Simply Cooking and Health: Gotu kola salad with carrot (Centella asiatica)

Gotu kola salad with carrot

Gotu kola (Centella asiatica) is a leafy vegetable suitable for a refreshing and cooling salad. It has been used to treat many kinds of medical conditions in India, China and Indonesia. In Malay language it is called daun pengaga. It was often used to improve mental clarity, heal wounds and skin condition such as psoriasis and leprosy. In Chinese it is called "the fountain of life" because of a legend that Professor Li Chung Yun a Chinese herbalist lived for 256 years by taking gotu kola and ginseng.

According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, in the U.S. and Europe gotu kola is most often used to treat varicose veins and chronic venous insufficiency, a condition where blood pools in the legs. It's also used in ointments to treat psoriasis and help heal minor wounds. The Medical Center cautions that people with liver conditions and those who take medications that affect the liver should avoid gotu kola. After using gotu kola for 6 weeks one should take a break for two weeks. People over 65 years should take a lower dose. Gotu kola has been used in some studies that lasted up to one year

We are not concerned with the medicinal use of gotu kola and those who are interested should search the web or seek the advice of their doctor before using it. For medicinal use highly concentrated extracts from dried leaves are available in capsules..

For culinary use it is perfectly safe to make a salad once in a while using this wonderful fresh leafy vegetable. People have consumed this vegetable for more than 1000 years in different parts of the world.

Gotu kola is slightly bitter in taste.

Gotu kola leaves with roots

Recipe summary
For
Gotu kola (Centella asiatica) salad with carrot

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 0

Serves : 6

Gotu kola leaves with roots

1. A bundle of Gotu Kola is about 100 grams. Pluck only the leaves and discard the stems. Soak the leaves in salt water for 15 minutes. Let the leaves dry on a paper or kitchen towel. Chop as desired.

Onion,green chili,red chili and lime juice

2. In a medium size bowl mix 90 grams finely chopped onion, 1 finely chopped green chili, 1 finely chopped red chili (optional) and 1 carrot julienne d. Add 100 grams shredded coconut, ½ tsp salt and juice from ½ a lemon and mix well. I add carrot to give a bit of sweetness to the salad and to counter the bitterness of gotu kola.

Gotu kola salad with carrot

3. Bitter gotu kola, sweet Carrot and delicious shredded coconut with lime juice makes an interesting and healthy salad. The salad is ready to be served with rice or consumed on its own.

Gotu kola salad with carrot is ready.

Recipe follows in detail with pictures.

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 0
Serves : 6

Ingredients
100 grams gotu kola coarsely chopped
90 grams onion finely chopped
1 green chili finely chopped
1 red chili finely chopped (optional)
½ a lemon juiced
1 carrot julienne d
100 grams shredded coconut
½ teaspoon salt

Onion,green chili,red chili
and lime juice

Preparation
Pluck only the leaves and discard the stems. Soak the leaves in salt water for 15 minutes. The leaves grow close to the ground. There will be some germs in the leaves. Drain and rinse the leaves. Let the leaves dry on a paper or kitchen towel. Chop as desired.

Gotu kola leaves

Grated carrot

Method
In a medium size bowl mix all the chopped vegetables. Add shredded coconut, salt and lemon juice and mix well. I add carrot to give a bit of sweetness to the salad and counter the bitterness of gotu kola.

Bitter gotu kola, sweet Carrot and delicious shredded coconut with lime juice makes an interesting and healthy salad. Hope you will try this salad.

The salad is ready to be served with rice or consumed on its own. If possible try to consume once a week as it boosts memory.