A Spice Prescription for Eggplant Satay

This week we welcome professional guidance supplemented by a spice prescription from
our friend Geeta Maker-Clark, MD. Geeta is an Integrative Family Physician in the NorthShore University HealthSystem. Click here for Geeta’s extensive Biography. (See below for a good definition of Integrative Medicine.)

“My practice focuses on using food as medicine. The right foods can be truly transformational, and the wrong ones can be like a poison!”

“When it comes to Indian food, I am passionate from both a health and flavor perspective. I grew up on it, and still favor my mom’s cooking over most anyone else’s. Indian cuisine is based on ayurvedic traditions of healing with food, so it is a wonderful tradition to learn from.”

“Here is my personal prescription for some wonderfully healthful additions to your cooking!”

Dosage follows in our Eggplant Satay recipe which caught my eye in the colorful cookbook “Prashad” which I picked it up in a local bookstore in my hometown. Serendipitously, it transpired that Meg was, at the same time, being served something similar as part of her daily meal in Pune, India.

Turmeric – a gorgeous deep golden colored spice

• An incredible anti-inflammatory, the yellow pigment is called curcumin and is considered to be the active ingredient.

• In numerous studies, curcumin’s anti-inflammatory effects have been shown to be comparable to drugs like hydrocortisone and phenylbutazone as well as over-the-counter anti-inflammatory agents such as Motrin.

• Unlike the drugs, which are associated with significant toxic effects (ulcer formation, decreased white blood cell count, intestinal bleeding), curcumin has rare and few side effects.

• Research has shown curcumin can prevent tumors from forming; and studies conducted at the University of Texas suggest that even when breast cancer is already present, curcumin can help slow the spread of breast cancer cells to the lungs, in mice. I use it for my patients with cancer, Crohn’s disease, and rheumatoid arthritis, to name a few. It is well known for its use in curry, but can be used creatively in most cooked dishes.

Cumin – a great source of Iron. Who knew?

• Cumin seeds resemble caraway seeds, oblong in shape, longitudinally ridged, and yellowish-brown in color. They are an Indian food staple in seed and powder form.

• I like to use them in my practice for people with digestive issues like bloating and gas after eating. They seem to help stimulate pancreatic enzymes and help support digestion in this way.

• In India, a cup of hot water with cumin seeds steeping for 10 minutes is considered a great remedy for stomach upset with cramping. Chewing on cumin seeds after a meal is a quick way to help digestion and nutrient assimilation.

Garlic – Not a spice, but used like one!

• The medicinal properties of garlic are too numerous to mention, but it is certainly well known for its cholesterol and blood pressure lowering properties.

• I recommend cooking with it often, alongside a full lifestyle modification program with exercise and a plant based diet, for patients with cardiovascular risk factors or disease. (Most studies were done on garlic extracts or powder however.)

• Other great benefits include the antibacterial and antiviral properties of garlic, perhaps the most legendary feature! This allium vegetable and its constituents have been studied not only for their benefits in controlling infection by bacteria and viruses, but also infection from other microbes including yeasts/fungi and worms. (One particular disulfide in garlic, called ajoene, has been successfully used to help prevent infections with the yeast Candida albicans.)

• These are just a few reasons to incorporate garlic into your diet, and use it often!

As founder of the Food as Medicine workshop series Geeta is hosting a class on March 26th about GI health. Click here for tickets. In April she is running a Yoga, Dance and Food Workshop

Prep Time 15 minutes     Cooking Time 3 hours HIGH or 6 hours LOW Servings 4 -6

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs eggplant, cubed into 1 inch pieces
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 cup / 5 oz red skinned peanuts, unsalted
1 tbsp brown sugar
3 tbsp ground coriander
2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp medium red chili powder
2 tomatoes
2″ piece ginger
2 garlic cloves
2  handfuls of cilantro
3 tbsp light olive oil
1 1/2 cups or 240ml water

Cube the eggplants by chopping off the stalk end. Stand on the flat, cut end and slice down the length through the center. Take each half and do the same again. Lie the pieces stacked as two halves flat on your chopping board and cut into equal cubes. Put the pieces into a colander and sprinkle with salt. This will remove bitterness and extra water from the eggplant.

Put the peanuts, sugar, coriander, turmeric, cumin, chili powder, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, cilantro, olive oil and water into the blender. Blend to a thick paste.

Drain the eggplant and put into your slow cooker insert. Scrape the marinade out of the blender and stir into the eggplant.

Cover and cook on HIGH for 3 hours.

Serve over cooked brown rice and a quick red onion, cilantro and lime juice salad.

Zen Toolkit

A masala dabba is a circular tin in which to keep your favorite spices next to the stove.

Zen Moment

“India shaped my mind, anchored my identity, influenced my beliefs, and made me who I am. … India matters to me and I would like to matter to India.”

― Shashi Tharoor

*** Definition: Integrative Medecine

Integrative Medicine is defined by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine at the National Institutes of Health, Integrative medicine “combines mainstream medical therapies and CAM therapies (complementary and alternative medicines) for which there is some high-quality scientific evidence of safety and effectiveness.”