Sunthilo, My Family's Ayurvedic Recipe

India has a long tradition of food as medicine. Srushti Chauhan Angane shares her Kutchi family’s three-ingredient recipe for strong immunity and good health.

My gandmie used many kitchen ingredients as medicine and cures; some of her favourite healing (and beauty) ingredients were food. She learned to cook from her mother-in-law, after she married my grandfather, an Ayurvedic doctor and practitioner.

She was a big believer in the power of nutrition for good health. Some of this credit goes to my grandfather; he spent much time in Ayurvedic research, developing these home remedies. One of our most prized family medicinal recipes is for Sunthilo. Sunthilo and warm milk was a staple winter morning breakfast in our home. Anti-inflammatory, with anti-bacterial properties, Sunthilo is great for relieving the common cold, improving metabolism and stimulating digestion.

Srushti’s Recipe for Kutchi Sunthila

Ingredients
70 g sunth (dried ginger powder)
100 g jaggery
2 tbsp ghee (clarified butter) 

Method
Place a wok over low flame, and add in the grated jaggery and ghee. Keep stirring until it reaches smooth consistency.
Now add in the ginger powder and stir to bind.
Remove from heat, and carefully roll into balls the size of a nutmeg seed. It is important to roll while the mixture is still hot. Once it cools, it will not hold.
Sunthilo balls can be dusted with powdered sugar to prevent them from sticking to one another.
Store in an airtight container.
Note: Sunthilo must be consumed in measured quantity. While it is delicious, excess can lead to heartburn.

 ALSO ON THE GOYA JOURNAL