So I kept hearing about this Sela Dudi thing recently, sounded like some fancy herbal remedy. Thought, might as well try it myself and share how it went down.
What I Actually Did First
Went straight to YouTube searching “sela dudi use”. Found this Nepali grandma’s video where she’s grinding leaves in a stone bowl. Showed her rubbing green paste on a kid’s swollen wrist – boom, swelling went down in like five minutes flat. But video was in Nepali, zero subtitles. Only caught “pain” and “wound” when she pointed at stuff.
Tried Googling next. First page showed me Sela Dudi as some tourist trail in Bali? Total nonsense. Finally found a blog mentioning it’s an actual plant called Curcuma angustifolia. Got a eureka moment – realized it’s that turmeric-looking root my Indian buddy used for stomach cramps last year!
Trying It Out Myself
Rushed to Little India market near my place. Guy at spice stall goes “Ah! Kalo jeera?” when I asked. Shoved yellow-brown roots at me saying “Rs 100 per kg”. Bought three roots thinking “Cheap experiment”.
- Chopped one root small, boiled it 15 mins in water. Drank that nasty bitter tea – tasted like dirt mixed with aspirin. But my post-lunch bloating vanished in 20 minutes. Weirdly worked.
- Next day, grated the second root into coconut oil paste following granny from video. Slathered that thick gunk on my mosquito bites. Calmed the itching faster than my pharmacy cream ever did.
- Third root’s drying on my windowsill now for later experiments.
How People Actually Use This Stuff
Talked to my taxi driver Rajesh while testing this. Dude laughed saying “You English call it East Indian arrowroot! My wife uses Sela Dudi daily”. His quickfire uses:
- Babies: Rub paste on gums during teething
- Cooking: Thickener for halwa dessert
- First aid: Bandage with pulp for cuts
- Religion: Sprinkle powder in Hindu prayer rituals
Epic Fail Moment
Tried making that YouTube grandma’s full recipe yesterday. Had to pound the roots by hand – my blender exploded sending sticky chunks flying everywhere. My cat still has yellow spots. Kitchen looked like a turmeric crime scene. Least Instagrammable moment ever.
What I Learned Overall
Sela Dudi’s basically nature’s pharmacy duct tape – fixes random body issues from tummy to skin to pains. No magic, just old-school plant wisdom passed down forever. Wouldn’t use it for major stuff, but that root’s earned permanent spot in my pantry for small everyday health hiccups. Definitely continuing experiments – might try that powder drying trick for homemade herbal plasters next week.
