Herbal gruel

Gruel is one of the food preparation methods. It is a semi solid meal consists of rice, wheat, green gram, black gram, barley, ragi, sago and also used herbal leaves.

Gruel is usually taken before breakfast and it is very nutritional food helps to prevent weaknesses, remedy for some diseases and preserves strong healthy life.

Herbal gruel (Kola kenda) is an ancient traditional Srilankan food made up of fresh juice of herbal green leaves, coconut milk and red raw rice.

Herbal gruel

Preparation of Herbal gruel

400g of clean green leaves

50g of red raw rice

5 cups of water

5 Table spoon of coconut powder

1 Table spoon of Lime juice

1 Table spoon of chopped Red onion

1 Tea spoon of chopped ginger

1 Tea spoon of chopped garlic

1 Tea spoon of Table salt

½ Tea spoon of Mustard Powder

Crush rice and put into a pot. Cook it with 1 cup of water in mild fire. Blend the green leaves with 2 cups of water and squeeze the juice. Dissolve the coconut powder in 2 cups of water and add coconut milk into the pot of boiled rice and stir it well. Then chopped ginger, garlic, Red onion, Mustard Powder and Table salt add into the pot and finally add juice of leaves into the same pot. Then stir well until boil. After that remove the pot from the fire, when the mixture just starts to boil. Next add 1 Table spoon of lime juice for it. Leave for few minutes to cool. It can drink with a piece of jaggery.

Herbal gruel helps to keep healthy life. In this preparation, these plant materials are grind and squeeze and mixed with coconut milk, the fat soluble and water soluble vitamins are converted into easily absorbed form in the body.

Commonly green leaves consist with β - Carotene, Riboflavin, Vitamin K, Ascorbic acid,   and Folic acid, Calcium, α - Linoleic acid Irons and other nutrients. Red raw rice supplies Vitamin B and Carbohydrates and also Biotin is included in coconut milk. Therefore herbal gruel is a wholesome balanced diet.

Herbal gruel contains many therapeutic values in Traditional medicine. It is useful to prevent some diseases such as constipation, drowsy, fatigue, anemic conditions, high blood pressure, cholesterol, Diabetes mellitus and urinary calculi.

Following plants commonly used for preparation of Herbal gruel.

Gotukola - Centalla asiatica
Iramusu - Hemidesmus indicus
Mukunuwenna - Alternanthera sessilis

Karapincha - Murraya koenigii

Hatawariya leaves and roots - Asparagus racemosus
Welpenela - Cardiospermum halicacabum

Polpala - Aerva lanata

Ela batu leaves - Solanum melongena

Monarakudumbiya - Vernonia cinerea

Wel thibbatu leaves - Solanum trilobatum

Heen Bowitiya - Osbeckia octandra

Neeramulliya - Asteracantha longifolia

Kohila leaves and stem - Lasia spinosa

Heen Undupiyaliya - Desmodium triflorum

Divul leaves - Limonia acidissima