Tamarind is a medicinal tree native to Eastern Africa and now cultivated in most tropical areas of world such as India, southeast Asia, Caribbean, Pacific islands, and Tropical America. The use of fruit pulp as condiment is very well known. It is added to chutney and curries where it gives a distinct taste. Along with that, its leaves, flowers and seeds are all edible and used in traditional medicine system in treatment of diseases.
Scientific name: Tamarindus indica Linn, Synonym _ T. occidentalis Gaertn, T. officinalis HK, Family: Caesalpiniaceae.
Vernacular names
Sanskrit : Amlika, Tintiika, Assamese : Tamar, Teteli, Bengali : Tetula, Tentul, Ambli, English : Tamarind Tree, Gujrati : Anvali
Hindi : Imli, Kannada : Hunisemale, Malayalam : Puli, Amlam, Marathi : Chinch, Oriya : Koina, Omlika
Punjabi : Imli, Amli, Tamil : Puli, Aanvilam, Telugu : Chint, Chinta, Urdu : Imli
This medicinal tree is useful in treatment of variety of diseases. Following is given the methods, using which various parts of Tamarind/Imli tree can be used. These methods are simple home remedies either using herb alone or in combination with other herbs.
- Vomiting, nausea in pregnancy
Eat a small imli fruit. - Loose motion, mucus in stools
Take seeds of tamarind tree. Crush and fry the brownish part in pan till the colour changes to reddish. Make fine powder of these by grinding. Take pinch of this powder. - Constipation
Boil 10 gram pulp in one glass water and drink. - Digestive problems, constipation, abdominal gas ,indigestion, parasitic worm
Take tender tamarind tree leaves, wash thoroughly under running water. Grind by adding some water to prepare chutney like paste. Add salt and eat. - Cough, cold
Prepare decoction of tamarind tree flowers, by boiling handful of flowers in 300 ml water till volume reduces to 150 ml. Filter and drink 1/2 cup two times a day. - Male sexual weakness, watery sperm
Collect tamarind tree seeds. Clean them and fry till they turn red. Remove the outer brown seed coat to get white kernel. Grind white kernel to get fine powder. Take 1 teaspoon o this powder with misri every night, with a glass of milk for 6 weeks.
External Uses
- Bleeding piles, painful urination
Grind leaves of tamarind tree in mortar and pestle to extract juice. Apply this juice on affected parts. - Sore throat
Prepare decoction of tamarind tree leaves by boiling handful of leaves in 300 ml water till volume reduces to 150 ml. Filter and gargle few times a day. Or mash the pulp in 1 glass of water and gargle with it. - Mouth ulcers
Use infusion of tamarind tree leaves for gargling purpose. - Joint swelling, inflammation
Make poultice of leaves and apply at affected areas. - Sprain
Make paste of tamarind tree leaves and warm it. Apply this lukewarm paste on sprain. - Burn injuries
Prepare powder of dried bark of tamarind tree. Mix with some coconut oil and apply at affected body area.