Adhatoda - Adusa - Justicia adhatoda | वासा

Aaduthoda leaves

Aaduthoda Ghee Roast with Thumbai-Corriander Chutney and Tomato Chutney

For me, taste in food is foremost. For someone who relishes pavakai pitlai, modakathan keerai dosai, agathi keerai, aaduthoda scaled new heights in bitterness. No wonder, even goats don't touch these leaves. After adding, lots of dosa batter, as crisp ghee paper roasts, this was finally yummy and very much eatable.

Best part was Thumbai chutney. Nothing can beat the fragrance of Leucas aspera (thumbai) flowers and leaves. That along with roasted black gram and bengal gram, shredded ginger and coconut - resulting Thumbai chutney was amazing.

For medicinal benefits:

• For cough and cold; bronchodilatatory (wiki)
• Used for bleeding disorders (herbalgarden)
• Increases memory (natural)
• For treating asthma (hindu)
• For thumbai see

Why aaduthoda and thumbai today?

       After a equilateral triangle bus trip from Bangalore to Chennai to Trichy, i collapsed after bathing without even waiting for my hair to get dried. So thumbai chutney with aaduthoda to get rid of all the phelgm.

Nov 22, 2016 update

वासापत्रं तु तरुणमानीय क्रिमिवर्जितम् । चूर्णं तोयेन विपचेत्ततिक्तविनिवृतये ॥ ४९५ ॥
गते तिक्ते पुनस्तच्च मन्थानेन विलोडयेत् । तत्र निक्षिप्य संभारान् पूर्वद्विपचेच्च तत् ॥ ४९६ ॥
पुनश्च वासनादौ च कृते तन्मधुरायते । विपाकसमये चेदं कासश्वासहरं भवेत् ॥ ४९७ ॥

-P. 78 of  Pākdarpaṇa of Nala by Dr. Madhulika

Preparation of Vāsa leaves and its Properties

Ingredients

• Fresh vāsa leaves
• Powder of lime
• Spices

Preparation

• The tender vāsa leaves, uninfested by worms should be cooked with powder of lime in order to remove its bitterness.
• Afterwards, it should be stirred well and mixed with appropriate spices
• After making in fragrant, it becomes sweet in taste.
• This preparation gets rid of cough and ashthma

Words Reference

• वासापत्रं तु तरुणमानीय क्रिमिवर्जितम् 

वासापत्रं  Adhatoda leaves
तु and
तरुणमानीय = तरुणम् + आनीय tender + having bought
क्रिमिवर्जितम् without germs/worms
Having bought tender adhatoda leaves without worms

• चूर्णं तोयेन विपचेत्ततिक्तविनिवृतये ॥ ४९५ ॥

चूर्णं lime powder
तोयेन 3v. by/with water
विपचेत्ततिक्तविनिवृतये = विपचेत् + तिक्त + निवृतये
           विपचेत्   वि.लि. could cook thoroughly;
           निवृतये to render relief/remove
To remove bitterness, you can cook with lime water

• गते तिक्ते पुनस्तच्च मन्थानेन विलोडयेत् 

गते तिक्ते bitterness having gone

पुनस्तच्च and again there
मन्थानेन by churning stick विलोडयेत् वि.लि. stir
After bitterness is gone, again stir it with churning stick

• तत्र निक्षिप्य संभारान् पूर्वद्विपचेच्च तत् ॥ ४९६ ॥

तत्र there/ in that
निक्षिप्य keeping
संभारान् preparations
पूर्वद्विपचेच्च = पूर्वत् विपचेत् च previously added/cooked
तत् that
Cook that having previously added spices to it

• पुनश्च वासनादौ च कृते तन्मधुरायते विपाकसमये चेदं कासश्वासहरं भवेत् 

पुनश्च again and
वासनादौ fragrance - in the beginning, initially, at first
च and
कृते for/ for the benefit/account of
तन्मधुरायते (तत् मधुरायते) it becomes sweet
विपाकसमये during cooking

It becomes sweet, having made it fragrant, during cooking

चेदं and this
कासश्वासहरं (कास श्वास हरं) relieving asthma
भवेत् let it last
Thus prepared in a special manner, it will provide relief for asthma symptoms.

Humble thanks to ARaoji and JKDeshpandeji for corrections