Eats and Treats #6: Searching for The Elixir of Life - Jamu Kunyit

When we decide we want to get out of the rat race, spend a bit of time chilling, re-centering ourselves and getting in touch with our inner yogi, we flee to Bali and where possible the lesser known and "paths less trodden" bits.

Is this where we find the inner yogi?

Ubud used to be our favourite place to go - and while I still love it - there is no denying it has, over the last 15 odd years, become more of a tourist mecca.

Ubud - becoming a tourist mecca

But that aside, it has given me some wonderful memories and experiences and is always good for a big dose of "healthy".

Everything's healthy!

This is where westerners go to eat fresh, organic, whole - a seemingly big deal for many... yet this is the way the Indonesians eat normally and that never ceases to make me laugh at what we think might be wondrous or a fad or a trend! We pay all that money to go over there to experience what they live as part of their daily life in the hopes that we might have a small sliver of the "good life" in between our hustle and bustle.

But this is an Eats & Treats series post - which infers there is a recipe coming up... and you'd be right!

Today's recipe could quite reasonable be considered the Elixir of Life - let me introduce Jamu Kunyit.

Jamu or Djamu, is traditional healing methodology used in Indonesia, primarily using herbal remedies made from roots, bark, flowers, seeds, leaves and fruit. It's been used for years to detox the liver (Somewhat appropriate for Aussies in Bali I would think), clear the blood, reduce inflammation, improve the immune system and fight off nasty bugs and bacteria as well as treating asthma, eczema and arthritis. And that's just the start!

While over 200 different herbs can be used in Jamu, I wanted to share a recipe for Jamu Kunyit Asam in particular

This is one of the more popular Jamu remedies, for kidney and liver cleansing and weight management. It's also the love potion in the movie 'Eat Pray Love'.

The key ingredients are Turmeric (Kunyit) and Tamarind (Asam)

Turmeric has so many health benefits. As well as detoxifying and combating inflammation it also aids in speeding up metabolism - great for weight-loss.

TurmericSource: DepositPhotos

Tamarind aids digestion, stomach discomfort and can be used for fevers, sore throats and inflammation.

Tamarind
Source: DepositPhotos

Local Indonesians drink Jamu everyday and have been doing so for thousands of years. Recipes are usually handed down from generation to generation in each family.

Naturally I am on-board with anything that has health plastered all over it and hey - who doesn't like a bit of weight management thrown in there.

So the first thing to do when returning from Bali after that first fateful trip that introduced me to Jamu Kunyit - was stock up on Turmeric and Tamarind.

A word of warning if you have not worked with Turmeric before... It stains everything.. I mean everything. I can't emphasise this enough.. You've been warned!

My first batch of Home-made Jamu Kunyit

• 4 inches Turmeric
• 1 piece of Tamarind about 1cm thick and 2.5cm diameter (I buy it in a dried “brick” from an organic shop)
• 2 lemons
• Raw honey
• Water
• Blender
• Mason jar(s) or another glass jar with a lid

1. Peel Turmeric. (Warning – Everything gets stained yellow but can be cleaned with a good scrub and dish washing liquid) Boil it in about two litres of water for about 20 minutes (This will be the amount of drink you get)

2. While the Turmeric is boiling, get a pan and pour ~1inch of water into a pan with the peeled Tamarind. Stir the fruit with a wooden utensil. Mix it in with the water so it can melt and dissolve into a jam-like texture. More water shouldn’t be needed, but if it’s looking a bit dry, pour additional water as needed.

3. When the texture of the tamarind looks soft, turn the heat off and let it cool down

4. Pour the Turmeric water into the blender with the Turmeric roots and blend. Then add the liquid from the tamarind mixture and blend again – then add the lemon and honey to taste and blend again.

5. Try adding some mint which takes away the bitterness and adds a refreshing flavour.

6. Pour into glass jars and refrigerate

7. Store in fridge up to 3-4 days and drink daily.

And that's all there is to it. A bit messy but well worth the effort.

Tune in next time to see what else I am inspired to whip up in the kitchen

Til then.....

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Source:
Photos unless otherwise credited have been taken by the Author
This is an edited version of the original article which can be found on my health blog http://agirlsguidetosuccess.com/
Content is original