Tulsi has a special place in Ayurveda. It has been proven effective in protecting our body from various infections and diseases of the liver, skin, kidney, etc. It contains powerful oxidants that can help in keeping blood pressure levels and cholesterol levels under control, making it one of the best heart-healthy foods. It is also good for diabetes as it possesses hypoglycaemic properties which are known to help lower blood sugar levels.
Owing to its health benefits, Tulsi is rightly called the ‘Queen of Herbs’.
5 Holy Basil (Tulsi-based) Recipes
MINT BASIL LIMEADE
Ingredients:
- 4 Large Basil Leaves
- 4 Mint Leaves
- 1 oz Simple Syrup
- 1 oz Fresh Lime Juice
- Top with Soda Water
Directions:
- Gently muddle the basil, mint, and simple syrup in a mixing tin, add ice and shake until well-chilled.
- Double-strain into a Collins glass over fresh ice.
- Top with the soda water.
- Garnish with a lime wheel
source: https://www.mainespirits.com/recipes/mint-basil-limeade-mocktail
PEPPER SOUP WITH HOLY BASIL
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
Soak & Grind
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds/jeera
- ½ tablespoon Tuvar dal/toor dal/Tuvaram paruppu/split pigeon peas
To Grind
- 2 nos medium ripened tomatoes chopped
- 1 no green chilli
- 2 fistfuls fresh tulsi leaves / holy basil leaves
- a small piece of ginger
- a sprig of curry leaf
Spices & Seasonings
- 1½ teaspoon Rasam Powder
- ¾ teaspoon Salt or to taste
- fresh coriander for garnish
- juice of half a lemon
Tempering
- 1 teaspoon of oil/ghee
- ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
- ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon hing/asafoetida
- ½ teaspoon freshly pounded black pepper
Instructions
- Soak jeera/cumin seeds and tuvar dal together for 30 minutes.
- In a mixer/blender jar, take chopped tomatoes, soaked jeera, and dal along with the water, ginger, curry leaves, tulsi leaves, and green chili together. Blend smooth by adding ½ a cup of water.
- Take the blended mixture in a saucepan, add rasam powder, salt, and another cup of water.
- Let this cook on a medium flame. Let it boil rapidly for 5-8 minutes for the rawness of the rasam powder to escape.
- Check the consistency of the rasam, if it is too thick add another ½ cup of water.
- My rasam was thick. Usually, pigeon peas tend to thicken when boiled, so I added water. Take it off the stove.
- After adding water, reduce the flame to simmer, and let the rasam froth on top. Then take it off the stove.
- Lets Tadka
- In a small tadka pan, heat ghee/oil, splutter mustard seeds, crackle cumin, add hing and a dash of freshly pounded pepper powder
- Pour this sizzling tadka over the hot rasam, and add lemon juice.
- Garnish with coriander leaves and serve it with hot steaming rice.
source: https://www.icampinmykitchen.com/tulasi-rasam-holy-basil-rasamlentil-soup/
PASTA IN PESTO SAUCE
Pesto ingredients:
fresh basil, olive oil, garlic, parmesan, cashews, or pine nuts (good-quality store-bought pesto is ok too).
Penne (fusilli and rigatoni will work)
Potatoes
Salt & pepper
Cherry tomatoes (optional)
Instructions
- Blend up all the ingredients of basil pesto sauce.
- Cook your pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water.
- Before draining the pasta, reserve some of the starchy pasta water. Then, add 1/4 cup of this pasta water back into the pot with your pesto, and stir to thin the pesto.
- Toss in the cooked pasta, and mix until the pesto thoroughly coats it.
- Add a big handful of cherry tomato and toss until it’s barely wilted.
- Finish everything with a big squeeze of lemon, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and toasted pine nuts (optional).
source: https://theclevermeal.com/penne-with-pesto/
TULSI SUDHA
This drink is not only tasty but has medicinal qualities as well. It cures colds, coughs, headaches, gastric, and other acidity-related problems. Tulsi Sudha is good for digestion and increases the body’s immunity level.
Ingredients
- Tulsi Leaves – ½ cup(100 leaves)
- Gur(jaggery) – ¾ cup
- Lemon – 5(medium-sized)
- Elaichi(cardamom) – 10
- Water – 10 cups
Directions
- Squeeze juice from the lemons. Grind tulsi leaves and elaichi along with lemon juice to make a fine paste.
- Boil water with jaggery in it. Once the water comes to a boil and the jaggery starts to dissolve turn off the gas. When the water turns lukewarm, add the paste to the dissolved jaggery. Stir well so that the paste and water are inseparable then cover it and leave aside for 2 hours.
- After proper cooling strain Tulsi Sudha. Tasty Tulsi Sudha is now ready. During summers drink Tulsi Sudha at a low or normal temperature and drink it as tea during winters. One can enjoy a Tulsi Sudha drink for up to 15 days if stored in the fridge.
source: https://nishamadhulika.com/en/645-tulsi-sudha-recipe.html
TULSI TENDER COCONUT ICE CREAM
Ingredients
1 cup Tender coconut
1 cup Full-fat milk malai
12 – 13 tulsi leaves
2-3 tsp Honey/sugar
Instructions
- Grind the tender coconut with malai, tulsi leaves, honey
- Mix the coconut mixture completely
- Pour this mixture into an airtight container
- Cover and freeze it for 10 hours
- Remove just before serving, and enjoy
source: https://cookpad.com/in/recipes/4759584-tulsi-tender-coconut-ice-cream
Note: Kindly consult a doctor before consuming Tulsi. Especially, pregnant women, lactating mothers, children, and elderly individuals need to exercise caution.