Wellness Potion (Durga Puja and Navratri Special)

It has been long since I posted my last recipe. This one is very close to my heart and has had enough trials and tribulations in the past.

The name has been coined by me and this has been my tried and tested friend for over 30 years. I wouldn’t be exaggerating if I mention that I never use any synthetic cleansers on my face. The much needed glow before any occasion comes from this wellness potion.

This is vegetarian and can be had steaming hot if you really want to shed the extra kilos along with the glow on your skin or chilled if you are just looking for the glow.

I make it in batches which serves a family of four for two days. The number of glasses of water added depends on how many people needs to served and over how many days. Though it is always advisable to cook and have it fresh every day but because of some constraints if it is not possible, it can be frozen in separate containers and can be had everyday. To get maximum results start having fifteen days before the occasion.

Serves four

Ingredients

• 1 onion roughly chopped
• 6-8 cloves of garlic peeled
• 1/2 an inch of fresh ginger
• 1/2 an inch of fresh turmeric
• 2 carrots roughly chopped
• 1 beetroot roughly chopped
• 4 tomatoes roughly chopped
• 1/4 of white gourd or dudhi roughly chopped
• A bunch of coriander leaves with stems
• Few spinach leaves with stems
• One stick of Celery chopped roughly
• One stem of lemon grass if available (green and white parts included)
• Few lime leaves
• For the whole spices:1 tsp each of cumin seed, coriander seed, ajwain or carrom seedblack peppercorns,1 black cardamom, 2 cloves, 1 small stick of cinnamon, 1 bay leaf, 1 star anise
• 1 tbsp of ghee or clarified butter
• Salt to taste.

Procedure

Wash all the things thoroughly before cutting. Put all the things in a pressure cooker or pan. Add three glasses of water. Close the lid and cook it for two whistles in the cooker and for about half an hour in a covered pan on medium to low heat. Once done strain it over a sieve and store as you want to.

Note:

Carrom seeds or ajwain has to be added to avoid bloating of stomach. You can always add a few more veggies or omit any as per your requirement. People with high blood sugar can replace beetroot and carrot with zucchini or red and yellow peppers or green capsicum. I have tried at times with all vegetables I could possibly think of. Tomatoes are added to balance the sweetness from beetroot and carrot. If you omit these two root vegetables then the quantity of tomatoes needs to be halved. You can squeeze few drops of lemon juice, pepper powder and ghee or butter before having it.