Satavari Ghritam: A Nourishing Ghee

-by Sheela Rani Chunkath

I have written in my earlier articles as to how ghee has practically become a ‘dirty’ word as far as health conscious individuals are concerned. As far as vaidyars are concerned, the ghritam or ghee medicated and infused with various herbs is invaluable in the treatment of various diseases.

One such valuable ghritam is the Satavari ghritam made primarily with an infusion of Satavari rasa or asparagus juice. Strange as it may seem, the same asparagus found in asparagus soup is an invaluable ayurvedic herb useful in the treatment of diseases and disorders of the urinary system. The Satavari or asparagus plant is a lovely creeper with feathery leaves and thorns on its stem. If you go on a trek you will definitely come across this plant. During my last trip to Yercaud, I was excited to find this plant growing wild everywhere. I sat down with a sharp stick and dug around the base of the stem and saw the plump roots of the creeper growing as long as 2 feet. If you dig under a mature plant you can harvest a bunch of the plump roots. The roots are the main medicinal part of the plant.

While the roots form part of an ayurvedic ghritam, the roots have other properties. My vaidyar invariably prescribes a decoction made of Satavari roots mixed with milk to combat giddiness. If you feel giddy or have positional vertigo, where the room seems to go round when you change positions in your bed and there seems to be no physiological cause for the giddiness, this home treatment is something that seems to work.

Boil a handful of either fresh or dried Satavari roots with a few raisins in a glass of water, reduce the volume to one-fourth and strain. While using the root, remove the central fibrous portion. Add to ½ glass of milk with sugar or palm sugar and have it twice a day. The giddiness seems to disappear as if by magic within a week. Since the giddiness could be serious and be symptomatic of other underlying problems do consult a vaidyar if this does not work.

Now back to the ghritam. The other ingredients include an infusion of gokshura or small caltrop (nerinjil mullu in Tamil). If you have tried walking barefoot on a green meadow with small yellow flowers and thorns everywhere, you probably had an unhappy meeting with this herb. It is a herb with small yellow flowers. The fruit of the plant breaks into thorny nutlets and these are the main medicinal part of this herb known as Tribulus terrestris.

The ingredients which number about 30 include a range of herbs – from the aromatic sandalwood to bamboo manna, from nutgrass tubers to cucumber seeds. Spices such as cardamom and long pepper are also included. Immune enhancers like Tinospora also find a place in the list of ingredients. Sweeteners such as raisins, liquorice, sugar and honey have also been included, not merely for their sweetening property, but also for their dosha pacifying properties. Milk, not the reconstituted kind you get in plastic sachets which bears little resemblance to real milk, but pure cow’s milk is added to the ghee, Satavari and gokshura decoction. The rest of the ingredients are powdered, mixed and boiled. When the proper consistency is obtained, it is allowed to cool. Sugar and honey are then added.

This is one of the ghritams I have enjoyed drinking because it is sweet, unlike many of the other ghritams which are often bitter and strange smelling.

In addition to tackling diseases of the urinary system, this ghritam is basically used to pacify the pitta and vata doshas. It is a nourishing ghritam and used as a rasayana drug for promoting general well being also.

--- The writer was earlier Health Secretary, Govt. of Tamil Nadu and is currently, Principal Secretary and Chairman & Managing Director, Tamil Nadu Handicrafts Development Corporation. She can be reached at Sheelarani.arogyamantra@gmail.com. Earlier articles can be accessed at http://arogyamantra.blogspot.com/