Aesthetic of Green Food
Salad, the green food, originates from the Latin sal, meaning “salt.”
In the West, salad means eating raw fruits, leafy greens, and vegetables mixed with salt and butter without cooking. Salad is known to Indians for ages, as Haritam or Haritakam.
Indian cuisine offers a wide variety of salads. For instance, the classical culinary text BhojanaKutūhalam even devotes an entire chapter to them. Let us explore some of these traditional varieties:
1. ĀmraHaritam (Mango Salad): Delicious; reduces vāta, increases kapha and heat, but diminishes digestive power.
2. Bimbī Haritam (Ivy Gourd Salad): Promotes weight gain, enhances radiance, reduces vāta and heat.
3. Mūlaka Haritam (Radish Salad): Easily digestible; alleviates digestive tract disorders; balances the three doṣas.
4. KāravellakaHaritam (Bitter Gourd Salad): Stimulates digestive fire; beneficial for diabetes; eliminates intestinal worms.
5. Rambhākāṇḍa Haritam (Banana Stem Pith Salad): Reduces body heat, burning sensations, and bleeding; digests slowly.
6. KaidaryaHaritam (Curry Leaf Salad): Flavorful and aromatic; balances the three doṣas; alleviates leprosy and digestive disorders.
7. ŚṛṅgaveraHaritam (Ginger Salad):Ginger paste with salt, taken as the first morsel, enhances digestion, clears the tongue, pacifies the doṣas, reduces swelling, bloating, and oedema, and strengthens the body.
Ginger soaked in lemon juice reduces kapha and heat, cures throatailments, and benefits liver and spleen health.
Ginger with jaggery strengthens, reduces vāta and kapha, and aids digestion.
Ginger with tamarind juice increases kapha.
8. Gajakarnikā-kandamūla Salad (Taro Root (Chema) Salad): Generates heat; eliminates kapha, vāta, and snake venom effects; reduces leprosy and anaemia.
9. KūṣmāṇḍaHaritam (Ash Gourd Salad): Relieves cold, heaviness of the head, and excess heat; strengthens the body; enhances sexual vitality.
10. AsiśimbiHaritam (Sword Bean Salad): Digests slowly; reduces vāta.
11. VṛntākaHaritam (Brinjal/Eggplant Salad): Brinjal pieces with ginger, lemon juice, asafoetida, and pepper form a kapha-reducing salad.
12. MākandikāHaritam (Black Mustard Greens Salad): Reduces kapha and vāta disorders; aids digestion; strengthens the body.
13. PārevataHaritam (Guava Salad): Guava pieces with spices strengthen the body and improve digestion.
14. ToyamāgadhikaHaritam (Water Pepper -jalapippali-Salad): Leaves, fruits, and flowers are pungent; induce thirst; stimulate digestive fire; reduce diarrheal disorders.
15. KadalīphalaHaritam (Banana Salad): Banana pieces with spices reduce vāta and heat; strengthen the body.
16. ŚāribaHaritam (Indian Sarsaparilla Root Salad): Reduces kapha disorders, heat-related illnesses, indigestion, and skin diseases.
17. TrapusaHaritakam (Cucumber Salad): With proper spices, supports urinary health, alleviates urinary disorders, and reduces excess body heat.
18. MahābadaraHaritakam (Apple Salad): Pleasant and nourishing; enhances strength and vitality, though excessive intake may aggravate head-related disorders.
19. KośātakīHaritakam (Ridge Gourd Salad): Highly beneficial for cardiac health; supports a wide range of conditions.
20. PaṭolāHaritakam (Pointed Gourd Salad): With suitable seasonings, pacifies vāta and kapha; imparts a soothing, cooling effect.
As these examples show, salads in our tradition do not require exotic or costly ingredients like broccoli. Prepared without cooking—sometimes eaten raw, sometimes as accompaniments to rice, sometimes as pickles, with spices, or with curd- our native vegetables are more than sufficient. A touch of tempering adds extra flavour and completes the aesthetic of green food.
– Dr G. V. Purnachand
