A day to relish medicinal Maddu Puttu
Captions: 1) Chunks of Maddu Puttu. 2) Leaves of Maddu Thoppu [Pics. courtesy: Mohan Ballimada]
By K.M. Chengappa
Mysore, Aug. 2
Kodagu district today celebrates Kakkada Padinettu, the 18th day of the Kakkada month of Kodagu calendar, which usually falls on Aug. 2.
On this day, Maddu Puttu — a special sweet dish of rice cooked in the juice extracted from Maddu thoppu (Justicia wynaadensis), a plant having medicinal values and found in the Western Ghats from Dakshina Kannada, Kodagu to Wynaad, East Nilgiris and South Malabar Hills — is consumed as a tradition.
Eating maddu puttu on Kakkada Padinettu is an ancient tradition among the people of Kodagu and is still being practiced all over the district. It is believed that 18 different kinds of medicines gather in the plant whose stems are succulent on this day, the 18th day of Kakkada.
A team of chemistry researchers on the medicinal values of Maddu Thoppu have identified the presence of polyphenols and flavonoids in the plant extract.
In fact, there is a research paper presented on the medicinal value of this plant titled ‘Phytochemical and antioxidant screening of J. wynaadensis.’ It was submitted by Sudha Medapa, Geetha R.J. Singh and R. Vaishnavi. It was published in the African Journal of Plant Science (Sept. 2011).
Sudha Medapa says that the only other publication till date is the patent on the cholesterol lowering properties of the Maddu Thoppu by a US-based scientist Subbiah (2002) which reports that the plant extract lowers cellular cholesterol and cholesteryl ester concentration.
Pee red
While the Maddu Puttu prepared using Maddu Thoppu (medicinal leaf Justicia wynaadensis) is enjoyed for its medicinal value and taste, it is also a source of entertainment for children as when one consumes Maddu Puttu, their urine turns red. The more you eat, the more red the urine will be and so, kids usually consume a lot to get the brightest red possible. At least this way, children consume something healthy while also being entertained. In fact, many Kodavas play a prank on the non-Kodava friends who are unaware of this phenomenon. They give these naïve non-Kodava friends Maddu Puttu without warning them about the red pee and the next day, these friends say they want to go to see do-ctor as they might be peeing blood. The truth is revealed after a hearty laughter
source: http://www.StarofMysore.com / Home> General News / August 02nd, 2012
