Place of origin | India and other South Asian countries |
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Main ingredients | seeds and nuts, essential oils (peppermint) |
Mukhwas is a colorful South Asian Ayurvedic [1] after-meal snack or digestive aid widely used as a breath freshener, especially after meals. [2] As per Agamas, Mukhwaas forms one of the components of sixteen upcharas (offerings) to a deity in a Puja, the Hindu mode of worship or prayer. [3] can be made of various seeds and nuts, often fennel, anise, coconut, coriander, and sesame. They are sweet in flavor and highly aromatic due to added sugar and the addition of various essential oils, including peppermint oil. The seeds can be savory or sweet—coated in sugar and brightly colored. [4]
The word is an amalgamation of the Sanskrit words mukha (mouth) and vāsa (to stay/to keep). [3] Thus Mukhwaas refers to ingredients which are kept in mouth to keep it fresh. Mukhwaas forms an essential part of Hindu tradition of Shodash Shringar (sixteen embellishments). [5] The Hindu poet Keshavdas mentions Mukhwaas as one of the sixteen embellishments of Shodash Shringar tradition. [5] Mukhwaas initially evolved as an ayurvedic remedy which was used for making the mouth fresh after a meal. Apart from use as a breath freshner, it also serves as a post prandial digestive aid. Ancient Sanskrit literature and Medieval Hindu literature in Hindi, Rajasthani [6] and Gujarati languages is replete with mentions of Mukhwaas.
Fennel is a flowering plant species in the carrot family. It is a hardy, perennial herb with yellow flowers and feathery leaves. It is indigenous to the shores of the Mediterranean but has become widely naturalized in many parts of the world, especially on dry soils near the sea coast and on riverbanks.
Chyavanprash, originally Chayavanaprasham, is a cooked mixture of sugar, honey, ghee, Indian gooseberry (amla) jam, sesame oil, berries and various herbs and spices. It is prepared as per the instructions suggested in Ayurvedic texts. Chyavanprash is widely sold and consumed in India as a dietary supplement.
Phyllanthus emblica, also known as emblic, emblic myrobalan, myrobalan, Indian gooseberry, Malacca tree, or amla, from the Sanskrit आमलकी (āmalakī), is a deciduous tree of the family Phyllanthaceae. Its native range is tropical and southern Asia.
Rajasthani cuisine is the cuisine of the Rajasthan state in North West India. It was influenced by various factors like the warlike lifestyles of its inhabitants, the availability of ingredients in an arid region and by Hindu temple traditions of sampradayas like Pushtimarg and Ramanandi. Food that could last for several days and could be eaten without heating was preferred. Scarcity of water and fresh green vegetables have all had their effect on the cooking. Signature Rajasthani dishes include Dal Baati Churma, Panchratna Dal, Papad ro Saag, Ker Sangri, Gatte ro Saag. It is also known for its snacks like Bikaneri bhujia, Mirchi bada and Kanda kachauri. Other famous dishes include Dal Baati, malaidar special lassi (lassi) and Lashun ki chutney, Mawa lassi from Jodhpur, Alwar ka mawa, Malpauas from Pushkar and rasgulla from Bikaner, "paniya"and "gheriya" from Mewar. Originating for the Marwar region of the state is the concept Marwari Bhojnalaya, or vegetarian restaurants, today found in many parts of India, which offer vegetarian food of the Marwari people. The history also has its effect on the diet as the Rajputs preferred majorly a non-vegetarian diet while the Brahmins, Jains, Bishnois and others preferred a vegetarian diet. So, the state has a myriad of both types of delicacies.
Panchamukha, also rendered Panchamukhi, is a concept in Hindu iconography, in which a deity is represented with five heads. Several Hindu deities are depicted with five faces in their iconography, such as Hanuman, Shiva, Brahma, Ganesha, and Gayatri.
Mithai (sweets) are the confectionery and desserts of the Indian subcontinent. Thousands of dedicated shops in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka sell nothing but sweets.
South Asian pickle is a pickled food made from a variety of vegetables and fruits preserved in brine, vinegar, edible oils, and various South Asian spices. The pickles are popular across South Asia, with many regional variants, natively known as lonache, avalehikā, uppinakaayi, pachadi or noncha, achaar, athāṇu or athāṇo or athāna, khaṭāī or khaṭāin, sandhan or sendhan or sāṇdhāṇo, kasundi, or urugaai.
Peda or Pera is an Indian sweet that originated in the city of Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, India. Traditionally prepared as thick, semi-soft round balls, its main ingredients are khoa, sugar and traditional flavourings including cardamom seeds. It is brown in colour. Variant spellings and names for the dessert include pedha, penda and pera.
Bhojpuri cuisine is a style of food preparation common among the Bhojpuri people of Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh in India, and also the Terai region of Nepal. Bhojpuri foods are mostly mild and tend to be less hot in terms of spices used. The cuisine consists of both vegetable and meat dishes.
Chaas is a curd-based drink popular across the Indian subcontinent. In Magahi and Bundeli, it is called Mattha. In Rajasthani it is called ghol, in Odia it is called Ghol/Chaash,moru in Tamil and Malayalam, taak in Marathi, majjiga in Telugu, majjige in Kannada, ale in Tulu and ghol in Bengali. In Indian English, it is often referred to as buttermilk.
Sattvic diet refers to a type of plant-based diet within Ayurveda where food is divided into what is defined as three yogic qualities (guna) known as sattva. In this system of dietary classification, foods that decrease the energy of the body are considered tamasic, while those that increase the energy of the body are considered rajasic. A sattvic diet is sometimes referred to as a yogic diet in modern literature.
Malpua, or sometimes shortened to pua, is a sweetened breakfast served with morning tea or as a snack with afternoon tea or as a dessert originating from the East Indian subcontinent, popular in Bhutan, India, Nepal and Bangladesh.
Panjiri is a Ayurvedic sweet dish from the Indian subcontinent which is specially prepared for Krishna Janmashtami festival. The sweet panjiri evolved from an Ayurvedic preparation called Panchajīraka.
Sattu is a type of flour, mainly used in India, Nepal, Tibet and Pakistan. Sattu is a type of flour made up of dry roasted and ground pulses and cereals. The dry powder is prepared in various ways as a principal or secondary ingredient of dishes. Sattu is used in vegetarian cuisine as it can be a source of protein.
Manda roti is a traditional Indian roti which finds mention in religious Sanskrit literature like purāṇas to ayurvedic & pākakalā texts like Nighantus & Bhojanakutūhala. This roti is extremely thin and limp, and served folded like a handkerchief. Manda roti is usually made with a combination of whole wheat atta flour and white wheaten maida flour and cooked on the convex side of a kadahi. It is also known as veechu roti in Tamil or Mandige in other parts of South India.
Laapsi or lapsi is an Indian sweet dish made using grain flour or broken wheat and ghee, along with milk, nuts, raisins and other dried fruits. Lapsi is commonly prepared during Hindu ceremonies and is served as a religious offering to Devtas. Lapsi forms an integral part of North Indian cuisine and has many variants.
Tehri or tahri is a yellow rice dish in India, Nepal and Bangladesh. Spices are added to plain cooked rice for flavor and colour. In one version of tehri, potatoes are added to the rice.
Tempering is a cooking technique used in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, in which whole spices are cooked briefly in oil or ghee to liberate essential oils from cells and thus enhance their flavours, before being poured, together with the oil, into a dish. Tempering is also practiced by dry-roasting whole spices in a pan before grinding the spices. Tempering is typically done at the beginning of cooking, before adding the other ingredients for a curry or similar dish, or it may be added to a dish at the end of cooking, just before serving.
Adivasah is an upper garment of Vedic times clothing; It is a type of over garment similar to a mantle or cloak. Vedas refers paridhāna (dress) as a set of clothes with these two main components where Vasa is for the lower body and Adivasa for the upper body.
Lehyam, also referred to as Lekiyam refers to a traditional Indian electuary or confection.
Mukhavāsa is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms mukha and vāsa (वास).