Dry ginger powder, also known as saunth or soonth, is a staple ingredient in Indian kitchens. Made from dried ginger root that has been ground into a fine powder, it helps enhance the taste of any dish by several notches. Not only this, dry ginger powder also offers numerous health benefits. Recently, celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar took to her Instagram handle to share the benefits of saunth. She also mentioned the different ways to consume it, especially in this season when your body is prone to seasonal infections.
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Rujuta, in the caption, asked, “Which is the herb and spice that is as good as turmeric but not quite in the limelight? Which has flavoured your dals, rice and even chai? The one who quietly works in the background regulating your appetite, BP and even blood sugars?” She then explained the various health benefits of dry ginger powder. The health expert stated that she wanted to bring your attention to the dried and powdered form of ginger – soonth or saunth. It will soothe your aches, pains and troubles and spice up your life at the same time, she added.
According to Rujuta, dry ginger powder can help your body in the following ways:
- It has many bioactive molecules and they play a range of roles.
- It has a high antioxidant value.
- It helps the action of trypsin and lipase (enzymes required to breakdown protein and fat).
- Dry ginger powder also acts as an analgesic and provides pain relief.
In the video, the nutritionist explained different ways of savouring soonth:
1. If you have knee pain or body ache in winter, ginger powder will come to your rescue. Many people, who also face issues like dull skin or dandruff, can also place their trust in this food item. With the wedding season going on, people who tend to binge on a lot of food and end up facing stomach issues can also consume ginger powder for some relief.
2. Rujuta stated that you can take a small amount of ginger powder with milk at night. This will help you sleep better.
3. You can eat some dry ginger powder with jaggery and ghee as well. This will help you feel energetic throughout the day.
4. There are ways you can also make your kids have this food item. The health expert suggested mixing the sonth in equal amounts with ghee, jaggery and turmeric and giving this to young kids in the form of small balls. This will protect them from catching cold, cough, congestion or flu etc.
5. If you are a chai lover, it's advisable to put some dry ginger powder in your masala chai. During the winter season, you'll love sipping on a flavourful tea like this one.
6. Rujuta stated that a lot of traditional desserts, including salampaak, gol papdi or panjiri, also contain sounnth. So, you can gorge on these winter delicacies.
Rujuta also mentioned that dry ginger powder works like magic for your skin and hair alike. Therefore, you must not miss a chance to include this into your diet.