Meals That Heal – Sweet Sooji Cereal
Sweet sooji cereal is much better for you than any breakfast cereal and is a delicious and delightful way to start your day. Wheat, the main ingredient in this cereal, facilitates healing fractures for broken bones, strengthens your body, and has an aphrodisiac quality.
Eastern View:
Consuming wheat regularly promotes a healthy complexion. The grounding earth element in wheat helps with perseverance through difficult circumstances. It is a great stress-busting and stress-preventing morning meal.
Adding cardamom offers more than its delightful and delicious flavor, it is chock full of medicinal benefits. Cardamom is highly aromatic and aromatic spices are used for those with digestive difficulties, from belching to vomiting and sluggish digestion. Cardamom can accelerate the gastric emptying rate, which relaxes the stomach valves that prevent your food from entering the small intestine. Cardamom relieves nausea and has been used as an aid in morning sickness.
Cardamom has been proven as a muscle relaxant as it’s a calming antispasmodic useful in colic, asthma, and the throbbing pain of a headache (caused by a spasm in blood vessels).
And lastly, cardamom is also a diaphoretic that opens your pores, encouraging a mild sweat that cleanses the skin, aids low-grade fevers, and cleanses the lymphatic system. It is a bronchodilator – helping to improve breathing in asthmatics.
Western View:
Cardamom may be helpful for people with high blood pressure. In one study, researchers gave three grams of cardamom powder a day to 20 adults who were newly diagnosed with high blood pressure. After 12 weeks, blood pressure levels had significantly decreased to the normal range. The promising results of this study may be related to the high levels of antioxidants in cardamom. The participants’ antioxidant status had increased by 90% by the end of the study. Antioxidants have been linked to lower blood pressure. Researchers also suspect that the spice may lower blood pressure due to its diuretic effect, which can promote urination to remove water that builds up in your body, such as around your heart.
The compounds in cardamom may also help fight cancer cells. Studies in mice have shown that cardamom powder can increase the activity of certain enzymes that help fight cancer. The spice may also enhance the ability of natural killer cells to attack tumors. In one study, researchers exposed two groups of mice to a compound that causes skin cancer and fed one group 500 mg of ground cardamom per kg (227 mg per pound) of weight per day. After 12 weeks, only 29% of the group who ate the cardamom developed cancer, compared to over 90% of the control group (7 Trusted Source ).
Research on human cancer cells and cardamom indicate similar results. One study showed that a certain compound in the spice stopped oral cancer cells in test tubes from multiplying (Trusted Source ).
Cardamom is rich in compounds that may fight inflammation too. Inflammation occurs when your body is exposed to foreign substances. Acute inflammation is necessary and beneficial, but long-term inflammation can lead to chronic diseases (Trusted Source, Trusted Source, 1).
Antioxidants, found in abundance in cardamom, protect cells from damage and stop inflammation from occurring (Trusted Source). One study found that cardamom extract in doses of 50–100 mg per kg (23–46 mg per pound) of body weight was effective in inhibiting at least four different inflammatory compounds in rats (Trusted Source ). Another study in rats showed that eating cardamom powder decreased liver inflammation induced by eating a diet high in carbs and fat (Trusted Source ).
The Bottom Line
Cardamom is an ancient remedy that may have many medicinal properties. It may lower blood pressure, improve breathing, and aid weight loss. Moreover, animal and test-tube studies show that cardamom may help fight tumors, improve anxiety, fight bacteria, and protect your liver, though the evidence in these cases is less strong. Adding cardamom to your cooking may be a safe and effective way to improve your health.
Sweet Sooji Cereal
Ingredients
- ½ cup sooji (semolina)
- 1 ½ cups water or milk (plant-based or dairy)
- 1-2 tbsp ghee (or coconut oil for a vegan option)
- 2 tbsp sugar (or your preferred sweetener)
- ¼ tbsp ground cardamom
- a pinch of saffron (optional)
- 2 tbsp chopped nuts (almonds, cashews, or pistachios)
- 2 tbsp raisins (or other dried fruits)
- Fresh fruits (like sliced bananas or berries) for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Toast the sooji: In a medium saucepan, melt the ghee over medium heat. Add the sooji (semolina) and stir continuously, toasting for 5-7 minutes until it turns a light golden color and emits a nutty fragrance. Be careful not to burn it.
- Boil the liquid: In a separate small pot, heat the water (or milk) until it comes to a gentle boil. You can add a pinch of saffron to the liquid if using, to infuse flavor and color.
- Cook the sooji: Slowly pour the hot liquid into the toasted sooji while stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Continue cooking over low heat, stirring frequently, until the sooji absorbs the liquid and becomes soft and creamy, about 5-7 minutes.
- Sweeten and season: Stir in the sugar, ground cardamom, raisins, and nuts. Mix well and cook for another minute, allowing the flavors to blend.
- Serve: Remove from heat and let it sit for a couple of minutes. Garnish with extra chopped nuts or fresh fruits if desired. Serve warm for a comforting, nutritious breakfast or snack.
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