fenugreek seeds in proportions of 2:1:1/2 are powdered together and used with water whenever necessary.
In
joint stiffness—Drinking a tsp of fenugreek powder in some warm water is useful in preventing tightness of the joints.
In
white vaginal discharge—Methi powder mixed with curds is effective in controlling infection. The same recipe is a tested remedy for diarrhoea.
After
delivery—Fry fenugreek seeds in ghee and finely powder them. Mix this in wheat flour and sugar and make a halwa- like preparation. This is proved to normalise a woman's
system after delivery. Dosa-1 table spoon every day.
In
heart problems—Fenugreek seeds in water everyday is a natural tonic for the heart.
As a
body coolant and tonic—Rice/starch water with a tsp of fenugreek powder is an excellent body coolant
Modern Studies
Recently animal studies have shown the effectiveness of fenugreek in reducing blood pressure.
As a diet in pregnancy, diabetes and anaemia, it has proved to be nourishing and vitalising.