I come from a family of chronically bronchitis and sinus affected humans who need no rhyme and reason or even season to catch a cold. For as long as I can remember, this catching cold syndrome has ruined several experiences for me. This includes being told that I should give up the idea of learning to swim. But after years of yoga and Amla juice guzzling, I can safely say that if I do catch that odd viral or bout of common cold, it maybe happens once a year at the most. And for that once in a year event, there is this home remedy that I invented that combines every known heat-infused spice in a power-packed punch that manages to unblock your nose and keep the cough at bay at least while you sleep or get through the day.
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Name: Kaadha
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 10-15 minutes
Serves: 2 people You need:
2 1/2 glasses of tap water
2 inch stick cinnamon / dal chini
4 cloves / laung
1 elaichi / green cardamom
1 tsp caraway seeds / ajwain
1 tsp cumin seeds / jeera
A pinch fenugreek seeds / methi dana
4-5 black peppercorn / kali mirch
A blade of mace / javitri
1 star anise
1 tsp fennel seeds / saunf
9-10 stalks of lemongrass (dry will work as well as fresh – I used dry)
2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and pulped
4 tbsp honey
Here’s how you make it:
– Take every ingredient mentioned (except water, honey and ginger) and grind them to a powder in your grinder. Keep aside.
– Meanwhile boil some water. The minute it reaches a rolling boil, tip in the ground powder and ginger. Allow this to simmer for 10 minutes on a medium flame.
– Meanwhile, add honey to your serving cups.
– Once this mixture has simmered for at least 10-15 minutes, sieve it to your cups. Serve steaming hot.
– Remember, you can add some more water one more time (only) to the residue, and leave it to simmer for another 15 minutes, keep covered for an hour. This will give you another cup or two of the decoction for later use. This can be refrigerated and used later, and becomes more potent if you leave the residue inside and strain before reheating and using.
– Happy recovering !
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Reema Prasanna is a baking coach, cook, travel & food Writer, blogger, ex-Googler, bathroom singer and wife to the most amazing man. More about her here http://about.me/reema.prasanna
