Herbal drink | Kadha | Kashayam

 In Tamil there is a saying "Unnave Marundhu aagum" meaning "Food can be the best medicine " and I totally agree to it . Each ingredient in our pantry has its own medicinal effect .

Our Masala dabba or Anjarai Petti is a mini medicine box in itself . Our elders used each of these ingredients so meticulously and more so they used them according to seasons and climatic conditions so that the family remained healthy and disease free.

To quote some ; fenugreek , buttermilk /curd , lemon, jaggery based dishes were made more frequently during summer months to keep the body cool and hydrated while recipes using ginger, pepper , curry leaves , ajwain were made during winter and monsoons which is when seasonal sickness like flu , cold cough etc would creep in. 

Some ingredients like jeera , asafoetida,turmeric,ghee ,dhaniya/corriander seeds which have general health benefits were used as a part of day to day cooking .

Apart from these,herbal concoctions known as kaadha,kashaya, kashayam used to be consumed incase people fell sick with minor ailments like cold ,cough,loose motions,stomach disorders ,mild fever etc . These were known as Nanima k nuske or Paati Vaidhiyam and were very effective if consumed correctly. 

Yester year generations or our ancestors tried to treat and heal the body naturally instead of providing external medical supplements.  Ancient scriptures have enough evidence to prove how Indians were pioneers in the field of medical study like Ayurveda , Siddha etc .

I have already blogged two different types of kaadha/ kashayam; one using fresh ingredients and another one using a herbal spice powder which can be prepared and stored. Click on the images below for the detailed recipes of Kashayam and Herbal tea .

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Thanks to Aruna of Vasu's veg kitchen who suggested we all share some Herbal Home remedies or Paati Vaidhiyam as part of this week's Foodie Monday Bloghop event theme . She has a very simple but effective Ginger and Lemon green tea to boost immunity and aide weight loss.

As this is a season of monsoon, there is every likelihood that we may get drenched and come down with some mild viral fever or body aches, in that case try to have this warm herbal concoction 2 to 3 times a day to get relief . 

Today we shall see another very simple concoction using just 3 ingredients which are easily available on our kitchen shelves.  Detailed recipe below

Dry ginger powder (sonth/chukku) - very good analgesic and antioxidant .

Turmeric powder /Haldi - antiseptic, anti inflammatory, anti viral as well as anti bacterial 

Pepper powder  - Aids digestion, respiratory relief, fights cold and also enhances the effect of other herbs.

**pls do seek medical advice if you experience any other symptoms.  These are just home remedies to get better along with medication. 

Preparation Time - 2 mins
Boiling Time - 3 mins
Complexity - simple 

Ingredients 

1/2 tsp dry ginger powder
2 pinches turmeric powder
1 pinch pepper powder 
1 glass water (200ml)

 Method 

• Add all the above ingredients to water and boil it well for 2 to 3 mins.
• Strain this decoction and drink it warm atleast  2 to 3 times a day to get relief. Prepare it fresh as far as possible instead of reheating. 
• You may add some honey , jaggery or palm candy (panam kalakandu) if you find the concoction pungent . 
• Donot use sugar to sweeten this drink.

Linking it to week # 263 Herbal & Health of FMBH