Thursday 4 July 2019

What is Badam Pisin/Gond katira/Almond gum and is it good for health?

Badam Pisin
Badam Pisin



When I was visiting a naattu maruthu kadai to buy few athimathuram sticks for my kiddo. BTW... Naattu marunthu Kadai is these small stores that sell all medicinal herbs and are found commonly everywhere in TamilNadu. 

The shop keeper somehow found out that I will not leave with only one item😉 and started his usual marketing tactics to make me purchase more herbs. Do you want Aavaaram poo, Karunjeeragam,....and he continued with a long list of medicinal herbs. Finally, he ended the list by saying we also sell Badam Pisin here. Immediately, I got curious because all the items that he told were familiar to me but I was not sure what Badam Pisin was.

I asked him about the uses of Badam Pisin, the very first thing that he told was "it is used in Jigarthanda". Though I heard about this drink but have not tasted it and don't know how it was prepared, I still bought 50 gms of Badam Pisin and was heading home with a great sense of achievement😊. 

Later, I browsed and found out that Jigarthanda is a famous drink in Madurai which uses Badam Pisin. Now, my curiosity about Badam Pisin was even more kindled and I was coming up with all sorts of questions like What is Badam Pisin?, Is Badam Pisin good for health?, How to use Badam Pisin?What are the recipes that I can prepare using Badam Pisin? more and more.

Like me, if you also want to know about Badam Pisin/Gond katira/Almond gum. Here we are. 

1) What is Badam Pisin?
Badam Pisin can be called in many names such as Gond katira, Almond gum, Almond Resin, and Badam Gum. It is an edible gum that is removed from the barks of the Sweet Almond tree similar to how we extract resin from a rubber tree only that this Badam resin is edible. After the resin is obtained from the sap of the tree, it is then dried then comes to market. If you ask me whether it has any taste or odor, then no. An odorless, tasteless gum that is soluble in water which is 100 % natural and chemical free.

2) How to use Badam Pisin?
Take few Badam Pisin crystals in a bowl and add a generous amount of water. Close it with a lid and let it stay overnight. Next day morning you can see jelly puffed up nicely. Your Badam Pisin is ready and you can prepare many delicious recipes using this Jelly. Store this jelly in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge and it stays fresh for a week's time.

3) Where can I buy Badam Pisin?
All major online stores such as Bigbasket, Amazon, Flipkart sells Badam Pisin. Nowadays, most of the department stores are selling Badam Pisin. I am able to find one in Dmart too. If you couldn't get it anywhere then I am definitely sure you will get it in "Naattu Marunthu Kadai". 

4) Is Badam Pisin good for health?
Yes, Badam Pisin offers great health benefits and they are
  • Badam Pisin has cooling properties and hence reduces your body heat considerably.  That is why Badam Pisin is mixed with sharbat and consumed.
  • It helps to heal stomach burns, acidity, and ulcers.
  • Since Badam Pisin is a natural product that comes from the tree, it has no artificial colors or preservatives. A natural jelly that can be safely consumed by children.
  • Badam Pisin is the perfect pick if you are looking for ways to gain weight. Especially for underweight children and weightlifters, they can consume Badam Pisin along with milk.
  • Badam Pisin jelly can be rubbed on your skin for treating heat boils. It is one of the effective home remedies.
  • Being rich in minerals and protein, Badam Pisin is an antioxidant that fights free radicals.
5) When can we consume Badam Pisin?
Summers are the best time to consume Badam Pisin. Because the cooling properties of Badam Pisin keep the summer prone diseases at bay.

Takeaways:

Remember, anything goes in excess obviously comes with its own side-effects. Beware, too much of Badam Pisin can upset your stomach. If you are a pregnant or lactating mother, it is better to check with your doctor before consuming Badam Pisin.

After knowing all about Badam Pisin, we are left with no questions but one 'Why do we need artificial Jelly when we have 100% natural Jelly?'.

Try exploring recipes by using Badam Pisin, add it to lassi, juice, milkshakes, sharbat, Pudding and Ice Cream to enjoy the health benefits Badam Pisin along with relishing it. 

As a first step, I tried making Badam Pisin Rose Cooler. It is easy and absolutely delicious. If you want to give it a try, click on the below picture to get the recipe. BTW...I am yet to try Jigarthanda recipe 😊.

So, why not you try your own recipe with this natural jelly and write to me about how it turned. Bon Appétit and See you all soon with another interesting topic.


Badam Pisin Rose Cooler



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