Heal yourself with a curry

Chefs Kuldeep Singh and Raminder Malhotra are on a mission: they want the British public to appreciate how much more there is to Indian food than chicken vindaloo. According to Ayurvedic food traditions, every spice has a potent therapeutic value, the combination of which is something of a science. Singh, the proprietor of Indian restaurant Mela (he was behind Soho Spice and formerly worked at Red Fort), believes this so passionately that he has organised a month-long festival of Ayurvedic food at Mela, for which he has flown in Raminder Malhotra, a renowned Indian chef and Ayurvedic expert.

"The idea," says Malhotra, "is to create an awareness of Indian spices and what they do for you. In Ayurveda, food is not medicine, it teaches you how to live life so that you don't need to use medicine. If you feel ill, you can treat yourself with food and hopefully avoid having to use chemical medication."

The great chefs of ancient India spent years studying the art of spice blending, both for its flavour and healing properties, and regarded their work as a form of naturopathy. "Indian spices have a power," says Malhotra. "And every one has an antidote - for example, something very spicy is always served with cooling yoghurt, and a hot curry is served with rice. Food is never made too hot, it is served with chillies, chutneys and pickles to spice it up. The balance of a meal is very important."

Apply crushed garlic to skin conditions such as eczema and acne at night.

To relieve gas and indigestion, mix three to six crushed garlic cloves with honey and take once or twice daily.

Cinnamon
Good for the heart, kidneys and blood circulation.

For headaches, make a paste of one teaspoon each of powdered saffron, gum myrrha and cinnamon in water. Put the paste on a piece of muslin and apply to temples.

For bad breath, boil a teaspoon of cinnamon in a cup of water and cool. Use as a mouthwash.

A pinch of cinnamon powder is good for relief from nausea.

Cloves
To relieve toothache, put a few drops of clove oil on cotton wool and press on affected area.

Apply clove oil as a poultice on aching muscles.

Cardamom
For coughs and colds, mix a teaspoon of cardamom seed powder with a tablespoon of honey, and take daily.

Banana
For a cough, mash a ripe banana and mix with a quarter of a teaspoon of black pepper powder. Take two or three times a day.

To treat burns, mash a ripe banana and apply to the affected area.

A ripe banana with a cup of milk as a night cap - good for indigestion.

The Ayurvedic Food Festival is at Mela Restaurant, 152 Shaftesbury Avenue, Covent Garden, London WC2 until 28 February. Reservations: 020 7836 8635.