During our time in India, we discovered this delicious fennel seed based mix, given alongside the bill in most restaurants we ate in. As a lover of seeds and spices, and being aware of the health benefits of ingesting these ingredients as teas, tonics and added seasonings, I knew already that taking fennel seeds (in the form of tea for example) after a meal can aid digestion. In India, this fennel seed mix, known as Mukhwas, serves two purposes: it aids digestion after a meal (mainly due to the fennel seed content) and also, it acts as a mouth freshener (an ideal and natural alternative to those artificial sugar filled chewing gums I used to have after a meal).
Mukhwas come in different forms, some sweeter than others, some more natural than others. I bought a few bags before leaving India, my all-time favourite sugar-free brand (and excellent but most expensive) is by Conscious Food, but now I make my own (without sugar). Feel free to modify and tweak according to your tastes, and eliminate any ingredients you are not keen on upon experimentation.
When using essential oils in cooking, be very careful on two grounds. The first is not to add too much, the taste can be extremely over-powering and unpleasant if you do. Be careful and add only 1 drop and increase if you feel it necessary. The second is to only use parraffin-free organic and high-quality essential oils. Ingesting them through food is not the same as adding them to your air purifier. To date, I am still a huge fan of the rather expensive but trusted brand Neil’s Yard. Possibly also one of my favourite places to visit when in London, a short walk away from Covent Garden tube station. There are also a few other excellent brands worth mentioning, including NHR and Tisserand.
If you are interested I cooking with essential oils, please take a look at my free downloadable mini essential oils recipe booklet right here too.
This recipe makes a small jar-sized batch that can be stored in a mason jar or another tightly-sealed jar. As you only need to take a tablespoon or two after each meal, it lasts for a quite a while.
Preparation Time
5 minutes
Ingredients
Sea salt, 3 tsp
Preparation
4. Add a small spoon, tightly-seal and set aside on your kitchen or dining room table ready as an after-meal mouth freshener and digestive. I set mine aside on the table with the salt and pepper.
Optional
Add a sprinkle of stevia sugar if you really prefer to have sweet-tasting Mukhwas, but I wouldn’t bother myself.
