Mustard  (Brassica spp.)
Mustards are herbaceous annual plants in the family of Brassicaceae grown for their seeds which are used as a spice.

Mustard seed is used as a spice. Grinding and mixing the seeds with water, vinegar, or other liquids, creates the yellow condiment known as prepared mustard. The seeds can also be pressed to make mustard oil, and the edible leaves can be eaten as mustard greens.

They are important spice in many regional foods and may come from one of three different plants: black mustard (Brassica nigra), brown Indian mustard (B. juncea), or white mustard (B. hirta/Sinapis alba).

The leaves and shoots of the mustard plant are consumed as a vegetable in some countries. Mustard seed is incorporated into seasonings and dressings. Mustard may be grown as a cover crop in rotation with other vegetables.

Nutrition in Indian Mustard:-
The mustard seeds contains about one percent of volatile oil. It is strong, bitter, warm and somewhat dry. It has many more nutritional elements as listed below-

Dietary fibres, Carbohydrates, Fat, Beta-carotene, Vitamin A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9, C, E, K, Zinc, Calcium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Sodium etc
There are a variety of uses of Indian Mustard, some of them are listed below-

Firstly, the oil extracted from mustard seeds is used as a cooking oil. The pure form is highly pungent and very nutritive one.
The dried seed are used as a condiment cum spice in Indian cooking; it is widely used to cook many vegetarian items and fish too.
The leaves, the stem and the seeds are edible. They are a major part of Indian cooking and is very healthy.
The tender stems are also used as an ingredient in green salads and in other types of salad-dressing.
The seeds are also crushed to make powder and is used as a spice.
Medicinal properties of Indian Mustard:-

1. Glandular boils: Grind jaggery, gugullu and Indian mustard together. Mix it with powder to make paste. Apply it on a bandage and then stick it on the boil. By doing so, the boil ripens and then gets dissolved.
2. Baldness: Use hot or cold infusion of Indian mustard to rinse the hair. It controls the hairfall. It also cures boils or dandruff present on scalp. The pure form of oil has the potency to kill hair lice.
3. Bronchial asthma: Give 500 mg of mustard powder with ghee and honey; twice a day. It is very helpful to cure cough and Bronchial asthma even.
4. Excessive Vomiting: Apply the paste of mustard powder on the abdominal area. Any type of vomiting and loose motions can be cured by applying the paste on the abdominal area.
5. Pain due to Sprain- Grind mustard powder with sugar. Apply on the bandage and place the bandage on the painful area. In case of severe pain, mix mustard seeds with the bark of drumstick plant with buttermilk and apply the paste on the painful area.
6. Thorn pierce: Apply the paste of mustard powder with ghee and honey. The thorn moves upwards and can be easily taken out.
7. Tumour- In case of tumour in any part of the body. Take equal quantities of mustard seeds and black pepper. Mix them in ghee and apply this paste on the affected area. It cures the growth of tumour and also useful in curing tumour.
8. Stye- Mix the powder of Indian mustard in ghee. Apply this on the boils or stye on eyelids. It gives immediate relief.
9. Otitis- Mix mustard flower in mustard oil or Castor oil. Apply this on the affected area. It cures the swelling and any kind of ulcer or boil on ears.
10. Swelling- In case of any kind of swelling like on hands or legs, grind mustard seeds and salt in water and apply the paste on affected area.