Sesame (otherwise it is called sesame) is an annual herbaceous plant, the useful properties of the seeds of which were already known in Ancient Rome, Greece, China, Babylon.
In the modern world, sesame is recognized as one of the most useful natural products. Its seeds and oil are readily used by culinary experts all over the world in salads, pastries, sweets. The beneficial properties of small seeds allow them to be used to strengthen health and preserve youth.
Sesame seeds are white, black, yellow, brown. In cooking, white and black grains are most often used. Black sesame is the most fragrant, it is added to the finished dish without additional processing. White sesame is most often added to dishes, followed by heat treatment.
Any dish with sesame seeds (salad or bun sprinkled with seeds, sesame halva, sesame milk, etc.) certainly has not only aroma and unique taste, but also unique beneficial properties.
Sesame seeds: composition
Sesame seeds possess not only excellent taste and specific aroma, but also a unique composition of healthy minerals and vitamins.
One hundred grams of sesame contains:
- fat - 48.7%;
- proteins - 19.4%;
- carbohydrates - 12.2%;
- water - 9%;
- dietary fiber - 5.6%.
The energy value of 100 grams of sesame seeds is 565 kilocalories.
Sesame contains:
- vitamins of group B, E, PP;
- potassium;
- magnesium;
- calcium;
- phosphorus;
- sodium;
- iron.
What is sesame good for?
Based on the composition, sesame, even in small quantities, is very useful for the prevention of many diseases:
- Dietary fiber helps to cleanse the gastrointestinal tract and the removal of toxins that cause allergic manifestations, normalize stool.
- Sesame due to its high fat content is a fairly high-calorie product. However, the fat composition removes harmful cholesterol from the body and cleans blood vessels from plaques, thereby being an excellent prophylactic in the fight against cardiovascular diseases.
- Sesame contains unique antioxidants. They slow down the aging of the body, stop the development of cancer cells.
- Sesame promotes blood coagulation, which is a good tool for patients suffering from special types of diathesis.
- Sesame seeds contain a large amount of easily digestible vegetable protein. This makes them useful for muscle building athletes.
- Sesame is useful for patients with diseases of the thyroid gland, kidneys, and liver.
- Sesame contains a huge amount of calcium, which is completely absorbed by the body. One hundred grams of seeds contain a daily norm of calcium, which makes it useful for bone fractures, diseases of the musculoskeletal system, osteoporosis. Sesame is a good prophylactic to prevent calcium deficiency diseases.
- One hundred grams of seeds cover the body's daily requirement for iron.
Sesame: contraindications
Sesame, of course, is useful, but in everything you need to observe measure and caution. Unfortunately, there are some contraindications to the use of seeds:
- predisposition to increased blood clotting, with thrombosis;
- children under the age of three;
- with allergic manifestations to sesame seeds;
- with urolithiasis;
- with a high content of calcium;
- Sesame can not be consumed with aspirin, estrogen, oxalic acid.
In what form to use?
Of course, it is useful to use sesame as part of baked goods and sweets. But for greater assimilation of nutrients, the seeds must be slightly warmed up or soaked before use (preferably in warm water).
Soaked sesame seeds should be chewed when consumed.
There are much more useful substances in unrefined seeds.
Long-term heat treatment reduces many times the beneficial properties of the product.
Three or four teaspoons of seeds are recommended per day.
Vegetable salads with sesame seeds and sesame milk are very useful, the recipe for which will be given below.
Classic Sesame Milk Recipe
How to cook sesame milk at home? Consider the example of a classic recipe.
Required Products:
- water - 2 liters (for the finished product),
- water - for soaking sesame seeds,
- sesame seeds - 200 grams,
- honey to taste.
Soak sesame for 6 or 8 hours in a small amount of water. Seeds should soften. The water in which the sesame was soaked will become dirty. Remove softened sesame seeds, pour out dirty water.
Pour two liters of clean water into the container, put the prepared sesame in it.
Mix the water with seeds thoroughly with a blender until a foam is obtained. Next, add honey (to taste, about one tablespoon). Continue whisking until a shade of milk color is obtained.
Then strain the resulting mixture through gauze or a fine sieve. The drink is ready to drink. Shelf life - no more than three days in the refrigerator.
Sesame milk is made from water and sesame, so it has all the beneficial properties of sesame. However, we must not forget about contraindications to sesame seeds, which also apply to milk.
Sesame milk with additives
To diversify the tastes, sesame milk can be prepared with various additives: berries, fruits, cocoa, turmeric, etc. With what and how to make sesame milk at home? It depends only on the imagination and taste preferences of the cook.
The basis of all drinks is sesame milk according to the classic recipe.
Very tasty is a drink with the addition of a banana.
To prepare it you will need:
- water - two glasses (for milk);
- sesame seeds - one glass;
- banana - one thing;
- cinnamon - powder to taste;
- water for soaking sesame seeds.
Sesame seeds soak for eight hours, you can at night. Next, after the sesame has softened, pour out the water.
Transfer the seeds to the container, pour two glasses of water, beat the mixture with a blender until a milky color and foam.
Then add banana to the resulting milk and beat well again. You can add a spoonful of honey to the drink (to taste).
Pour the resulting milk into glasses, sprinkle with ground cinnamon (to taste).
Instead of banana, a handful of pre-chopped dates or currant berries can be added to sesame milk.
Sesame milk smoothie
A healthy vegetarian breakfast includes fruit smoothies and sesame milk.
To prepare it you will need:
- sesame seeds - one glass;
- water for making milk - two glasses;
- oranges - two pieces;
- fresh raspberries (you can take frozen) - one glass;
- dates - ten pieces;
- ground cinnamon - to taste;
- water for soaking seeds.
Soak the sesame overnight in a small amount of water.
In the morning, remove softened seeds from the water, transfer to a container, pour fresh water to make milk.
Beat the mixture with a blender until foam and milky, strain through gauze or a sieve.
Peel the oranges, chop the slices finely, chop the dates.
Combine sesame milk, dates, oranges and ground cinnamon. Mix the mixture well again in a blender.
Mash raspberries, put on the bottom of the glasses. Gently pour the smoothies into glasses. Raspberry puree should remain at the bottom.
Lose weight with sesame milk
Sesame milk contains a huge amount of calcium, which is easily absorbed by the body. If the body is deficient in calcium, then we have a steady craving for sweets, which are difficult to resist.
It turns out that one cup of sesame milk saves us from calcium deficiency, strengthens the skeletal system, teeth, hair, helps to overcome the unpleasant effects of menopause, and also saves us from immense eating sweet buns and sweets.
Daily use of one glass of sesame milk in the morning on an empty stomach significantly reduces cravings for sweets, which contributes to a noticeable improvement in body shape and weight loss.
Conclusion
Sesame milk, whose benefits are undeniable, should take its rightful place in the diet.
Making sesame milk at home is a simple process, any housewife will cope with it.
You can drink healthy milk for breakfast with coffee or cocoa, boil porridge on it, ferment with kefir, mix with fruits and berries, make cocktails and smoothies from it.
You choose which additives and how to cook sesame milk at home. Experiment, look for your unique tastes and remember: your health and the health of your loved ones depends on the dishes that you cook at home.
Bon Appetit!