THOOTHUVALAI (BOTANICAL NAME: SOLANUM TRILOBATUM)

Thuthuvalai is called as Purple fruited pea egg plant or Thai nightshade in English, Achuda, Agnidamini, Vallikandakarika in Sanskrit.

This herb is a thorny creeper grown in bushes.Thuthuvalai can be planted in dry land with minimal rainfall. Collect seeds from farmer, plant some seeds in a pot, let it grow for 30 cm and then plant those in your garden. You can grow this also in a pot. People grow this plant 

in their own farm, garden, home for their regular use as home remedy for treating coughs, 

cold, etc and for various recipes in day-today food intake.We are aware of this excellent benefits of this wonderful herb. Yet the people live in metropolitan cities are unaware of this herb and spend more money towards allopathy treatments and suffered with lot of side effects. 

The entire stem and leaves contain full of thorns. Its flowers are purple colored. 

It can be propagated by seeds. The whole parts of this herb are used as medicine in Siddha vaidyam. This is called as KAYAKALPAM.

The seeds, fruits,leaves and stem are entirely used for various treatments;  perfect home remedy giving herb.

The plant is said to contain natural steroids. The steroid SOLASOLINE is present in the leaves, fruits, seeds and stem are widely used for steroid drug production.

Researches of medicinal plants are shown that the purple fruited egg pea plant is containing anti bacterial,  hepato protective (protection of liver against radiation and UV caused damages), antibiotic, anti mitotic, anti fungal anti tumor properties. 

International study of research of cancer enumerated that the plant Solanum Trilobatum can be administered to treat lung cancer.

It is said to be rejuvenatory herb. It treats smartly on various respiratory diseases and asthma.

It is used for the gastric complaints also.

The leaves is used to treat with dullness in hearing can be used to make ear drops.

The flower is used to treat and enhance the mental ability.

The fruits are used to treat with rheumatism, constipation and other gastric problems.

In Siddha treatment, the leaves are used to produce blood and prevent thickening of the blood which leads to many serious problems.

The leaves are said to be used for the treatment of tuberculosis and long standing colds.

It prevents throat infection.

It is the best appetizer.

Tips of home remedies:

The leaves of this plant are ground with the cow milk and  consumption in the morning cures the cough.

The leaves ground with pepper and the extract to be consumed for the gastric and stomach pain.

Dried and powdered fruits treats wonderfully and it can be consumed either with honey,or with buttermilk or with hot water with palm candy will get rid of rheumatism, constipation, and various gastric complaints.

In Tamil Nadu, the villagers are regularly using the thuthuvalai leaves for preparation rasam which is popular treatment for cold, cough, body pain. Let us see how to make rasam as follows:

Pluck the Thuthuvalai leaves and cut into pieces.

Grind the Thuthuvalai leaves coarsely with required water.

Soak Tamarind small gooseberry size in water for 15 minutes and take the extract by filtering.

Peel off the shallots and cut into pieces half cup

curry leaves one cup

Red chillies two or three

Turmeric one small teaspoon

Toor dal cooked  one cup with water to be mashed and got thick mixture

Heat the gingelly oil in a vessel and add mustard seeds.

Allow to splutter.

Add asafoetida one pinch.

followed by shallots, red chillies, curryleaves.

Add tamarind extract, thuthuvalai mixture and salt required.

Allow to cook for 10 minutes. 

Add  Toor dal mixture. 

Add Coriander powder, cumin seeds powder, pepper powder, and garlic pulses mashed.

Allow to boiling.

Switch off the flame and add coriander leaves finely chopped.

Consume this Rasam two or three times. You will get rid of cold and cough.

We may consume this Thuthuvalai in the form of thuvaiyal or chutney or with  Toor dal as kootu.

It is the best herb to balance the tridhosham that is Pitham, Vadam, Kapam of the body and maintain the health of the body.